Domestic violence is a devastating social problem that affects all sectors of our population. Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner (USDOJ, 2012). Domestic violence can be physical, economic, emotional, sexual or psychological. Domestic physical violence is an attempt to inflict physical harm such as grabbing, slapping, hitting, biting, etc. Physical abuse can also involve depriving people of resources needed to maintain health, such as medication, food, sleep, or forcing the use of alcohol or other drugs. Economic abuse is an attempt to make the victim financially dependent. Such as maintaining control over financial resources, including income earned by victims, being barred from employment, harassment at work or withholding information about family expenses. Psychological abuse may be an attempt to undermine the victim's self-esteem. This can be devaluation of the victim, name-calling, insults, criticism, manipulation, etc. Sexual abuse is any sexual contact without consent. For example, marital rape, assault on sexual parts of the body, forced sexual intercourse, forced prostitution. Sexual abuse may also be an attempt to harm the victim's sexuality by treating them in a derogatory manner, criticizing sexual performance, or refusing to have sex. Psychological abuse is an attempt to implant fear. This may involve intimidation, threats of physical harm, harassment, mind games and stalking. Emotional abuse may also be an attempt to isolate the victim from friends and family members. Abusers may go as far as denying access to telephones, transportation, constant checks, forced imprisonment, and compromising personal relationships. Dome...... middle of paper......NCBI. (2007, December 1). Stress in children and adolescents exposed to family violence: I. Overview and issues. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2811337/NSW. (2002, September 24). Domestic violence and its impact on child development. Retrieved from http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/dv_paper.pdfSousa, C. (26 January 2011). Longitudinal study of the effects of child maltreatment and children's exposure to domestic violence, parent-child attachments, and antisocial behavior during adolescence. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2921555/Taylor, R. (January 1998). Preventing violence against women and children. Retrieved from http://www.milbank.org/uploads/documents/violence.htmlUSDOJ. (2012). What is domestic violence. Retrieved from website: http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/domviolence.htm