What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence and abuse can include any of the following: your partner hitting, slapping, kicking, or using any other physical violence against you, forcing you to have sex when you don’t want to, or forcing you to do sexual things you don’t want to do; threatening to hurt you, your children, or someone else you care about; threatening to report you to immigration or get you in trouble with another person or organization; constantly insulting, criticizing, or putting you down; telling you how to dress or behave; controlling your access to money or other support systems; stalking, obsessively checking up on you, or otherwise trying to control your life.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence (OCDV) and a variety of agencies in the Bronx and all over NYC provide temporary housing, emergency shelter, and support services for survivors of domestic violence and their children.

If I am ready to leave my abuser, what should I take with me?

Before leaving the abuser, victims should remember to take important papers such as government-issued identification and birth certificates. It may not be safe for the victim to return home for some time and these papers will be invaluable as s/he seeks emergency shelter and/or new housing. The abuser may also destroy valuables or other sentimental items once the victim leaves the home.

The types of items domestic violence survivors might want to take include the following: