For Community Members
This is a collection of information about abusive relationships, sexual assault, and other topics that might help you gain insight into cycles of violence. These resources can be helpful anyone seeking to understand domestic and sexual violence, and includes some resources for seeking help.
Intimate Partner Violence
Intimate Partner Violence is a pattern of abusive behavior designed to maintain power and control over a partner. It is often called domestic violence or dating violence. Domestic violence can also be when a family member uses abusive behaviors to maintain power and control over another family member.
Most often, people think of physical or sexual abuse when they think of intimate partner violence, but abusers use many tactics to have power over their victims. These can include using threats, emotional abuse, isolation, economic abuse, and other tactics. These relationships can be dangerous and very difficult to leave.
Watch this short video from the Nashville Office of Family Safety to learn more:
Sexual violence is built on common attitudes and beliefs that include objectification and normalizing non-consensual behaviors that seem "harmless", as appear at the bottom of the pyramid. These things escalate in danger up into sexual abuse, exploitation, and rape. We have to recognize and interrupt dangerous attitudes and beliefs lower in the pyramid to prevent more dangerous sexual abuse.
Sexual Violence
Sexual violence is sexual activity when consent is not obtained or freely given. It impacts every community and affects both sexes and people of all sexual orientations and ages. Anyone can experience or perpetrate sexual violence.
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The perpetrator of sexual violence is usually someone the survivor knows. This can include a friend, current or former intimate partner, coworker, neighbor, or family member. Sexual violence can occur in person, online, or through technology. This includes posting or sharing sexual pictures of someone without their consent, or non-consensual sexting.
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Learn more about sexual violence at the
You can also learn more about sexual assault and abuse impacts and how to find help at
How to Help Someone Experiencing Intimate Partner or Sexual Violence
It can be difficult to know how to support someone who is or has experienced violence. It is often hard for the victim to accurately see the violence, and abusers are very good at isolating and gaslighting victims, making it even harder to know how to support or reach out to someone to help.
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Things you can say that are supportive:
1. I believe you, I hear you, I care about you.
2. Abuse is never your fault, you did nothing to deserve to be harmed.
3. Abuse is a choice by an abuser to try to control and manipulate you, you are not responsible for that choice.
4. You are not alone. Many people, unfortunately, have had similar experiences.
5. There is help available.
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Resources you can help them connect to:
1. Local domestic or sexual violence direct service providing agencies. You can find a list of services by area ​​at the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence
2. The National Domestic Violence Hotline and be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE(7233) or text "Start" to 88788. Additional information and a live chat features as well at their website
3. They can call the RAINN National Sexual Violence hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE(4673) or text "Hope" to 64673. They have a live chat feature and further information at their website ​​