What is Domestic and Gender Based Violence?

Domestic violence is a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviors and tactics used by one person over another to gain power and control. This may include verbal abuse, financial abuse, emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. Domestic violence occurs in heterosexual as well as same-sex partnerships, and crosses all ethnic, racial, and socio-economic lines.

Gender-Based Violence is any harmful action or threat directed at someone because of their sex, gender identity, or how society expects them to act based on their gender or sex assigned at birth. This type of violence can include physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, spiritual, mental, financial forms of abuse or threats of abuse.

GBV can happen in both public spaces and at home. It is rooted in unfair power differences between genders and predominately affects women, trans-women, girls, and femme people, but anyone can be impacted.

Ask yourself the questions below to assess the health of your relationship.

Relationship Challenge Questions

• Can you disagree with your partner without feeling anxious about their response?  
• Do you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts and feelings with your partner?  
• Do you feel calm when you’re with your partner, not on edge or anxious?  
• Do you feel like your partner supports your dreams and goals?    
• Does your partner treat you the same way in public and in private? 

If you answered “no” to these questions, you may be in an abusive relationship.
If you think your partner would answer “no” to these questions, you may be an abusive partner.

Helpful Resources

• Domestic Violence Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn about Sexual Violence
• Helpful Resources and Support
• 10 tips on how to talk to someone about domestic violence
• Jane Doe Inc
• Cambridge Police Domestic Violence Unit