Domestic Violence and Services

Domestic violence is a serious, preventable public health problem that affects millions of Americans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines domestic violence (also known as intimate partner violence) as any threats or attempts to cause physical, sexual, or psychological harm to an intimate partner. This violence may be perpetrated by a current or former partner/spouse. While a great deal of research exists on domestic violence in the U.S. hearing community, the field of domestic violence in the Deaf community is in its infancy. In general, the deaf population is rarely a focus of behavioral health research; this gap is particularly evident in the absence of empirical work on violence against deaf women published before the year 2000. In recent years, however, the ...