North Star Advocacy Center is here to help you.
Our confidential services are free, and we want to listen.
Does Your Partner:
Embarrass or make fun of you in front of your friends or family?
Put down your accomplishments and goals?
Control what you do, who you see or talk
to, or where you go?
Make you feel like you are unable to make decisions?
Intimidate you with guns, knives, or
other weapons?
Take your phone, wallet, or keys so you cannot leave?
Treat you roughly (grab, push, shove, pinch, or hit)?
Destroy your property or threaten
to kill your pets?
Call or text you several times a night. Show up to make sure you are where you said you would be?
Tell you you're a bad parent or threaten to
take away or hurt your children?
Lock you out of your social media accounts/demand your passwords?
Threaten that they will commit suicide or that you should commit suicide?
Use intimidation or threats to gain compliance?
Use drugs or alcohol as an excuse for saying hurtful things or abusing you?
Pressure you sexually for things you aren’t comfortable doing?
Make you feel like there is no way out of the relationship?
Tell you that you are nothing without him/her?
Blame you for how he/she feels or acts?
Threaten to kill you?
If the answer is YES to any of the questions above, you may be a victim of crime.
Please call our 24 hour crisis line at (660) 562-2320 or 1-866-382-7867.
Call 911 if in immediate danger.
Defining Violence & Abuse
What is domestic violence?
Most people think of domestic violence as black eyes and bruises that can be seen. It’s more than that! Domestic violence is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors that one person exercises over another. It’s a chronic abuse of power. It may start with controlling the victim by calculated threats, intimidation and escalate after months or years to physical violence.
Physical Violence is any physically aggressive behavior; withholding of physical needs (interrupt sleep or meals, deny help if sick), indirect physically harmful behavior, threat of physical violence (to others, to children) or destruction of property.
Physical violence includes:
• Pushing • Shoving • Kicking • Slapping • Punching • Choking • Biting • Hitting • Burning • Stabbing • Throwing Objects • Shooting, etc • Hold hostage • Rape • Unwanted touching
Psychological abuse includes:
Verbal Abuse:
• Name calling, cursing and threats
• Derogatory or demeaning comments
• Emotional Abuse:
• Exploits vulnerability or character
• Insulting or criticizing
• Forcing victims to perform humiliating acts
• Threats to harass, harm, or kill the victim or victim's family
• Telling the victim he/she is mentally unstable /incompetent
• Intimidation
• Degradation
• Consistently disregarding, ignoring or neglecting the victim's requests & needs
• Using actions, statements or gestures that attack the victim's self-esteem
• Broken Promises
• Brainwashing
Economic Abuse:
• Controls all the money
• Doesn’t allow employment outside the home or sabotages attempts to work or go to school
• Refuses to work and support the family
• Ruins credit ratings
• Spends money on non-essentials
Other Forms Include:
• Neglect
• Denial of basic human needs - food, clothing, shelter, medical attention, or personal hygiene
• Attacks property or pets
• Isolation
• Locking victim in the home
• Providing no access to a car or telephone
• Not allowing contact with friends and family
• Use of children to control adult victim
• Damages relationships by spreading rumors or distorted information
• Stalks partner or ex-partner
