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What is power-based personal violence? | Partner Violence | Sexual Violence | Other Forms | Someone I Know Is Being Hurt | Printable Literature
What do you mean by prevention?
Every single service provided by the Ion Center falls into one of three levels of prevention.
Imagine that you are walking beside a river with a few friends and suddenly you see a small child being pulled downstream by the current. The child can’t get out on their own, so of course you or one of your friends jumps in and tries to help them. That’s when you notice that more children are coming toward you in the river. Another one of your friends probably jumps in to help. This is considered secondary prevention – work that stops emergency situations from continuing or getting worse. During all this, another of your friends might start running upstream to answer the question “how and why are so many children ending up in the river in the first place?”
They find a broken bridge and realize that children are falling into the river while crossing over. So your friend begins to repair the bridge, while helping other children find alternative ways to cross the river, or even advising them to not cross the river at all. This is primary prevention – work done to build knowledge on an issue, seek out the skills that are needed to correct it, and create manageable steps to stop the issue from hurting people.
Now consider the people who are still helping the kids get out of the river. Someone in that group is probably working with the kids who have already been pulled out. They are no longer in immediate danger, but they still need to dry off and have any bumps or bruises treated, and make sure they don’t have any major, long-term injuries. This is tertiary prevention – work to address short term-needs, and to address any long-term effects or trauma.
Everything we do is either preventing violence from happening or preventing it from getting worse.
Level 1: Primary Prevention
Upfront
Work done in the community to educate, bring a connection to the issues, and build skills and knowledge on what to do before an incident of power-based personal violence has happened.
- Public Education
- Middle & High School
Programs - Community Partnerships
Level 2: Secondary Prevention
During
Services to stop emergency situations from continuing or escalating.
- 24-Hour Hotline
- Walk-in Services
- Hospital Advocacy
- Pet Protection
- Emergency Shelter
- Court Advocacy
- Safety Planning
Level 3: Tertiary Prevention
Aftermath
Ongoing work to help survivors address short-term and long-term effects and/or trauma.
- Therapy
- Support Groups
- Court Advocacy
- Safety Planning
- Financial Literacy
We are proud to implement two primary prevention strategies in schools and in our communities.
Green Dot is a nationally recognized strategy focused on preventing power-based personal violence. The strategy is based around the belief that each one of us holds power as bystanders to actively prevent violence and shape our community norms.
The Green Dot strategy draws its name from the image of a map covered in red dots. In this image, each red dot represents any single act of power-based personal violence. The ultimate goal is to put more green dots on our map than there are red dots.
Green dots are small, individual, manageable actions people can make to make it less likely that red dots occur or get worse. A green dot could be anything from intervening to stop a high risk situation to influencing our community norms through simple words and actions. The Ion Center is proud to provide this comprehensive violence prevention training for high schools, community groups, businesses, and organizations in the Northern Kentucky, Buffalo Trace, and Greater Cincinnati areas.
No matter who you are, you can be a part of the solution. Put a green dot on the map today! Learn more about Green Dot, as well as it’s proven effectiveness, at greendotgcky.org.
It’s My Space is a program created by Kentucky Rape Crisis Center educators for use in Kentucky middle schools to promote healthy relationships and build safe environments. The sixth grade curriculum focuses on building a foundation by teaching students to recognize and vocalize one’s personal boundaries. The seventh grade curriculum takes that foundation and expands upon it to teach students about healthy and unhealthy friendships and dating relationships. Finally, the eighth grade curriculum adds on skill building around healthy and unhealthy communication and building empathy. It’s My Space is a four-session curriculum with the first three sessions focusing on learning content and then the fourth session focusing on hot spot mapping. With hot spot mapping, students color maps of their school to identify “hot” and “cool” spots based on the level of safety felt in each space. Then the Ion Center works in conjunction with the school administration to make changes to the physical environment of the school based on the results of the mapping activity. It’s My Space is a great program for either a stand-alone middle school or one that is affiliated with a high school doing the Green Dot program.
What is power-based personal violence?
Power-based personal violence is any form of violence where the primary motivator is the assertion of power, control, and/or intimidation in order to harm another.
Examples of power-based personal violence include:
- Partner violence
- Sexual violence
- Stalking
- Trafficking
- Child abuse
- Elder abuse
- Harassment
- Bullying
Historically, power-based personal violence has been referred to as a number of things: domestic violence, sexual assault, rape, violence against women, intimate partner violence, etc. The list goes on and on. Some of these terms are still used, and some of them are considered quite outdated. What we know is that these terms all have one thing in common: they are rooted in the assertion of power and control.
We also know that any person can experience any one or more of these incidents. Power-based personal violence impacts people regardless of race, religion, gender, class, sexual orientation, national origin, age or ability. Not only that, power-based personal violence can affect people differently depending on the various ways one might identify.
“Power-based personal violence” is an all-encompassing umbrella term that has room to include all individual experiences and highlights the root cause of power and control. Experiences of power-based personal violence are as unique as the individuals they impact and should be treated as such.
Learn more about how the Ion Center helps.
Do you need help? Contact us. We’re here when you need us.
Partner Violence
Partner violence, often referred to as domestic violence or dating violence, is a systematic pattern of power and control tactics carried out by one intimate partner against another. It is characterized by one partner’s consistent effort to maintain power and control over another. Partner violence tactics can include physical violence, sexual violence, financial abuse, psychological abuse, and emotional abuse. The degree and frequency of these instances can vary drastically from person to person and from one day to the next.
Partner violence includes but is not limited to physical abuse. The absence of physical violence does not mean that an abuser is any less dangerous to the victim-survivor. Some other examples of power and control tactics may include but are not limited to:
- Telling the victim-survivor that they can never do anything right
- Showing jealousy of the victim-survivor’s family and friends and time spent apart
- Accusing the victim-survivor of cheating
- Preventing or discouraging the victim-survivor from seeing friends or family members
- Embarrassing or shaming the victim-survivor via put-downs
- Controlling household finances including taking the victim-survivor’s money or other assets or refusing to give the victim-survivor money for expenses
- Acting in ways that frighten or terrorize the victim-survivor, such as punching walls, throwing things, or threatening body language
- Intimidating them with guns, knives, or other weapons
- Controlling who the victim-survivor sees, where they go, or what they do
- Dictating how the victim-survivor dresses, wears their hair, etc.
- Stalking the victim-survivor or monitoring the victim-survivor’s every move (in-person or also via the internet and/or devices such as GPS tracking or even the victim-survivor’s own cell phone)
- Preventing the victim-survivor from making their own decisions
- Withholding the victim-survivor’s necessary medication or medical treatment
- Withholding the food, basic needs, or necessary medication or medical treatment from the children of the victim-survivor
- Abuse against the children of a victim-survivor
- Telling the victim-survivor that they are a bad parent or threatening to hurt, kill, or take away their children
- Threatening to hurt or kill the victim-survivor’s friends, loved ones, or pets
- Pressuring the victim-survivor to have sex when they don’t want to, or to do sexual acts that are not wanted or comfortable for the victim-survivor
- Forcing sex with others
- Refusing to use protection when having sex, or sabotaging birth control
- Pressuring or forcing the victim-survivor to use drugs or alcohol
- Preventing the victim-survivor from working or attending school
- Destroying the victim-survivor’s property
Contrary to popular belief, partner violence does not always end when the victim-survivor escapes the abuser, tries to terminate the relationship, and/or seeks help. In fact, partner violence often intensifies during such times of transition because the abuser feels a loss of control. There is no “typical” victim-survivor. Individuals from all walks of life can and do experience partner violence.
Victim-survivors do not bring the violence upon themselves. The responsibility for abuse lies solely with the abuser. Victim-survivors of partner violence often face substantial barriers (financial, psychological, physical, and cultural) when attempting to leave their abusers, and for many people it takes multiple attempts to leave.
Victim-survivors of partner violence may experience an array of emotions and feelings surrounding their experiences, including but not limited to:
- Desire for the abuse – but not necessarily the relationship – to end
- Feelings of isolation
- Feelings of depression
- Feeling that nothing will change and there’s nowhere to go
- Unawareness of the availability of support services
- Fear of judgment or stigma if they reveal the abuse
- Denial or minimization of the abuse and tendency to make excuses for the abuser
- Love for the person
- Investment in the relationship
- Withdrawing emotionally
- Distance (physical or emotional) from family or friends
- Impulsiveness or aggression
- Financial dependence on the abuser
- Guilt related to ending the relationship
- Feelings of shame
- Anxiety
- Suicidal thoughts/actions
- Abuse of alcohol or drugs
- Hope that their abuser will change and/or stop the abuse
- Religious, cultural, or other beliefs that reinforce their need to stay in the relationship
- Lack of support from friends of family
- Fear that they will not be able to support themselves after they escape the abuser
- Have children in common with their abuser and fear for their safety if the victim-survivor leaves
- Have pets or other animals they don’t want to leave
- Be distrustful of local law enforcement, courts, or other systems if the abuse is revealed
- Have had unsupportive experiences with friends, family, employers, law enforcement, courts, child protective services, etc. and either believe they won’t get help if they leave or fear retribution if they do (ie: they fear they will lose custody of their children to the abuser)
Learn more about how the Ion Center helps.
Do you need help? Contact us. We’re here when you need us.
Sexual Violence
Sexual violence comes in many forms, all of which occur without explicit consent of the victim-survivor. Sex without affirmative and ongoing consent is rape. The majority of perpetrators of sexual assault are people who are known to the victim-survivors. A victim-survivor of sexual assault may have any type of relationship with the perpetrator (friends, partner, family member, acquaintance), but in some cases, they may have no relationship with them at all. Similar to partner violence, sexual assault is a crime of power and control. It is extremely important to remember that the victim-survivor is never to blame for the actions of the perpetrator.
Common forms of sexual assault include:
- Penetrations of the victim-survivor’s body (rape)
- Attempted rape
- Forcing a victim-survivor to perform sex acts (such as oral sex or penetrating the perpetrator’s body)
- Fondling or unwanted touching
- Unwanted sexual comments or harassment (read below)
Perpetrators of sexual assault can use many forms of force, including but not limited to:
- Physical pressure
- Charm and building of trust (grooming)
- Emotional coercion
- Psychological force
- Manipulation
- Threats
- Intimidation tactics
Sexual Harassment is any unwanted sexual attention of a persistent or offensive nature made by a person who knows, or reasonably should know, that such attention is unwanted. This can occur both inside and outside the workplace and may be done by someone in a position of authority or someone with no authority over the victim-survivor. Furthermore, a victim-survivor does not have to be the intended target of the harassment. Instead, anyone affected by the unwanted conduct would be considered a victim-survivor of sexual harassment.
Common forms of sexual harassment include, but are not limited to:
- Inappropriate touching
- Requests for sexual favors
- Unwelcome sexual advances
- Verbal/physical conduct of a sexual nature
- Making crude or sexual remarks
- Sending pornography without consent
- Unwanted staring at a person’s body
- Following someone around
- Repeatedly asking for dates despite being rebuffed
Learn more about how the Ion Center helps.
Do you need help? Contact us. We’re here when you need us.
Other forms of power-based personal violence
Elder abuse
Each year, hundreds of thousands of adults over the age of 60 are abused, neglected, or financially exploited. This is called elder abuse. The CDC defines elder abuse as an intentional act, or failure to act, by a caregiver or another person in a relationship involving an expectation of trust that causes or creates a risk of harm to an older adult (60 or older).
Abuse can happen in many places, including the older person’s home, a family member’s house, an assisted living facility, or a nursing home. The mistreatment of older adults can be by family members, strangers, health care providers, caregivers, or friends.
- Resources:
Child Abuse
Child abuse occurs when children under the age of 18 are exposed to abuse and neglect by a parent, caregiver, or another person in a custodial role (e.g. clergy, coach, teacher, etc.).
There are four common types of child abuse and neglect:
- Physical abuse is the intentional use of physical force that can result in physical injury. Examples include hitting, kicking, shaking, burning, or other shows of force against a child.
- Sexual abuse involves pressuring or forcing a child to engage in sexual acts. It includes behaviors such as fondling, penetration, and exposing a child to other sexual activities.
- Emotional abuse refers to behaviors that harm a child’s self-worth or emotional well-being. Examples include name calling, shaming, rejection, withholding love, and threatening.
- Neglect is the failure to meet a child’s basic physical and emotional needs. These needs include housing, food, clothing, education, and access to medical care.
- Resources:
Stalking
Stalking is a pattern of behavior that makes a person feel afraid, nervous, harassed, or in danger. It occurs when someone repeatedly contacts someone else, follows them, sends them things, talks to them when the other person doesn’t want them to, or threatens them. You can be stalked by someone you know casually, a stranger, or past or current friend, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or a current or former partner or spouse.
- Resource:
Bullying
Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both those who are bullied and those who bully others may see serious, lasting problems – especially in children.
In order to be considered bullying, the behavior must be aggressive and must include a real or perceived imbalance of power. People who bully use their power – such as physical strength, access to embarrassing information, or popularity – to control or harm others. Power imbalances can change over time and in different situations, even if they involve the same people.
Bullying behaviors happen more than once or have the potential to happen more than once. Bullying includes actions such as making threats, spreading rumors, attacking someone physically or verbally, and excluding someone from a group on purpose.
- Resource:
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking refers to the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. There are two kinds of trafficking: labor and sex. Each year, tens of thousands of people are victim-survivors of sex trafficking, labor trafficking, or both.
- Resources:
- National Hotline: 1-888-373-3888
- BeFree Textline: 233733
- Polaris Project
- Statistics from Office For Victims of Crime
Learn more about how the Ion Center helps.
Do you need help? Contact us. We’re here when you need us.
Someone I know is being hurt
Supporting loved ones
When someone is being hurt, the people around them have a lot of power to help. Whether it’s a family member, a friend at work, a classmate, or someone we know from somewhere else, we all have the power to decrease the violence that occurs in the world around us. Here are some quick tools any bystander can use to take action and let the people around them know that power-based personal violence isn’t okay and that we all have a role to play in keeping each other safe.
If you see a situation that feels like it is already violent or could lead to violence, you could try one of these actions:
Direct: You directly get involved by telling the person who is hurting someone else to stop or by checking in with the person being hurt. Examples may include:
- “They shouldn’t be talking to you that way. Do you want to come sit with me?”
- “Hey, we don’t treat people that way.”
- “I am not trying to be nosy, but I heard the way your partner is treating you. Do you want some help finding a place you can call for help?”
Delegate: You get someone else who may be better equipped to intervene. This could be someone who knows the people involved better, someone who is more outgoing than you, or someone who is in a position of authority. This also could happen in person or digitally. Examples may include:
- Telling your pastor they may want to check in with a couple at your church because there seems to be some friction.
- Reporting posts on social media that are intended to demean or humiliate another person
- Telling a store employee “hey, there’s a couple fighting in aisle 8, and it looks like it might turn physical. You should probably go check.
Distract: You cause a distraction in order to help break the tension of a situation, interrupt it, or pull attention away from it. Examples may include:
- Spilling a drink
- Tripping into the situation
- Asking for directions
- Asking for a phone charger
- Starting a conversation about something unrelated
- Honking your car horn
Even if you’ve never seen a violent situation firsthand, there are still lots of options to let people know that violence is something you will not tolerate:
- Follow @greendotgcky and @theioncenter online. Like and share the posts that are most meaningful and compelling to you.
- Start conversations with people you know about why these issues are important and the ways we can all take action.
- If you see a story in the news or on social media about an active bystander, share it.
- Support and encourage others you see intervening or showing support for the Ion Center and Green Dot.
- Volunteer with us, and tell others to join you!
Learn more about how the Ion Center helps.
Do you need help? Contact us. We’re here when you need us.
Printable Literature
Feel free to open, download, and/or print any Ion Center literature.
Our Protection Order brochure complies KRS 209 A requirements for distribution to victim-survivors of power-based personal violence.