IF EMERGENCY CALL 9-1-1

The forceful, controlling behavior that coerces a victim to do what the abuser wants without regard to her/his rights, body, health, or emotions. 

Battering is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation often including the threat or use of violence. Battering happens when one person believes they are entitled to control another. Assault, battering and domestic violence are crimes.

Abuse of family members can take many forms. Battering may include emotional abuse, economic abuse, sexual abuse, using children, threats, using male privilege, intimidation, isolation, and a variety of other behaviors used to maintain fear, intimidation, and power. In all cultures, the perpetrators are most commonly the men of the family. 

Women are most commonly the victims of violence. the victims of violence. Elder and child abuse are also prevalent. Acts of domestic violence generally fall into one or more of the following categories. 

• Physical Battering: The abuser's physical attacks or aggressive behavior can range from bruising to murder. It often begins with what is excused as trivial contacts that escalate into mor frequent and serious attacks.
• Sexual Abuse: Physical attack by the abuser is often accompanied by, or culminates in, sexual violence wherein the woman is forced to have sexual intercourse with her abuser or take part in unwanted sexual activity.
• Psychological Battering: The abuser's psychological or mental violence can include constant verbal abuse, harassment, excessive possessiveness, isolating the woman from friends and family, deprivation of physical and economic resources, and destruction of personal property. 
  • Battering escalates. It often begins with behaviors like threats, name calling, violence in her presence (such as punching a fist through a wall), and/or damage to objects or pets. It may escalate to restraining, pushing, slapping, and/or pinching. The battering may include punching, kicking, biting, sexual assault, tripping, throwing. 
  • Finally, it may become life-threatening with serious behaviors such as choking, breaking bones, or the use of weapons.

If your partner does any of the following, you may be a victim of domestic violence: 

• Slaps or punches you
• Makes fun of your appearance
• Threatens to have you deported
• Harms or threatens to harms your pet(s)
• Forces you to give up your paycheck
• Withholds needed medicine
• Locks up food in the house
• Damages your personal property
• Forbids you to talk to your family or friends
• Follows you or tries to monitor your every move
• Threatens to kill you

You can expect to speak with a counselor whose primary concern will be the safety of you and your children. The counselor will talk to you in a language you are familiar with and will keep all your information completely confidential. She will work with you to figure out your options, to find resources, and to help you to plan and achieve your goals.

There is no fee for the services that SEWAA provides

If you are in immediate danger, please call 911. SEWAA can be reached by phone between 9am-5pm at (215) 62-SEWAA (voicemail between 5pm-9am) or by email anytime at sewaa@sewaa.net. One of our counselors will respond to your message within 24 hours.

We will not inform the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Services). The INS and your local police are separate organizations. Everyone, regardless of his/her immigration status, is entitled to seek legal protection against domestic violence. If the police inquire about your immigration status, try an answer such as: "I am working out my immigration case."