Intersection of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
by Teresia Smith
In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we want to talk about the intersection of sexual assault and domestic violence. The APA Task Force on Violence and the Family defined domestic violence as “ a pattern of abusive behaviors including a wide range of physical, sexual, and psychological maltreatment used by one person in an intimate relationship against another to gain power unfairly or maintain that person’s misuse of power, control, and authority. It can either result or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, psychological harm, mal-development, or even death.”