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Violence Against Women Prevention Program

Domestic & Dating Violence

Violence Against Women Prevention Program



Domestic & Dating Violence

What are domestic and dating violence? 

  • Domestic violence
    Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behavior that is used by an intimate partner to gain or maintain power and control over the other intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.
  • Dating violence
    Dating violence is violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim. Similar to domestic violence, dating violence is a pattern of abusive behavior that is used by an intimate partner to gain or maintain power and control over the other intimate partner.

Domestic and dating violence can happen to anyone, regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. Domestic and dating violence affect people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. Domestic and dating violence occur in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships and can happen to intimate partners who are married, living together, or dating. 

Source: U.S. Department of Justice - Office on Violence Against Women

Criminal offense

Domestic and dating violence are considered "family violence" under Guam law. In Guam, any person who intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly commits an act of family violence is guilty of a misdemeanor or of a third-degree felony. Family violence means the occurrence of one or more of the following acts by a family or household member but does not include acts of self-defense or defense of others:

  • Attempting to cause or causing bodily injury to another family or household member
  • Placing a family or household member in fear of bodily injury.

Source: Guam Code Annotated, Title 9, Chapter 30 - Family Violence

Statistics on Domestic and Dating Violence

Statistics on Dating Violence on College Campuses

In a recent national study, 29% of women and 19% of men attending college said they had been in an abusive relationship. In addition, approximately 43% of college women and 28% of college men reported experiencing abusive and violent dating behaviors.

  • 31% of women and 22% of men were victims of controlling behavior
  • 22% of women and 11% of men were victims of verbal abuse
  • 16% of women and 16% of men were victims of abuse via technology
  • 22% of women and 6% of men were victims of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or threats of physical violence
  • 11% of women and 6% of men were pressured into drinking alcohol and using drugs

College students continue to stay in abusive dating relationships for many reasons. Of students who experienced relationship abuse: 

  • 24% said their partner threatened suicide and/or self-harm if they left them
  • 20% said they were afraid of losing friends they shared with their partner
  • 12% said they were financially dependent on their partner
  • 7% said that their partner paid for food and living expenses
  • 6% said their partner threatened to tell family or friends about their relationship

Source: Knowledge Networks (2011). College Dating Violence and Abuse Poll.

National Statistics on Intimate Partner Violence

A national survey conducted by the CDC indicated that 35.6% of women and 28.5% of men in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.

Source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2010 Summary Report.

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