If you are being hurt and feel that you are in immediate danger, call 911!
If you would like to speak to the Domestic Violence Coordinator, call 804-501-5732. If no one answers, leave a message and the Domestic Violence Coordinator will return your call. You may also email the Domestic Violence Coordinator at [email protected].
Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other person in the relationship. Domestic violence can occur between intimate partners or family members. Certain forms of violence may be criminal.
Some examples of domestic violence include:
- Name calling, insulting, or blaming a partner or family member for everything
- Preventing a partner or family member from communicating with or visiting family or friends
- Controlling a partner’s daily activities including where they can and cannot go
- Stalking activities
- Sending numerous messages, calling repeatedly or sending unwanted gifts or letters
- Harassing a partner at their workplace
- Using tracking devices, monitoring a partner’s social media, using a partner’s passwords to access their accounts
- Showing up invited or after being told not to
- Breaking or damaging a partner or family member’s property or belongings
- Destroying immigration papers or threatening to deport a partner
- Preventing a partner from getting or keeping a job or from attending school
- Withholding money, controlling financial assets, or damaging a partner’s credit score
- Forcing a partner to have sex with others, engaging in sexual activity without consent, coercing sexual activity, sabotaging birth control, sexual assault
- Physically keeping someone from leaving by blocking a doorway, hiding car keys, disabling a car, or locking them into a room
- Physical assault such as strangulation, punching, pushing, slapping, spitting, kicking, biting
- Using weapons, including objects, to threat or hurt a partner or family member
- Forcing a partner or family member to take drugs or alcohol
- Refusing to provide medical care or stealing prescription medication
- Deliberately preventing a partner from sleeping
- Using intimidation tactics
- Threating or harming pets or using them to control family members
Do you think you are being abused?
Do you know a friend, co-worker, neighbor, or family member who is being abused?
Do you think you are abusive, or do you know a person who is abusive?
There are resources available to help. Access the links below for assistance and information.
- Henrico County Community Resource Guide
- Henrico County Resources for Domestic Violence Information and Assistance
- Stalking is a dangerous and frequently misunderstood crime that poses unique risks to victims and to communities. A Handbook for Stalking Victims and a Stalking Incident and Behavior Log are available in Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
- Strangulation and suffocation are felony crimes in Virginia. Medical attention is essential if you have experienced these crimes.
Anyone can be a victim.
Victims can be of any age, race, culture, education, sex, religion, employment, or relationship status. Children and pets in homes where abuse exists are more likely to be abused and/or neglected. Even if children are not physically harmed, they may have emotional and behavioral problems.
If you have been the victim of a crime or have witnessed a crime, your participation in the criminal justice process is important.
The Commonwealth Attorney’s Office has a Victim Witness Assistance Program to help you deal with the complexities of our criminal justice system. The staff of this program will advise you of your rights, inform you of the status of your case, and let you know what resources are available to help you. Thank you for your cooperation. With your help, we can do our best to bring justice to your case.
