At first I was so young and he was attentive. He said I was smart, funny, pretty and made me feel special. It was only after the wedding that the angry words, shame and verbal laceration began. Subsequently, he became easily angered and physically violent. He said I deserved it, that it was my fault... I lay awake at night crying in silence. Finally, one night, while he was choking me, I broke free and ran out of the apartment, got into my car and left. I have decided to never live with that type of violence again and to never remain silent again. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayTwo words, one big concept: domestic violence. Domestic violence is any type of behavior that a person uses to control an intimate partner through fear and intimidation. It includes physical, sexual, psychological, verbal and economic abuse. Domestic violence is an epidemic that affects individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion or nationality. Younger, unmarried women are most at risk of domestic violence. According to a US government survey, 53% of victims have been abused by a current or ex-boyfriend or girlfriend. A third of all victims experienced spousal abuse, while 14% said the perpetrator was an ex-spouse. Women aged 16 to 24 are nearly three times more vulnerable to attacks by intimate partners than those in other age groups; Abuse victims between the ages of 35 and 49 are at the highest risk of being killed. Domestic violence in the military is a well-kept secret. Many military families live on one income; the only source of financial security for the family is the active duty service member. Due to concerns about promotion and advancement, spouses are reluctant to confide in anyone as it could ruin the service member's career by causing more drama and abuse in the home. Domestic violence can manifest itself in many ways. Physical and sexual assaults, or threats to commit them, are the most obvious forms of domestic violence. But the abuser's regular use of other abusive behaviors, when reinforced by one or more acts of physical violence, constitutes a broader scope of abuse. Although physical assaults may occur only occasionally, they instill fear of future violent attacks and allow the abuser to control the victims' lives and circumstances. The lack of physical violence does not mean that the aggressor is less dangerous to the victim, nor does it mean that the victim is less trapped. Emotional and psychological abuse can often be just as extreme as physical violence. Violence against women at home has serious repercussions on children. Over 50% of men who abuse their wives also beat their children. Children who grow up in violent homes are more likely to develop alcohol and drug addictions and become abusers themselves. The stage is set for a cycle of violence that could continue from generation to generation. Some victims of domestic violence are also victims of stalking, which includes following a person, making harassing phone calls, and vandalizing property. Eight percent of women in the United States have been the victim of stalking at some time in their lives, and more than one million are victims of stalking each year. Stalking is a unique crime because stalkers are obsessed with control.