Domestic Violence

In March of 2001 the West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office kicked off the new Domestic Prevention Program. The majority of the officers will attend training and be certified to handle domestic violence calls. Our goal is to arrest and to have the DA prosecute all domestic abusers. We now have resources, such as pamphlets and speakers, available to the women of the parish, in order to inform them of their options if placed in a violent situation.

Below is a list of characteristics of abusive people and types of physical abuse, so that you can detect and prevent abuse in your relationship.

How to Detect Potential Abusers
A. Person's Past:
o Was person abused as a child?
o Was this person's mother abused when they were a child?

B. Person's Responsibility and Anger Level:
o Does person refuse to take responsibility for their actions?
o Does person minimize their negative behavior?
o Does person lose their temper easily?
o Does person talk about violence or suggest it as an option?
o Does person talk about situations where they are always in control?
o Does person talk about incidents where their behavior could be considered unusual and/or cruel?
o Does there appear to be an extreme to person's kindness or cruelty?

C. Person's Possessiveness:
o Does person expect you to spend all your free time with them?
o Does person expect you to drop your responsibilities to spend time with them?

D. Person' Attitude Toward Opposite Sex:
o Does HE talk about the role of man as the traditionalist, male supremacy and submission of the wife?
o Does SHE talk about how women have been taken advantage of and abused?
o Does person expect you to take all their advice?
o Does person display jealousy? Is person jealous of strangers, family members, everyone?

E. Person's Personality:
o Does person drink/do drugs a lot?
o Does person appear to have a dual personality?

F. Person's Manipulation and Control:
o Does person want you to lie about them to friends and family?
o Does person want you to keep financials secret from friends and family?
o Does person take control of your money and charge cards while dating?
o Does person try to impress you with their family's success?
o Is it difficult to check on person's past?

G. Person's Inability to Relate on an Intimate Level:
o Does person lack intimacy in sex?
o Does person exhibit voyeurism?
o Does person continually request/demand things sexually that you are not comfortable with?
o Does person demand frequent sex?

H. How You Respond to this Person:
o Do you spend too much energy on trying NOT to make this person angry?

If the person you are with exhibits these characteristics, you may be in an abusive relationship.

Types of Domestic Violence
· Physical Abuse - One partner beats another
· Sexual Abuse - A partner makes unwanted sexual contact (i.e. - partner raping other partner)
· Verbal Abuse - Threats, insults, etc., to scare/put down partner
· Emotional Abuse - Terrorizing partner (usually to show control)
· Economic Abuse - Often overlooked. When one partner has TOTAL control of funds, refuses to give money to buy necessities, or refuses to let partner get a job
· Social - Constant monitoring or controlling of a partner's social life and/or verbal abuse in public.

If you experience any of these types of abuse in your relationship, contact the sheriff's office immediately.
Abuse can only be stopped if you let someone know about it!

If you would like more information please contact Cpt. Spence Dilworth at 225-784-3132.