No excusesIt is never okay for someone to hit you or be cruel to you. You may think alcohol or drugs make a partner abusive. Those things may increase the chances of abuse, but they never make it right.You also may think it is your fault that your partner has hurt you. But you don't control how your partner acts, and you can't make someone mistreat you.Keep in mind that if you sometimes hit your partner first, you can get help learning how to stop. Talk to a mental health professional, like a school counselor, or a doctor or nurse.

Constantly texting or sending instant messages (IMs) to monitor youInsisting on getting serious very quicklyActing very jealous or bossyPressuring you to do sexual thingsPosting sexual photos of you online without permissionThreatening to hurt you or themselves if you break upBlaming you for the abuse

Physical abuse like hitting, shoving, kicking, biting, or throwing thingsEmotional abuse like yelling, name-calling, bullying, embarrassing, keeping you away from your friends, saying you deserve the abuse, or giving gifts to "make up" for the abuse. (Read more about emotional abuse.)Sexual abuse like forcing you to do something sexual (such as kissing or touching) or doing something sexual when you cannot agree to it (like when you are very drunk). (Read more about sexual attacks.)

Dating violence

The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women states that "violence against women means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life." (Article 1) It further asserts that states have an obligation to " exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and, in accordance with national legislation, punish acts of violence against women, whether those acts are perpetrated by the State or by private persons." (Article 4-c)

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status." (Article 2)

Violence against women is compounded by discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnicity, sexual identity, social status, class, and age. Such multiple forms of discrimination further restrict women's choices, increase their vulnerability to violence and make it even harder for women to obtain justice.

Violence against women feeds off discrimination and serves to reinforce it. When women are abused in custody, when they are raped by armed forces as "spoils of war", or when they are terrorized by violence in the home, unequal power relations between men and women are both manifested and enforced.

Globally, as many as 38% of murders of women are committed by an intimate partner.

Most of this violence is intimate partner violence. Worldwide, almost one third (30%) of women who have been in a relationship report that they have experienced some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner.

“Violence deprives women and girls of their human rights to health, education and participation in the affairs of their communities and nations,” said UNFPA’s Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin.

Violence against women and girls is one of the world’s most pervasive human rights abuses.

Less documented forms, include: crimes committed in the name of “honour” femicide prenatal sex selection female infanticide economic abuse political violence elder abuse dowry-related violence acid-throwing

The most universally common forms include domestic and intimate partner violence, sexual violence (including rape), sexual harassment, and emotional/psychological violence. Sexual violence as a tactic of warfare and in the aftermath of emergencies is also common in the respective countries and areas affected.

Some abused women try using drugs, alcohol, smoking, or overeating to cope, but this can lead to greater physical and emotional problems.

Experiencing abuse or an attack can lead to serious mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety

Around 120 million girls worldwide (slightly more than 1 in 10) have experienced forced intercourse or other forced sexual acts at some point in their lives. By far the most common perpetrators of sexual violence against girls are current or former husbands, partners or boyfriends [7].

some national studies show that up to 70 per cent of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime [1].

is often felt that domestic violence againstwomen is too sensitive a topic to be explored ina population-based survey, and that shame,self-blame or fear of further violence will preventwomen from discussing their experiences.

Violence against women, in its various forms, isendemic in communities and countries aroundthe world, cutting across class, race, age,religious and national boundaries. According to theUnited Nations Declaration, violence against womenincludes “any act of gender-based violence thatresults in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexualor psychological harmor suffering to women,including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrarydeprivations of liberty, whether occurring in publicor private life (United Nations, 1993)”.

“USDA has repeatedly affirmed that lean finely textured beef is safe, wholesome, and nutritious 100% lean beef,” adds Craig Letch, director of food safety and quality assurance for Beef Products Inc., the largest manufacturer of the product.

Schools are under more financial pressure than ever before, thanks in part to the new school lunch nutrition standards that hit the ground last year, observes Margo Wootan, head of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.