Victims’ advocate Catherine Cerulli on how to spot an unhealthy relationship before domestic violence starts.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) affects millions of Americans every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 4 women and nearly 1 in 10 men have experienced some form of sexual or physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime. While both men and women can be victims of IPV, women are more likely to sustain serious injuries and be killed by men. Often red flags appear well before the violence starts. “I hear very rarely about incidents of physical and sexual violence where the exertion of power and control didn’t come first,” says Catherine Cerulli, director of both the University of Rochester’s Susan B. Anthony Center and the Laboratory of Interpersonal Violence and Victimization. “As the level of severity increases toward physical and sexual violence, it’s almost always accompanied or preceded by emotional abuse, where the abuser tries to control the victim’s time and resources.” IPV may also manifest as economic abuse. Cerulli has had clients who had to call their abusers from the grocery store to obtain permission to buy themselves feminine hygiene products. Others have had their social service benefits for housing and food taken away by their abuser. Economic abuse may also include interfering with a person’s ability to earn an income or hold down a job. For example, a perpetrator may engage in behavior to try to get the victim fired, showing up at the workplace to call, harass, annoy, or alarm—not just them but their coworkers as well.Rochester Voices
Catherine Cerulli has been working in a variety of roles on issues surrounding domestic violence and child abuse for over three decades: Not only is Cerulli the director of both the University of Rochester’s Susan B. Anthony Center and the Laboratory of Interpersonal Violence and Victimization, she is also a professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center. In 1995, as an assistant district attorney in New York’s Monroe County, she created a special misdemeanor domestic violence unit. (Photo: Frank Gallagher)Q&A with Catherine Cerulli
What is intimate partner violence?
- Intimate partner violence is violence that happens between people in an ongoing or former intimate or romantic relationship.
What’s the difference between intimate partner violence and domestic violence?
- Intimate partner violence is a subcategory of domestic violence.
Victim or survivor—which term should we use?
- Most people are victims first and later become survivors, once they are safe and able to thrive.
How did COVID-19 affect intimate partner violence?
- Early data suggest that IVP increased during the pandemic.
Is it true that intimate partner violence increases during pregnancy?
- Research findings to date are contradictory.
How health care providers can address intimate partner violence
Catherine Cerulli created a resource for health care providers about how to identify, protect, and support victims and survivors of intimate partner violence. Published by the Joint Commission, an independent, nonprofit organization for health accreditation, her work is part of the University’s TRANSFORM Research Center.What are early warning signs of possible violence?
- Abusive relationships often start with one person’s controlling or limiting the partner’s social interactions with others
According to the Pew Research Center, 35 percent of American teens have been in a romantic relationship. What’s the best way to protect teenagers in new relationships?
- Look for cues of a noticeable imbalance—is one partner calling all the shots?
Where can victims and survivors find help?
- Contact a domestic violence service provider, or ask your doctor for help.
Resources for victims of intimate partner violence
National
- National Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7 hotline (languages: English, Spanish and 200+ through interpretation service): 800-799-SAFE (7233) or via SMS—text START to 88788
Local
- UR Medicine’s HEAL Collaborative: (585) 275 4325
- Willow Domestic Violence Center 24/7 hotline: (585) 222-SAFE (7233)
- UR Medicine Mental Health Crisis Call Line 24/7 hotline: (585) 275-8686
For University of Rochester employees and household members
- UR Medicine EAP (Employee Assistance Program): (585) 276-9110
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