Domestic violence occurs when a person physically, emotionally, or sexually abuses their romantic partner or another member of his or her family or household. Such violence, which is also called domestic abuse, can happen to anyone. Men and women alike can be victims of it. People of all races, cultures, income levels, sexual orientation, and age can be affected by domestic abuse.

At the heart of domestic violence is the abuser’s need to control their victim. Often, they use destructive and cruel behaviors to maintain power and control over their significant other or spouse. A perpetrator of domestic abuse may:

• Physically harm their partner by punching, slapping, kicking, or otherwise hurting them;
• Use weapons to hurt or intimidate their partner;
• Threaten their partner or their partner’s family;
• Deprive their partner of access to finances or use money to control him or her;
• Purposely humiliate their partner with the intention of breaking him or her down emotionally; or
• Force their partner to have sex against his or her will.

These are only a few of the tactics that abusers use to hurt their partners. If your romantic partner or spouse is doing anything to you that makes you feel afraid, threatened, or unsafe, please do not hesitate to reach out for help.

Recently, the issues of harassment and abuse have been in the spotlight more than ever before. Allegations of sexual harassment or rape have been made against many influential individuals such as President Donald Trump, Senator Al Franken, actor Kevin Spacey, and film producer Harvey Weinstein.  These allegations have sparked a fury of media attention on the issues of harassment and abuse. Time Magazine even dedicated their prestigious “Person of the Year” designation to “the silence breakers”: those women and men who came out with their own stories of violence, intimidation, or harassment. But, what is a person to do if they are suffering at the hands of their own spouse or romantic partner?

Domestic Violence Can Take Many Forms

Domestic violence is defined as a pattern of behaviors used by one partner to maintain power and control over another partner. When it occurs between spouses or significant others, domestic violence may be referred to as intimate partner violence or relationship abuse. People of all ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religions and income levels can become victims of domestic violence. Both men and women can be victims of domestic violence or perpetrators of it. It is unfortunately not uncommon for an abuser to:

In salons throughout Illinois, hairdressers and stylists have heard it all. They are privy to some of the personal details of their clients’ lives. The intimate relationships they develop with their clients allows many stylists insider information about marriages that may be failing, sexual indiscretions, and other juicy gossip. Due to the nature of their jobs—and the close physical proximity to their clients’ bodies—beauty technicians are often among the first “outsiders” to suspect issues of domestic violence. In some cases, the client may even flat-out say it. Thanks to a new law, stylists and beauticians will soon have the training and tools to help those who have been victimized.

Licensing Requirements

The new law, which went into effect on January 1, 2017, amended the existing statute regarding licensing for barbers, hairstylists, nail technicians, and other beauty professionals. To obtain or renew their state certification, individuals will be required to participate in an “awareness and education” program focused on preventing and identifying domestic abuse. The program was developed specifically for beauty professionals does not purport to make trainees experts on domestic violence. Instead, the program’s goals are to help stylists recognize the signs of domestic abuse and to provide resources to clients who ask for help.

Domestic violence and abuse are not always as obvious as one might think. In fact, a victim could be in an abusive relationship for a number of years without even being aware of it. Certain domestic violence situations do not occur at the start of the relationship; instead they develop over time. It is important to be mindful of these following warning signs to not only protect yourself, but to keep your family safe as well.

Abuse may take the form of a manipulative or overly controlling partner. If you are worried about such issues in your relationship, look for some of the possible warning signs, including:

Your partner overly romances you. A controlling partner is going to want to make you feel special in order to build your trust quickly. This way, the bond will grow and he or she will be able to persuade you into believing him or her without a second thought. The gifts and abundance of attention may also just be a distraction of the abnormal behavior to which he or she is prone.

While divorces are often contentious, and parties say harmful things they later regret, usually these cases are not violent in nature. But unfortunately, on occasion, one party is so hurt by the divorce that they feel the need to threaten the other spouse. In some cases, violence and threats are the reasons for the divorce. The laws of Illinois do not require you to put up with this harassment, however. If you feel that your former spouse intends to do you harm, you can seek an order of protection from the court that bars him or her from contacting you.

The First Step: Emergency Orders of Protection

Because any threat of violence is a serious matter, Illinois law allows for someone in fear of their safety to obtain an emergency order of protection from a court without the other side being able to contest it. This emergency order can bar the other party from having any direct or indirect contact with you or your children, but it only lasts for 14 or 21 days before it expires. There are, however, more long-lasting protection orders available.