Violence at home touches everyone within the home, regardless of age. The Naperville Police Department is committed to creating and fostering a departmental and community-wide understanding of the issues and dynamics surrounding domestic violence.
If you feel that you might be a victim of domestic violence, or would like more information for a loved one or friend, the resources provided are available to offer support, information and guidance. Any person who hits, strangles, kicks, threatens, harasses, physically or sexually abuses, intimidates, willfully deprives or interferes with the personal liberty of another family or household member except reasonable parental discipline may be charged with a crime.
Family and household members can include spouses, former spouses, parents, children, step-children, and other persons related by blood or by present or prior marriage, persons who share or formerly shared a common dwelling, persons who have a child in common, persons who share a blood relationship through a child, persons who have or have had a dating or engagement relationship, and persons with disabilities, their personal assistants and caregivers. A person commits this violation if, after having committed an act of domestic violence, he or she prevents or attempts to prevent the victim or witness to the crime from calling , obtaining medical assistance or making a report to any law enforcement official.
Domestic violence can be expressed in a variety of ways and may look and feel differently at different points. Incidents of domestic violence are rarely isolated, one-time incidents but rather escalate over time and follow a predictable cycle. Domestic violence is rarely present at the initial stages of a relationship but rather develops over time. This is generally one of the reasons leaving a violent relationship can be so difficult; memories of happier times and faith and hope that the abuser can change are common.
This abuse escalates over time may or may not turn physical. Individuals who are involved in violent relationships often report that the abuse follows a predictable pattern of interactions. Myth: Children do not suffer long-term effects from family violence. FACT: Children of abusive parents often are abused physically or sexually. In many cases, they continue the cycle of violence by abusing their own children. Statistics show that children who witness violence are more likely to commit acts of violence later.
