Domestic violence is one of the most pervasive problems for women in the world today. According to Multnomah County statistics, roughly 1 in 7 adult women experience domestic violence every year, and the number may be higher due to unreported incidences and repeat victims.
In Multnomah County alone, arrests related to domestic violence are one of the top 10 reasons why individuals are lodged in the county jail, with hundreds of outstanding charges at any given moment.
Definition
Domestic violence crimes are crimes are typically committed by a perpetrator against someone with whom the perpetrator has, or once had an intimate relationship.
Today, the most common form of domestic violence are crimes committed by men against their intimate partners. However, domestic violence can also be charged for crimes against cohabitants, family members, or children, and men can also be victims. A thorough definition of Oregon law can be found here on FindLaw’s family law website.
Getting Immediate Help
Several services provide confidential online live chats for victims of domestic violence. If you are experiencing fear or fright from a domestic dispute, if you have been hit, struck, sexually abused, or battered, and/or if a domestic partner is committing crimes that you want no part of, you can get immediate help by clicking on one of the links below, which will take you to a confidential live chat session with a victim’s assistance specialist.
National Domestic Violence Hotline Live Chat
https://www.thehotline.org/what-is-live-chat/
Victim Connect Live Chat
https://chat.victimsofcrime.org/victim-connect/terms-of-service.jsp
Resources
State of Oregon Information and Services for Victims and Survivors
https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/abuse/domestic/Pages/consumers.aspx
Oregon Domestic Violence Assistance and Services Directory
https://aix-xweb1p.state.or.us/es_xweb/DomesticViolence/
Oregon Law Help Resources
https://oregonlawhelp.org/issues/protection-from-abuse/domestic-violence
Family Abuse Protection Order
Click below to download a PDF with instructions on how to obtain a family abuse protection order.
Our Victim Resources and Victims’ Rights pages can also help get you to the right place if you need further assistance.