Myth: Domestic violence does not happen often.

• One out of three women has experienced physical or sexual abuse by a husband or boyfriend at some point in her life.

Myth: Domestic violence only affects lower-class, minority communities.

• Domestic violence can affect anyone regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion, sexual orientation, or educational background.

Myth: Batterers abuse their partners because of alcohol/drug use or stress.

• While substance abuse does lower inhibitions and may increase the severity of the abuse, domestic violence is not momentary or temporary loss of control. Domestic violence is a pattern of power and control over another individual.

Myth: If she just leaves her abuser, everything would be fine.

• Leaving an abusive relationship is not easy. Many factors,such as economic dependency, immigration status, cultural or religious perceptions, children, love, fear, and a lack of resources or a support system, make this decision difficult for most abused women.
• Statistics show that some women try to leave abusive relationships six or seven times before they leave for good.
• Studies show that violence often escalates at time of separation. Often when a woman tries to leave, an abuser increases his tactics to maintain power and control and to convince the woman to return to the relationship.
• For some A/PI women, leaving the relationship is not the issue and, in fact, her abuser may demand that she leave. Then woman is left to deal with the aftermath of having been in an abusive relationship and he can survivorize another woman.

Myth: Domestic violence is accepted in Asian/Pacific Islander communities.

• Domestic violence happens in all communities and in every social group. Culture may be used to justify or dismiss domestic violence. However, the fact that domestic violence is exists in a community does not mean that all people from that community agree that it is OK to use violence in relationships.