Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious and preventable public health problem that affects millions of Americans. The term “intimate partner violence” describes physical assault, sexual coercion, and psychological harm to gain or maintain control from a current or former partner or spouse. It affects all cultures, religions, socioeconomic statuses and ethnic origins; It can take place in a public or private context. Women are the most targeted victims of intimate partner violence; one in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. But this type of violence can occur between heterosexual or homosexual couples and does not require sexual intimacy. Intimate partner violence is also identified as domestic violence or battery.a.**TYPES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE**Types of violence may include physical abuse such as: hitting, punching, slapping, kicking, choking, biting, burning, use of objects or weapons, imprisonment or confinement, deprivation of food or income and limitation of mobility or access to basic necessities. Acts of sexual violence may include forcing a partner to perform sexual acts, forcing the partner into prostitution, or interfering with birth control. Criticizing, name-calling, decision-making, and mind games are some signs of the many forms of emotional abuse. Financial abuse can put your partner in debt or deny him or her access to money. Threatening the victim with objects or verbally threatening to hurt them or take something away is also a form of abuse. There are several ways an abuser can manipulate a victim to gain control and maintain control.b. **DEMOGRAPHICS**Ethnicity also plays a big role in domestic violence, the United States alone is an extremely diverse country, so it could be… middle of paper… as was done with the intervention rollout for those who are already victims of IPV, as well as educational and prevention services spread throughout the region to educate women about the warning signs when becoming a victim. Works Cited: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/definitions.htmlSaltzman LE, Fanslow JL, McMahon PM, Shelley GA. Intimate Partner Violence Surveillance: Uniform Definitions and Recommended Data Elements, Version 1.0 http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/definitions.html http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/definitions.htmlTjaden , Patricia & Thöennes, Nancy. National Institute of Justice and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence: Findings from the National Survey on Violence Against Women”,” (2000)