If your immediate safety is threatened, call 911 for help. Additional support is available by calling the Illinois Domestic Violence Help Line at 877- 863-6339
Domestic violence is a serious crime, and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) is committed to addressing domestic violence in a complete, fair, trauma-informed, and victim-centered way. The CCSAO Domestic Violence Dashboard is a tool created by the CCSAO Data Team to provide context and explanation of felony domestic violence data.
Domestic Violence (DV) is abusive behavior that occurs between family members or intimate partners. Intimate partners include: a current or former spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, or roommate; or a child’s mother/father/guardian. Domestic violence can take the form of physical, sexual, psychological, or economic abuse. The following checklist of signs and cues of abuse will not absolutely determine whether a relationship is abusive, but if one or more of these items apply, there is an increased risk for ongoing violence.
Signs of an abusive partner include:
- Physical abuse including pushes, slaps, chokes, punches, kicks, grabbing hair, holding against your will, and/or uses weapons or threatens to use them
- Displays jealous, controlling or possessive behavior, such as limiting contact with friends and/or family members, looking through someone’s phone without permission, or makes false accusations
- Is verbally, physically, emotionally, and/or sexually abusive
- Blames others for his/her problems and won’t take responsibility, or minimizes his/her actions
- Strangles or chokes their partner
- Threatens harm to children or pets
- Controls their partner’s money, or access to bank accounts. Doesn’t want their partner to work
- Stalks, follows, or violates an order of protection/restraining order.
- Destroys their partner’s property
- Uses their partner’s children against them
- Emotional abuse
Abuse Can Occur in Different Types of Relationships
Older Individuals
Older adults can experience abuse by a partner or family member. This includes physical, emotional, verbal, financial, and sexual abuse. It also includes neglect. Abuse or mistreatment may be a crime. If it is an emergency or could be dangerous, call 911. For more information about elder abuse visit the Illinois Department of Aging.
Persons with Disabilities
An abuser may use their partner’s disability to cause harm by withholding assistive devices, medication or by misleading police or others by miscommunicating information. People with disabilities face risks such as: lack of transportation, interpreters, and housing options. For more information on how to report suspected abuse or neglect for persons with disabilities, visit the Illinois Department of Human Services.
LGBTQ+ Relationships
Intimate Partner Violence can occur regardless of sexual orientation, identity, or gender expression. Ways LGBTQ+ individuals can be abused include: threaten to expose sexual orientation, inducing shame about gender identity, alienation from the LGBTQ community, and prevention from obtaining hormone therapy medications. The Center on Halsted’s Anti-Violence Project provides specialized assistance for the LGBTQ+ community.
Immigration Status
Immigration status should not impact the right to live free of abuse. Immigrant survivors often feel trapped because of immigration status & laws, language barriers, social isolation, and lack of financial resources. Information from the CCSAO about U Visas are available.
Teen Dating Relationships
Teen dating abuse is based on maintaining power and control over another by using emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. Tactics may include: excessive texting/calling, pressuring sex or sex acts, acting jealous/possessive, harassing on social media, threatening to post sensitive images or videos on social media (revenge porn), or isolating from friends/family.
“Revenge Porn”
One of the more insidious forms of digital abuse is nonconsensual pornography, often referred to as “revenge porn.” This type of abuse intersects with sexual abuse, as it involves the digital distribution of nude or sexually explicit photos and/or videos of a person without their consent. It’s called “revenge” porn because the images or videos are often used as retaliation or as blackmail material by a current or former partner. It does not matter if a person willingly shared sensitive images or videos with the abuser or if the abuser has coerced the material, it is still abusive behavior. Victims of revenge porn are encouraged to capture as much information about the photographs/videos via screenshots, file a police report as soon as possible, and request from the websites that the photo/video be removed. Law enforcement may be able to assist in the removal of these photos and Google Support provides ways to prevent the photos from showing up in a Google search or on other Google platforms. Additional assistance is available at the Cyber Civil Rights Crisis Helpline at 844-878- 2274.
What to Do if You’ve Experienced Domestic Violence
It’s important to know that you are not alone and the abuse was not your fault. If you are in danger or seriously injured, call 911 if it is safe to do so. For free and confidential services, call the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at (877) 863-6339, an advocate will assist you and explain all your options.
A police report can be filed by going to a police station or calling 911.
If You Have Already Called the Police
If the police are called to the scene, they must determine if there is probable cause, which means enough evidence that an incident has occurred, in order to make an arrest. Mandatory Arrest means that the police have probable cause and the perpetrator must be arrested.
If the perpetrator left the scene and an arrest was NOT made, the police should give you a police report.
If You Want to File Criminal Charges or Seek an Order of Protection
Chicago residents can take their police report to the Domestic Violence Courthouse located at 555 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607 to file criminal charges. If you are seeking an order of protection you do not need a police report. Please bring any and all police reports you have ever filed against your abuser. The courthouse is open Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 pm, and if you have any questions please call (312) 325-9500. Childcare is available for infants and minors up to 16 years old. Once at the courthouse you will be directed to the State’s Attorney's Office in the building where the next steps for the criminal case may be taken.
Since the Domestic Violence Courthouse is only open during business hours on weekdays. You can get a letter from the Cook County Clerk of the Court’s Office at the courthouse for your employer verifying that you have been in court.
If there are criminal charges pending, the Assistant State’s Attorney assigned to your case may petition for an Order of Protection or Civil No Contact Order.
If there are no criminal charges pending, you may still petition the court for an Order of Protection or Civil No Contact Order.
For more information or assistance in filing, contact your local rape crisis center to speak to an advocate.