To no apparent purpose, the husband caused his wife's nose to bleed.

85% of domestic violence victims are women.

LaylaBird/istockphoto

In its broadest meaning, domestic violence is a social and legal notion that encompasses any form of abuse between intimate partners who typically share a home.

There are almost 10 million victims of domestic violence each year in the United States, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). Roughly twenty persons in the United States experience physical abuse at the hands of a spouse every minute.

A recent online post brought attention to this problem when a woman described being slapped by her husband, causing her nose to bleed.

After a long work trip, the author's husband arrived home exhausted. She politely inquired whether she might help him unpack. She didn't mean to be a bother; she was just trying to help.

The husband turned around and slapped her with the back of his hand. She was rendered speechless by the sudden intensity of the stinging pain. She brushed her fingers on her nose, and they became stained with blood. She was doing her best to hold back her tears, but she just couldn't do it. After a long sigh, he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her close to him while apologizing over and over. For the sake of calming her down, he kissed her. After a few minutes, she distanced herself from him and informed him that she was going to lie down.

To put it mildly, it was shocking. Her swollen face is a sign of the excruciating pain she's been experiencing. That came out of nowhere, and she has no idea what motivated him to do it. He's exhausted, but he's never done anything like this before, the author writes.

He’s left me alone in our bedroom but I wish he would come explain.

There is a wide range of expressions that can be used to describe intimate relationship abuse. Abuse typically follows a pattern of escalation in which the controlling behaviors become more severe over time. This pattern exists regardless of whether the abuse is physical, emotional, or takes some other form.

What should be the author's next step?