Q Is domestic abuse always physical?

Ms. Scales: No. Types of domestic abuse generally fall into three categories: physical battering, which can range from bruising to murder; sexual abuse, where the victim takes part in unwanted sexual activity; and psychological battering, which can include verbal abuse, being overly controlling or possessive, controlling financial resources or destroying personal possessions.

Q I have a friend who I think is being abused. How can I help?

Ms. Scales: It's not always easy to help. Women are often unwilling to admit that they're in an abusive relationship, and by the time they realize it, they feel trapped and unsure how to get out of the situation. This can be because they don't realize it's abnormal behavior. Most of the time, perhaps, the abuser appears to be a good partner or father. The abused person may have poor self-esteem, or she has not had a good role model for a healthy relationship. You can help by talking in private to the woman you suspect of being abused, without judgment or pressure, and explaining where she can go for help. Because there aren't any boundaries for domestic violence-it affects all economic groups, all races and all ages, even teens-we screen all our Emergency Department patients for signs of abuse.

Q Where do I turn for help?

Ms. Scales: Two Bucks County agencies, A Woman's Place (hotline: 800-220-8116, www.awomansplace.org) and NOVA (hotline: 800-675-6900, www.novabucks.org), offer counseling, emotional and financial support, legal advocacy, emergency action plans and community education services.

Mary-Helen Scales, RN, is coordinator of the Doylestown Hospital Sexual Assault Response Program.