Types of Domestic Violence

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is any violent or forceful physical behavior.
Examples include:

• Slapping
• Choking
• Punching
• Kicking
• Pinching
• Pushing
• Shoving
• Biting
• Spanking
• Scratching
• Grabbing
• Throwing Bodily
• Burning
• Restraining
• Spitting

If you believe you may be a victim of physical abuse, know that you are not alone.
There are individuals every day who are currently victims of abuse.
There is help, contact us at 1-866-847-5802.

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse occurs when your feelings of self-worth and independence are undermined by your partner, through cruel and unfair comments, name-calling, and various other forms of manipulation.

• Cursing, swearing, or screaming
• Repeated harassment, interrogation, or degradation
• Attacking your self-esteem or insulting your person; through name-calling, put-downs, or ridicule
• Attacking or insulting the people you care for, such as your family or friends
• Threatening to “come after you” while you are at work or visiting your family or friends
  • Controlling or limiting your behavior 
    • Keeping you from using the phone or seeing friends
    • Not letting you leave the room or the house
    • Following you
    • Monitoring or limiting your phone conversations
    • Checking the mileage on your car
    • Keeping you from reading material or ideas
    • Limiting your activities
    • Preventing you from visiting the places that they do not like
  • Forcing you to stay awake or to get up from sleep
  • Interrupting you while you are eating
  • Blaming you for everything that goes wrong
  • Forcing you to do degrading things; such as making you kneel, or making you beg for money
  • Using the difference in physical size to intimidate you
  • Criticizing your thoughts, feelings, opinions, beliefs, and actions
  • Treating you like a servant or “underling” in matters of household chores and decisions
  • Being extremely jealous; repeatedly accusing you of flirting or of cheating
  • Spitting at or near you
  • Using money to control you
    • Taking money away from you
    • Giving you an allowance
    • Controlling the spending of any extra money
    • Forcing you to ask for and to account for any money you do get
    • Acting as if the work you do in the home is of no economic value to the family
  • Telling you that you are “sick” and need therapy
  • Using physical disabilities against you or putting you down for your disability

If you believe you may be a victim of emotional abuse, know that you are not alone.
There are individuals every day who are currently victims of abuse.
There is help, contact us at 1-866-847-5802.

Psychological Abuse

Psychological abuse is any threat, by your partner, to do bodily harm to you, a child, a family member, a friend, a pet, or themself (suicide). Psychological abuse involves not only hurt and anger, but also fear and degradation. The purpose of psychological abuse is to render you emotionally insecure about your self-worth and to render you helpless or unable to escape further physical, sexual, or psychological abuse.
Examples of psychological abuse by your partner include:

• Threatening to punch, hit, slap, or kick
• Threatening to use a weapon
• Threatening to harm themself if you leave
• Threatening to punish children to “get back” at you
• Threatening to harm pets, or harming a pet, to “get back” at you
• Throwing objects in your direction
• Making vague threats, such as “You’re going to get it,” or “I’m really going to let you have it” 
• Smashing and breaking things
• Slamming doors
• Punching walls
• Hiding, stealing, and destroying your possessions
• Sabotaging your car
• Any emotional abuse which in the past was a prelude to physical or sexual abuse

If you believe you may be a victim of psychological abuse, know that you are not alone.
There are individuals every day who are currently victims of abuse.
There is help, contact us at 1-866-847-5802.