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.