Types of domestic violence and abuse There are different types of domestic abuse, including emotional, physical, s*xual, and economic abuse. Many abusers behave in ways that include more than one type of domestic abuse, and the boundaries between some of these behaviors may overlap.
Emotional or psychological abuse Emotional or psychological abuse can be verbal or nonverbal. Its aim is to chip away at your feelings of self-worth and independence. If you’re the victim of emotional abuse, you may feel that there is no way out of the relationship, or that without your abusive partner you have nothing. Emotional abuse includes verbal abuse such as yelling, name-calling, blaming, and shaming. Isolation, intimidation, and controlling behavior also fall under emotional abuse. Additionally, abusers who use emotional or psychological abuse often throw in threats of physical violence.
You may think that physical abuse is far worse than emotional abuse, since physical violence can send you to the hospital and leave you with scars. But, the scars of emotional abuse are very real, and they run deep. In fact, emotional abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse—sometimes even more so. Furthermore, emotional abuse usually worsens over time, often escalating to physical battery.
Physical abuse When people talk about domestic violence, they are often referring to the physical abuse of a spouse or intimate partner. Physical abuse is the use of physical force against someone in a way that injures or endangers that person. There’s a broad range of behaviors that come under the heading of physical abuse, including hitting, grabbing, choking, throwing things, and assault with a weapon.
Physical assault or battering is a crime, whether it occurs inside or outside of the family. The police have the power and authority to protect you from physical attack.
s*xual abuse s*xual abuse is common in abusive relationships. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, between one-third and one-half of all battered women are raped by their partners at least once during their relationship. Any situation in which you are forced to participate in unwanted, unsafe, or degrading s*xual activity is s*xual abuse. Forced s*x, even by a spouse or intimate partner with whom you also have consensual s*x, is an act of aggression and violence. Furthermore, women whose partners abuse them physically and s*xually are at a higher risk of being seriously injured or killed.
Economic or financial abuse Remember, an abuser’s goal is to control you, and he will frequently hurt you to do that. In addition to hurting you emotionally and physically, an abusive partner may also hurt you in the pocketbook. Economic of financial abuse includes:
Controlling the finances. Withholding money or credit cards. Giving you an allowance. Making you account for every penny you spend. Stealing from you or taking your money. Exploiting your assets for personal gain. Withholding basic necessities (food, clothes, medications, shelter). Preventing you from working or choosing your own career. Sabotaging your job (making you miss work, calling constantly) Domestic violence warning signs Take Precautions Call 911 or the police in your community if you suspect a case of domestic violence. It's impossible to know with certainty what goes on behind closed doors, but there are some telltale signs and symptoms of domestic violence and abuse. If you witness a number of warning signs in a friend, family member, or co-worker, you can reasonably suspect domestic abuse.
Frequent injuries, with the excuse of “accidents” Frequent and sudden absences from work or school Frequent, harassing phone calls from the partner Fear of the partner, references to the partner's anger Personality changes (e.g. an outgoing woman becomes withdrawn) Excessive fear of conflict Submissive behavior, lack of assertiveness Isolation from friends and family Insufficient resources to live (money, credit cards, car) Domestic Violence and Abuse: Help, Treatment, Intervention, and Prevention Depression, crying, low self-esteem Reporting suspected domestic abuse is important. If you're afraid of getting involved, remember that the report is confidential and everything possible will be done to protect your privacy. You don’t have to give your name, and your suspicions will be investigated before anyone is taken into custody. Most important, you can protect the victim from further harm by calling for help.
