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You are here:   Get Educated > Domestic Violence 101
  
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Domestic violence is a crime punishable by law. Sometimes referred to as battering, relationship abuse, or family violence, it is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over a family member through fear and intimidation. Most often perpetrators of domestic violence are a spouse, ex-spouse, boyfriend, ex-boyfriend or lover. It often includes the threat or use of violence, and can include physical, verbal, emotional, financial and sexual abuse.

 

What Is Physical Abuse?

 

You have been physically abused if another person has:

 

·         Pushed/shoved you

·         Held you down and kept you from leaving or getting up

·         Restrained you

·         Bitten you

·         Kicked you

·         Punched you

·         Slapped you

·         Poked you

·         Strangled you

·         Tripped you

·         Pinched you

·         Squeezed you

·         Hit or punched you once, twice, or repeatedly, which may or may not have resulted in visible physical injury

·         Thrown objects at you that may or may not have hit you

·         Banged your head against the wall

·         Locked you in or out of your house

·         Abandoned you in dangerous places

·         Refused to help you (for example, to get medical help when you were sick, injured, or pregnant)

·         Locked you in a room or a closet

·         Deprived you of sleep

·         Bumped into you

·         Forced you or the children to ride in a car while that person was driving dangerously

·         Forced you off the road or kept you from driving

·         Pushed you out of the car

·         Pulled your hair

·         Dragged you

·         Pulled your arms, legs or other body parts

·         Thrown you down or against a wall

·         Thrown you down the stairs

·         Ripped your clothing

·         Raped you

·         Threatened you with a weapon

·         Used a weapon on you

·         Hit or beat you with other objects

·         Stabbed or cut you

·         Burned you

·         Twisted your arm

·         Forced you to participate in violent rituals

·         Physically abused you as a child

·         Kidnapped you

·         Suffocated you

·         Bent your fingers backwards

·         Spit on you

·         Grabbed you

 

Sometimes these forms of physical abuse do not result in physical injury. However, the atmosphere of fear and violence these acts create is abusive and results in the emotional pain that accompanies physical abuse.

 

What Is Sexual Abuse?

 

You have been sexually abused or harassed if another person has:

 

·         Told gender-biased jokes or said negative things about you based on your gender

·         Treated you as a sex object

·         Acted like he or she owns you

·         Accused you of being sexual with others

·         Insisted that you dress more sexually than you wanted or criticized how you dress

·         Said negative things about your body

·         Criticized your appearance

·         Put down your feelings about sex

·         Criticized your sexual past; blamed you if you had been sexually abused in the past or as a child

·         Criticized you sexually (for example, called you frigid)

·         Insisted on touching you sexually when you did not want to be touched - either when you two were alone or with other people around

·         Forced you to mimic or watch pornography

·         Called you a whore or a slut

·         Withheld or made you beg for sexual affection

·         Made you strip when you did not want to-when you two were alone or when others were around

·         Said you were inadequate in bed

·         Forced you to become pregnant

·         Beat you if you refused sex

·         Brought other women home

·         Bragged about his infidelity

·         Openly showed sexual interest in other people when you were in public or at home (for example, while watching TV)

·         Had affairs (often bragging about them) after agreeing not to have sex with anyone else

·         Forced you to have sex

·         Raped you

·         Made you have sex with other people

·         Forced you into prostitution

·         Forced you to make pornographic films

·         Made you watch other people having sex

·         Made you perform sexual acts you did not want to do

·         Made you have sex after physically or emotionally abusing you

·         Made you have sex when you were sick or when it was bad for your health

·         Hurt you with objects or weapons while having sex

·         Committed cruel sexual acts

·         Made you pose for sexual photographs

·         Made you have sex with animals

·         Forced distasteful sex acts on you

·         Sexually abused you as a child

·         Made constant sexual demands

·         Didn’t care about your pleasure

·         Withheld sex from you

 

Sexual abuse is not just forced intercourse. All forms of coerced sexual contact or exploitation constitute abuse.

 

What Is Emotional Abuse?

 

You have been emotionally abused if another person has:

 

·         Ignored your feelings or made fun of them

·         Put down women as a group (for example, called them crazy, emotional, stupid)

·         Withheld approval, appreciation, or affection to punish you

·         Constantly criticized and called you names

·         Told you nothing you do is ever good enough no matter what you do or how hard you try

·         Yelled and screamed at you

·         Insulted friends or family, driving them away

·         Put you down in front of others

·         Told you others didn’t like you

·         Kept you from working or going to school, controlled your money, made all the decisions, demanded that you ask permission to do or have anything

·         Didn’t let you use telephone, censored your mail

·         Refused to work or share money

·         Taken away car keys or money

·         Destroyed, sold, or given away things that were important or of value to you

·         Kept you from talking to or seeing your family or friends

·         Embarrassed you in front of others

·         Created crises so you had to pay attention to him

·         Made constant demands on your time

·         Didn’t allow you to have any privacy

·         Destroyed belongings important to you

·         Physically withdrew from you

·         Didn’t talk to you – gave you the silent treatment

·         Living with his alcoholism/drug abuse

·         Always had to agree with his opinions

·         Only allowed to see his friends, never mine

·         Made you do everything, even when sick

·         Punished or kept things from the children when angry at you

·         Treated the children extra nice, leaving you out, when angry at you

·         Threatened to kidnap the children if you ever left

·         Blamed you for any problems, real or made up, with the children

·         Threatened or actually abused pets to hurt you

·         Bragged about affairs to hurt you

·         Accused you of having affairs

·         Tried to control you with lies or contradictions

·         Tried to control you with emotions (for example, threatened to commit suicide if you left)

·         Told you it was your fault when a person physically or sexually abused you - that you asked for it, deserved it, or liked it

·         Denied that the behavior is abusive or minimized it by calling you crazy or stupid or telling you that you made it up

·         Made you lie about how injuries occurred

·         Threatened to tell, or told your employer or family that you are a lesbian in order to get you fired or to have your children taken away

·         Threatened to use weapons to harm you, or to kill you or the children

·         Threatened to hurt family or friends

·         Threatened to hurt or kill himself

·         Made you worry about his next step

·         Couldn’t tell when he’d be nice or mad

·         Stalked you

 

What Is Financial Abuse?

 

You have been financially abused if another person has:

 

·         Taken your money

·         Controlled your checkbook

·         Put all the bills in his name

·         Hidden assets from you

·         Didn’t allow you to have any money

·         Prevented you from acquiring adequate clothing

·         Sold your property

·         Made you account for every dime

·         Destroyed your belongings

·         Refused to work

·         Never gave you enough money for bills

·         Forced you to write bad checks

·         Spent money on his needs before family needs

·         You were not allowed to go to school or work

·         Made you go to work

·         Spent money on drugs and alcohol

·         Forced you to commit robberies

 

What Is Verbal Abuse?

 

You have been verbally abused if another person has:

 

·         Yelled at you

·         Called you names

·         Nagged at you

·         Called you racial slurs

·         Put down because of your gender

·         Cussed at you

·         Called you stupid

·         Told you no one else would want you

·         Talked to you as a child

·         Threatened to kill you

·         Threatened to hit or hurt you

·         Put down your family

·         Put down your appearance

·         Belittled important things you did

·         Threatened to take kids

·         Constant phone calls

·         Told you you were crazy/stupid/ugly/dumb

·         Accused you of being an alcoholic/drug user

·         Told the kids they didn’t have to listen to you or respect you