Forms of Domestic Violence and Abuse

Spousal abuse and battery are used for one purpose: to gain and maintain total control over the victim.  There are different types of domestic abuse, including emotional, physical, sexual, 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 a victims’ feelings of self-worth and independence. Name calling, putdowns, blaming, shaming, threats, yelling, intimidation, screaming, cursing, manipulation, stalking, jealousy, anything that makes a victim feel bad about themselves or makes them feel worthless are all forms of emotional or psychological abuse.
It is often thought that physical abuse is far worse than emotional abuse, since physical violence can send a victim to the hospital and leave them 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. Emotional abuse usually worsens over time, often escalating to physical battery.

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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. Hitting, slapping, pinching, biting, twisting arms, restraining, pushing, kicking, grabbing, punching, pulling hair, using weapons, anything that physically hurts a victim is physical abuse.  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 victims from physical attack.

Sexual Abuse
Sexual 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 a victim is forced to participate in unwanted, unsafe, or degrading sexual activity is sexual abuse. Forced sex, even by a spouse or intimate partner with whom the victim also has consensual sex, is an act of aggression and violence. Women whose partners abuse them physically and sexually are at a higher risk of being seriously injured or killed.

Economic or Financial Abuse
Remember, an abuser’s goal is to gain and maintain control over the victim , and he will frequently hurt her to do that. In addition to hurting her emotionally and physically, an abusive partner may also hurt her financially. Economic or financial abuse includes:
• Controlling the finances.
• Withholding money or credit cards.
• Giving you an allowance.
• Making the victim account for every penny you spend.
• Stealing from the victim or taking your money.
• Exploiting the victim’s assets for personal gain.
• Withholding basic necessities (food, clothes, medications, shelter).
• Preventing the victim from working or choosing her own career.
• Sabotaging the victim’s job (making her miss work, calling constantly)