WHAT IS ABUSE?

Abuse is a pattern of abusive behaviors from one person towards another, these behaviors are intended to have power and control over the other person. These abusive behaviors can be emotional, psychological, verbal, physical, sexual and financial.  Victims of abuse can be children, parents, elderly, spouse or an intimate partner. Victims and batterers can be of any age, sex, race, culture, education, economic status, single or married, gay, lesbian or heterosexual. Although both men and women can be abused, most victims are women.

Children in homes where there is domestic violence are more likely to be abused and/or neglected. Most children in these homes know about the violence. Even if a child is not physically harmed, they may have emotional and behavior problems. They learn the behavior they see.



• Verbal Abuse: Name calling, blaming, yelling, making humiliating remarks
• Pressure Tactics: Rushing you to make decisions through “Guilt Trips”, threatening to withhold money, manipulating the children.
• Abusing Trust: Lying, withholding information, cheating on you, and being overly jealous.
• Emotional Withholding: Not expressing feelings, not giving support, attention or compliments.
• Minimizing, Denying and Blaming: Making light of behavior, saying abuse didn’t happen, shifting responsibility for the abuse.
• Economic Control: Not letting you work, refusing to give you or take your money, taking your car keys.
• Self-Destructive Behavior: Abusing alcohol or drugs, threatening suicide or other forms of self harm.
• Isolation: Making it difficult for you to see friends and family, monitoring your phone calls, telling you where you can and can not go.
• Harassment, Stalking: Making uninvited visits or calls, follows you, checks up on you, and embarrasses you in public.
• Destruction: Destroying your possessions, punching walls, throwing things.
• Threats: Making and or carrying out threats to hurt you or others.
• Sexual Violence: Degrading treatment, using force, threats, or coercion to obtain sex or perform sex acts.
• Physical Violence: Being violent to your children, pets, or others. Slapping, punching, grabbing, pushing, kicking, biting and burning, etc.
• Weapons: Use of weapons, keeping weapons around to frighten you.