What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive and manipulative behavior used to control an intimate partner. There are four main types of abuse.

Psychological

• Breaking promises or agreements
  
• Not taking responsibility for actions
  
• Verbally attacking, and publicly humiliating partner
  
• Attacking vulnerabilities (language, education, parenting skills, religion, or appearance)
  
• Telling partner they are crazy, or undermining partner’s sanity
  
• Degrading partner
  
• Withholding affection or approval as punishment, or to gain control
  
• Threatening to leave, or telling partner to leave in order to manipulate behavior
  
• Accusing partner of being unfaithful, or having affairs
  

Physical Abuse

• Hitting, pushing, biting, slapping, restraining, scratching, burning
  
• Strangling
  
• Locking partner out of house
  
• Throwing objects at partner
  
• Withholding medical treatment or medication
  
• Withholding food as punishment
  
• Abusing at night to disrupt sleep schedule
  
• Using weapons to injure, or kill
  

Sexual Abuse

• Withholding sex/affection as punishment
  
• Forcing, coercing, or pressuring partner to have sex, or do sexual acts
  
• Calling partner sexual names
  
• Inflicting injuries to sexual body parts
  
• Denying partner access to contraceptives, or protection against STDs
  

​Economic Abuse

• Controlling all the money
  
• Keeping partner from working
  
• Forcing partner to support family alone
  
• Ruining her credit rating