Behavioural types of domestic abuse and the effects on the victim
Domestic abuse can take different forms and can include physical, emotional or sexual abuse.
Domestic abuse can include:
Destructive criticism and verbal abuse:
- shouting
- mocking
- accusing
- name calling
- verbally threatening.
Pressure tactics:
- sulking
- threatening to withhold money
- disconnecting the telephone
- taking the car away
- threatening to commit suicide
- taking the children away
- reporting you to welfare agencies unless you comply with his or her demands regarding bringing up the children
- lying to your friends and family about you
- telling you that you have no choice in any decisions.
Disrespect:
- persistently putting you down in front of other people
- not listening or responding when you talk
- interrupting your telephone calls
- taking money from your purse without asking
- refusing to help with childcare or housework.
Breaking trust:
- lying to you
- withholding information from you
- being jealous
- having other relationships
- breaking promises and shared agreements.
Isolation:
- monitoring or blocking your telephone calls
- telling you where you can and cannot go
- preventing you from seeing friends and relatives.
Harassment:
- following you
- checking up on you
- opening your mail
- repeatedly checking to see who has telephoned you
- embarrassing you in public.
Threats:
- making angry gestures
- using physical size to intimidate
- shouting you down
- destroying your possessions
- breaking things
- punching walls
- wielding a knife or a gun
- threatening to kill you and your children or other family members.
Sexual violence:
- using force
- threats or intimidation to make you perform sexual acts
- having sex with you when you don't want to have sex
- any degrading treatment based on your sexual orientation.
Physical violence:
- punching
- slapping
- hitting
- biting
- pinching
- kicking
- pulling hair out
- pushing
- shoving
- burning
- strangling.
Denial:
- saying the abuse doesn't happen
- saying you caused the abusive behaviour
- being publicly gentle and patient
- crying and begging for forgiveness
- saying it will never happen again.
