Defining Domestic Violence

Domestic violence may describe a wide range of acts to include murder, rape and sexual assault, physical assault, emotional abuse, battering, stalking, verbal abuse, psychological abuse, or financial abuse.

Physical Abuse

Abuse may be physical. Abuse may be in the form of hitting, punching, pushing, kicking, restraining and holding, biting, choking, threatening with weapons, hair pulling, grabbing, destroying property, threatening with fist, throwing things at you, practicing martial arts to intimidate, scratching slapping, reckless driving, pushing you out of car, poking taking car keys, touching with control, banging against a wall, thrown around bodily excessive tickling.

Verbal Abuse

Abuse may be verbal. Abuse may be in the form of name calling, swearing, yelling, degrading comments, mimicking, threatening to take children away, put-downs, lying/deceitfulness, brainwashing, sarcasm, outright cruelty, using information you have revealed against you, blaming, guilt-producing statements, “You are not okay” statements, demanding, threatening tone of voice, contradicting, Irrational questioning , interrogating, twisting your words, calling you “crazy”

Emotional Abuse

Abuse may be emotional. Abuse may be in the form of doubling standards, crazy-making behaviors, isolation from family/friends, silent treatment, accusations, twisting things, telling you how you feel and think, “His” agenda, avoiding issues, tension in home, immature behavior, sabotaging, bringing up past, playing mind games, withholding money, inequity in the partnership, harming pets, questioning paternity, selective memory, controlling the money, stalking, harassing, degrading in public, not okay to be sick, intimidation, discounting behaviors, threatening suicide, empty promises, guilty gift-giving.