Types of Abuse
Physical Abuse
Hitting, kicking, pushing, strangulation, scratching, throwing objects.
Academic Abuse
Causing distraction during studying, placing or forcing more focus on them, controlling or influencing priorities. Damaging any school property or items used for school: breaking laptop/tablet, ripping up school books, ruining assignments, causing disruption during Zoom or online classes.
Sexual Coercion, Harassment, Assault
Any unwanted touch to your body without consent, coercion into having sex or performing other sexual acts, deliberate exposure to STD’s/STI’s, cheating. “If you loved me, why won’t you?”
Verbal and Emotional Abuse
Name calling, put downs, constant swearing, purposely placing blame, shame, guilt, confusion or fear.
Threats & Intimidation
Giving looks or gestures to make someone fearful or obedient, posturing, smashing or breaking objects, hurting pets, invading personal space. Threatening suicide or homicide.
Mental Abuse
Gaslighting, “crazy-making”. Threats of physical or sexual violence, threatening to leave, spread rumors. Using potential suicide to make their partner stay with them.
Cyber Abuse
“Blowing up your phone”: constant unwanted, calls, texts, emails. Controlling social media accounts or forcing elimination of all accounts. Controlling phone usage/contacts, using tracking apps, forcing intimate photos and/or exploiting them.
Isolation
Controlling actions, who they can spend time with, talk to, sabotaging plans, keeping them from friends or family.
Using Social Status
Using gender, race, orientation, religion etc.. to control. making all the decisions in the relationship. controlling what can and cannot be done.