Emotional And Verbal Abuse:
- Name-calling, put-downs, criticizing, humiliating, yelling;
- Intimidating: using looks, body, language, tone of voice to instill fear;
- Minimizing, denying, ignoring, neglecting, withdrawing, avoiding, leaving;
- Threatening, destroying property (walls, windows, furniture, sentimental items), mind games, manipulation, "crazy-making", blaming;
- Controlling or limiting freedom, isolating from friends or family, lying, cheating, false accusations, sarcasm, guilt trips;
- Threatening to hurt or take children, abusing pets;
- Violating restraining order, stalking, terrorizing.
Physical Abuse:
- Pinching, restraining, pulling or yanking (hair,arms,legs), twisting (arms,wrists)
- Pushing, shoving,tackling, blocking from leaving, grabbing
- Punching, slapping, stomping, biting, scratching;
- Choking, strangling, stabbing, slashing, burning, shooting, use of weapons;
- Throwing items such as dishes, tools, furniture, keys, phones.
Sexual Abuse:
- Rape, sexual assault, molestation;
- Forced sexual acts or behavior;
- Forced prostitution;
- Forcing victim to behave or dress in a sexually provocative manner;
- Forcing victim to view or participate in pornography.
Financial Abuse
- Preventing victim from getting or maintaining employment;
- Giving victim insufficient allowance, or taking money from victim;
- Forcing victim to ask or beg for money from abuser;
- Hiding money or preventing victim from knowing about or having access to family finances.
Cycle Of Violence
Domestic Violence is often cyclical, with three distinct phases: tension-building phase, acute or abusive phase, and "honeymoon" phase. After the "honeymoon" phase, the cycle starts again, onto the tension building phase, and so on. The timing of cycle phases varies in every domestic violence relationship. Some can be long, consisting of months or years; others can be short, cycling weekly or daily. Some domestic violence relationships skip the honeymoon phase, and shift back and forth between tension building and acute explosion phases.