Legal Advocates for Abused Women – What Is Abuse?
What Is Abuse?
Fiction: My partner has never physically hurt me in any way. Everything he does to me is verbal. Therefore, what my partner does to me is not domestic violence.
Fact: Domestic violence is not only physical. It comes in many forms. Domestic violence is a way for one partner to have ultimate control over the other.
TYPES OF ABUSE
beating • slapping • threats of physical harm
choking • punching • denial of access to money
shoving • sexual assault • verbal put-downs
hair pulling • threats of suicide • possessive jealousy
humiliation • isolation • harassment
stalking • name calling
Fiction: Abuse only happens within lower classes and age groups.
Fact: The only major risk factor for being a victim is if you are female. 91-95% of all reported cases of abuse are females being abused by their male partners. Domestic violence, however, is blind to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, age, education, employment status, physical ableness, marital status, and/or childhood history.