Domestic violence takes many forms:-

Emotional Abuse: making you think you are crazy, playing mind games, threats, humiliation, threats to abduct or harm the children, threatening or killing pets.

Threatening/ Verbal Abuse: intimidating behaviour, name calling, constant criticism, shouting, insults, and stalking.

Physical Assault: hitting, punching, pushing, kicking, slapping or strangling. Physical assault can involve the threat or use of weapons.

Sexual Assault: being forced to have sex (rape), indecent assault, bondage, use of foreign objects, physically attacking the sexual parts of your body, or being forced to look at pornography.

Psychological Abuse: being threatened with violence or death, verbal and emotional abuse which threatens, degrades or insults you.

Social Abuse: being stopped from seeing family and friends. Your partner may control what you do, who you talk to and where you go by isolating you socially or geographically.

Economic Abuse: stopping you getting or keeping a job. Not allowing you to access money and having to account for money spent.

Spiritual Abuse: using God/ religious teachings as a weapon, stopping you practicing your religious beliefs.

Domestic violence is any abusive behaviour used by one partner in a relationship to gain and maintain control over another’s life. It occurs in lots of relationships.

The offender could be someone close to you like your husband, partner, de-facto, ex-partner, son, boyfriend or other family members. It occurs in all kinds of cultures, races, backgrounds, income levels and age groups.

Victims may be male or female from any culture and economic background.

The most common form of domestic violence is the use of violence and control by men to stop women and children living in safety and free of fear in their own home.
 

Domestic Violence does not just affect one person, but the WHOLE family, and there are never ANY excuses. NO person has the right to assault, intimidate, threaten, stalk or harass you. If you are experiencing any of these types of abuse there are services who CAN help. Please refer to the “Referral Phone Numbers” for services in your area.

 

“Through New Eyes” – exploring the hidden emotional dynamics of Domestic Violence
© 2003 Carol Skye in association with the Hunter Women’s Centre