CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of abuse and SA.
Information courtesy of Long Island Against Domestic Violence.
Domestic violence and abuse is a very real and hard topic to talk about. However, it’s important that we break the stigma and start supporting each other to escape difficult and dangerous situations. There are many different forms of abuse, and they are all just as important and never acceptable. If you feel you may be a victim of abuse, you can call LIADV’s 24-hour hotline for help at 631-666-8833.
There are six well known types of abuse, and there are many ways to identify all of them. Many times they overlap, but they all may be signs that you should reach out and get help in your relationship, or may be things to look out for as signs that someone you know may need intervention as well.
- Physical Abuse
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This can take form in many ways such as: punching or kicking walls, hitting, hair-pulling, being forceful, using weapons punching, slapping, grabbing, blocking a doorway, choking, driving in a scary/unsafe way, kicking, pushing, throwing things, punching, shoving, breaking things, physically restraining someone, burning, pinching or being physically intimidating or threatening.
- Verbal Abuse
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Some signs that there is verbal abuse in a relationship include: answering questions for the other person, yelling, not allowing the other person to speak, shouting, speaking in a patronizing manner, cursing and talking over someone.
- Mental Abuse
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Mental abuse can be difficult to identify. However, some warning signs include lying or twisting things around, always being right, accusing the other person of things which they are not guilty, tricking someone, blaming the other person for one’s own mistakes, hiding personal items from someone and believing the other person is always wrong.
- Emotional Abuse
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Signs of emotional abuse include insulting someone, possessiveness, constantly checking up on the person, jealousy, not respecting feelings, devaluing a person’s point of view, ridiculing, ordering someone around, spying on a person through others, threatening, destroying personal property, putting someone down, ignoring, ruining a person’s reputation and humiliating someone.
- Sexual Abuse
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Some signs of this are not listening to the word “No”, rape, deliberately not talking about birth control methods, unwanted touching, pressure or coercion to become a parent or end a pregnancy by one partner, vulgar comments, getting someone pregnant to prevent them from leaving and pressure to have sex.
- Financial Abuse
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Some signs of financial abuse include making the other person ask for money, giving the other person an allowance, hiding knowledge of, or access to the family income, taking the other person’s money and preventing the other person from getting or keeping a job.
For more information about education regarding domestic and relationship violence or ways to get help or volunteer to help LIADV, visit their website: liadv.org or call their 24 hour help hotline: 631-666-8833.