There are many forms of abuse; however, here are some of the more recognised types of abuse.
Physical Abuse
Physical Abuse is one of the most serious and occurring type of abuse. This is when someone harms and hurts another person on purpose (often children and young people). This includes hitting a person with hands or objects, slapping and punching.
The person abusing you may hurt you in a number of ways.
Does your partner ever:
• Slap, hit or punch you?
• Push or shove you?
• Bite or kick you?
• Burn you?
• Choke you or hold you down?
• Throw things?
Emotional Abuse
Emotional Abuse is a way of controlling and manipulating another person by using emotions to criticise, embarrass, shame or blame another person.
This is very serious since this is the type of manipulation can cause suicidal thoughts and deep depression.
Does your partner ever:
• Belittle you, or put you down?
• Blame you for the abuse or arguments?
• Deny that abuse is happening, or downplay it?
• Isolate you from your family and friends?
• Stop you going to college or work?
• Make unreasonable demands for your attention?
• Accuse you of flirting or having affairs?
• Tell you what to wear, who to see, where to go, and what to think?
• Control your money, or not give you enough to buy food or other essential things?
• Monitor your social media profiles, share photos or videos of you without your consent or use GPS locators to know where you are?
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is sexual behaviour or a sexual act forced upon a person without their permission. This type of abuse can cause the victim to be traumatised for the rest of their life.
Sexual abuse can happen to anyone.
Does your partner ever:
• Touch you in a way you do not want to be touched?
• Make unwanted sexual demands?
• Hurt you during sex?
• Pressure you to have unsafe sex – for example, not using a condom?
• Pressure you to have sex?
• If your partner has sex with you when you do not want to, this is rape.
• Have you ever felt afraid of your partner?
• Have you ever changed your behaviour because you’re afraid of what your partner might do?
• If you think you may be in an abusive relationship, there are lots of people who can help you.
• 1 in 3 cases of domestic violence and abuse against women starts during pregnancy. If the relationship is already abusive, it can get worse.
Psychological Abuse
Psychological abuse involves the regular and deliberate use of a range of words and non-physical actions used with the purpose to manipulate, hurt, weaken or frighten a person mentally and emotionally; and/or distort, confuse or influence a person’s thoughts and actions within their everyday lives, changing their sense of self and harming their wellbeing.
Financial Abuse
Financial abuse is an aspect of ‘coercive control’ – a pattern of controlling, threatening and degrading behaviour that restricts a victims’ freedom.
It’s important to understand that financial abuse seldom happens in isolation: in most cases perpetrators use other abusive behaviours to threaten and reinforce the financial abuse.
Financial abuse involves a perpetrator using or misusing money which limits and controls their partner’s current and future actions and their freedom of choice.
It can include using credit cards without permission, putting contractual obligations in their partner’s name, and gambling with family assets.
Gaslighting
Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse that’s seen in abusive relationships. It’s the act of manipulating a person by forcing them to question their thoughts, memories, and the events occurring around them. A victim of gaslighting can be pushed so far that they question their own sanity.