Types of Abuse:
Psychological/ Emotional Abuse
Verbal Abuse
• Name calling
• Destructive criticism
• Accusing
Blaming
• Yelling
• Making humiliating remarks or gestures
Pressure Tactics
• Rushing a partner to make decisions through “guilt tripping” and other forms of intimidation
• Sulking
• Threatening to withhoild money
• Using children to manipulate partner
• Keeping partner awake for hours to change his/her mind on something
• Pressuring partner for se
Abusing Authority or Trust:
• Always claiming to be right
• Telling partner what to do
• Making big decisions without discussing it with partner first
• Lying
• Withholding information
• Infidelity
• Unreasonable jealousy
Disrespect:
• Interrupting
• Changing topics
• Not listening or responding
• Twisting words
• Putting partner down in front of other people
• Belittling your partner, friends and family
• Belittling your partners friends or family
Minimizing, Denying and Blaming
• Making light of abusive behaviour
• Denying that the abuse has happened
• Blaming partner for abuse
Isolation:
• Preventing or making it difficult for partner to see friends or relatives
• Monitoring phone calls
• Telling partner where he/she can and cannot go
Harassment:
• Making uninvited visits or calls
• Following partner
• Checking up on partner
• Embarrassing partner in public
• Refusing to leave when asked
Emotional Withholding:
• Not expressing feelings
• Not giving support, attention or compliments
• Not respecting rights, feelings or opinions
Financial Abuse:
• Interfering with partner’s work or not letting them work
• Withholding or taking money
• Denying partner access to the car or other property
• Threatening to report partner to Child and Family Services or other agencies
• Sabotaging partner’s efforts to improve economically (i.e.: going to school or training program)
• Creates debt in partner’s name
• Sells partners possessions
Sexual Abuse:
• Degrading treatment based on partner’s gender or sexual orientation
• Using force, threats, or coercion to obtain sex or perform sexual acts
• Unwanted touching or fondling
• Not respecting personal privacy such as undressing, going to the washroom or personal hygiene
Spiritual Abuse:
• Refusing your partner to practice their religion of choice
• Criticizing partner’s religion
• Making partner participate in your religion
Physical Violence
Intimidation:
• Making angry or threatening gestures
• Use of physical size to intimidate
• Standing in the doorway during arguments
• Driving recklessly when partner or children are in the car
Destruction:
• Destroying partner’s possessions
• Punching walls
• Throwing and/or breaking things
Threats:
• Making and/or carrying out threats to hurt partner and others
Assault:
• Being violent to partner, children, pets or others; slapping, punching, grabbing, kicking, choking, pushing, biting, and burning
Assault with a Weapon:
• Use or threatened use of weapons
• Keeping weapons around to frighten partner
• Constantly reminding partner of the weapons
• Stabbing, shooting, using object to strike, choke or burn (i.e.: belt, rope, lighter etc)