Considered Abuse
Physical Abuse: Any act or behavior that inflicts or intends to inflict bodily harm
• Scratching
• Punching
• Biting
• Kicking
•Throwing objects
• Pulling hair
• Choking
• Pushing
• Using a weapon
• Slapping
• Shoving
• Grabbing
• Spitting
Sexual Abuse: Any sexual activity forced upon a person without his/her consent
• Unwanted kissing or touching
• Forcing someone to go further than they want to sexually (even if they have had sex
before)
• Unwanted rough or violent sexual activity
• Not letting one’s partner use birth control or protection against sexually transmitted
diseases
• Degrading treatment based on a partner’s gender
• Criticizing a partner sexually
Verbal/Emotional Abuse: The systematic attempt to destroy a person’s sense of self worth or selfesteem.
• Name‐calling and put‐downs
• Extreme jealousy
• Making false accusations
• Yelling and screaming
• Intentionally embarrassing someone in front of other people
• Keeping one’s partner from seeing or talking with friends and family (I just want you
all to myself)
• Telling someone partner what he/she can and cannot do
• Using online communities or cell phones to control, intimidate, or humiliate
• Making the victim of the abuse feel responsible for the violence
• Stalking
• Threatening to commit suicide in order to manipulate
• Threats of violence or harm, or to expose secrets such as sexual orientation or
immigration status), or to take away the victim’s children.
• Destroying property
• Harming pets or threats to harm pets
Economic Abuse: Any act or behavior that demeans a person by controlling the use and availability of his/her money.
• Interfering with the partner’s work or not letting the partner work
• Taking the partner’s money
• Taking the partner’s car keys or otherwise preventing him/her from getting to work
• Expectation of sexual acts in return for paying expenses such as rent or tuition
Harassment: Purposely causing emotional distress or causing someone to feel alarmed or seriously annoyed
• Following someone around
• Repeated phone calls, emails or texts
• Spreading Rumors
• Threatening to disclose personal information
• Using online forums to threaten, embarrass or humiliate
• Abusive relationships are based on the power and control the abuser has over the victim.