The Warning Signs
There are five indicators that a relationship is likely to become violent.
"The signs listed above are not necessarily violent, but they can become violent and are
precursors to violence." If these behaviors are present in your relationship, call the National
Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233) to be connected with help in your
area.
Becoming aware of the forms that abuse can take helps you to be better prepared to
recognize such behavior as abusive. Once you are able to label abuse, you can begin to
take steps necessary to stop it from happening or repeating.
There are five indicators that a relationship is likely to become violent.
- Jealousy and possessiveness
- Controlling behavior
- Verbal abuse
- Threats to harm you, your family or your pet
- Isolation from friends and family
"The signs listed above are not necessarily violent, but they can become violent and are
precursors to violence." If these behaviors are present in your relationship, call the National
Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233) to be connected with help in your
area.
Becoming aware of the forms that abuse can take helps you to be better prepared to
recognize such behavior as abusive. Once you are able to label abuse, you can begin to
take steps necessary to stop it from happening or repeating.
- Verbal Abuse occurs when one person uses words and body language to
inappropriately criticize another person. Verbal abuse often involves 'putdowns' and
name-calling intended to make the victim feel they are not worthy of love or respect,
and that they do not have ability or talent. If the victim speaks up against these
statements, they are often told that the criticisms were "just a joke", and that it is their
own problem that they do not find the joke funny. They may also be told that no abuse
is happening; that it is "all in their head". Verbal abuse is dangerous because it is often
not easily recognized as abuse, and therefore it can go on for extended periods,
causing severe damage to victim's self-esteem and self-worth. Damaged victims may
fail to take advantage of opportunities that would enrich their lives because they come
to believe they are not worthy of those opportunities.
- Psychological Abuse (also known as mental abuse or emotional abuse) occurs when
one person controls information available to another person so as to manipulate that
person's sense of reality; what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. For example,
psychological abuse might occur when a pedophile tells a child victim that she caused
the pedophile to abuse her because she is a 'slut' who 'tempted' the pedophile.
Psychological abuse often contains strong emotionally manipulative content designed
to force the victim to comply with the abuser's wishes. It may be emotional abuse in this
sense when it is designed to cause emotional pain to victims or to “mess with their
heads” in attempts to gain compliance and counter any resistance. Alternatively,
psychological abuse may occur when one victim is forced to watch another be abused
in some fashion (verbally, emotionally, physically or sexually). Like verbal abuse,
psychological abuse is often not recognized as abuse early on and can result in
serious sequela (psychological after effects) later on.
- Physical Abuse occurs when one person uses physical pain or threat of physical
force to intimidate another person. Actual physical abuse may involve simple slaps or
pushes, or it may involve a full on physical beating complete with punching, kicking,
hair pulling, scratching, and real physical damage sufficient in some cases to require
hospitalization. In particularly violent instances, people can die from the injuries they
sustain while being physically abused. Physical abuse is abusive whether bruises or
physical damage occur or not. Physical abuse may involve the mere threat of physical
violence if the victim does not comply with the wishes of the abuser, and still be
considered physical abuse.
| Christian Sistahs (240) 353-2255 lharrod@christiansistahs.org ALL INFORMATION IS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL Copyright @ 2009 Christian Sistahs |
If you feel that you have been a
victim of ABUSE, and would
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someone will get in touch with
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victim of ABUSE, and would
like someone to talk to, please
leave us your information and
someone will get in touch with
you immediately.
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