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 Domestic violence occurs when one person in a relationship attempts to gain power and control over the other by using physical, sexual, emotional, or material force. Domestic violence occurs in all socioeconomic classes, racial and ethnic groups, age groups, religious affiliations, sexual orientations, and educational backgrounds.
Are you being abused?
Batterers use many tactics ranging from subtle intimidation to serious injury and even death to control their partners. Below are descriptions of common tactics of abusers.
 Emotional and Psychological Abuse
Financial/Economic Abuse
Physical Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Abuse Through Children
Stalking
Emotional and Psychological Abuse
Manipulating, intimidating, humiliating
Name calling, put downs, threatening, blaming
Extreme and controlling behavior, jealousy or possessiveness
Isolating the partner from friends or family
Ridiculing or insulting the partner’s beliefs
Threatening harm to self or suicide
Financial/Economic Abuse
Misusing, stealing or extorting the partner’s financial resources
Destroying the partner’s property or possessions
Preventing the partner from working
Preventing the partner from using the telephone
Taking the partner’s important papers or documents
Controlling partner’s access to financial assets
Ruining the partner’s credit
Physical Abuse
Shoving, hitting, pushing, kicking or punching
Choking, biting, hair pulling, twisting arms
Assaulting with weapons
Throwing objects, torturing, burning, or holding under water
Locking the partner out of the home
Attacking or killing pets
Sexual Abuse
Pressuring, coercing or forcing sexual activity
Pressuring to get pregnant or to get an abortion
Calling the partner sexually degrading names
Abuse Through Children
Harming/kidnapping or threatening to harm/kidnap children
Using children to monitor partner’s activities
Criticizing parenting skills
Forcing children to witness or take part in violence
Threatening to report partner to child protective services
Using custody disputes to maintain contact through the court system
Stalking
Going to the survivor’s home or place of employment
Repeated unwanted contacts
Disabling or tapping phones or electricity
Vandalism
Using the internet to track communications, activities, or financial information
Threatening members of the survivor’s support system
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