WHAT IS ABUSE?

 

 

Family Violence is . . . 

 

The intent, attempt, or act of a person within a relationship (where the relationship is characterized by intimacy, dependency, or trust) to harm another through abuse such as physical, psychological, sexual, economic and/or emotional mal-treatment of the other and/or their children. The goal is to establish and maintain power and control through this pattern of coercive tactics.

 

 

 

Checklist for an Abusive Relationship

 

You may be in an unhealthy or abusive relationship if your partner.....

 

• Has you feeling like you have to walk on "egg shells"

• Refuses to listen to you and makes all the decisions

• Ignores your feelings because his needs come first

• Puts you down, calls you names or embarasses you

• Blames you for everything that goes wrong

• Calls you a bad parent and/or threatens to take your children away

• Tells you you're crazy

• Accuses you of having affairs

• Forces you to have sex or unwanted sexual acts

• Stops you from seeing friends and family

• Pushes, slaps, hits, kicks, restrains or strangles you

• Threatens to hurt you, kill you or your family, friends, pets

• Threatens to commit suicide