There are many signs of domestic violence, both physical and emotional. The signs of physical violence are easier to recognize of course, in that your partner places their hands on you in a violent of intimidating way, and causes you injury. The signs of emotional violence are sometimes harder to recognize however.
Here are some examples to look for emotional abuse:
- Telling you that you can never do anything right;
- Showing jealousy of your friends and time spent away;
- Keeping you or discouraging you from seeing friends or family members;
- Embarrassing or shaming you with put-downs;
- Controlling every penny spent in the household;
- Taking your money or refusing to give you money for expenses;
- Controlling who you see, where you go, or what you do;
- Preventing you from making your own decisions;
- Intimidating you with guns, knives or other weapons; and
- Forcing or pressuring you to have sex when you don’t want to or do things sexually you’re not comfortable with.
There is no crystal ball to determine emotional abuse. Most couples argue. When emotionsl flare we can say hurtful things to our partner in the heat of moment. A one time verbal dispute doesn’t make you a victim of Domestic Violence. However, if the verbal argument is coupled with violence, it very likley does qualify. For only verbal abuse, there must be a pattern of improper conduct in order to meet the statutory criteria.
If you have questions, we have answers.
You can:
- Call our knowledgeable staff at 888-695-6169;
- Fill out our contact us form on this page; or
- Select our live chat feature to speak to someone right away.
We help victims of domestic violence, one trial at a time.
