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C. Physical Abuse and Domestic Violence – (Part 2B)
When people talk about domestic violence, they are often referring to the physical abuse of a spouse or intimate partner. Physical abuse is the use of physical force against someone in a way that injures or endangers that person. Physical assault or battering is a crime, whether it occurs inside or outside of the family. The police have the power and authority to protect you from physical attack.
Sexual abuse is a form of physical abuse
Any situation in which you are forced to participate in unwanted, unsafe, or degrading sexual activity is sexual abuse. Forced sex, even by a spouse or intimate partner with whom you also have consensual sex, is an act of aggression and violence. Furthermore, people whose partners abuse them physically andsexually are at a higher risk of being seriously injured or killed.
Source: Breaking the Silence: a Handbook for Victims of Violence in Nebraska
When people think of domestic abuse, they often picture battered women who have been physically assaulted. But not all abusive relationships involve violence. Just because you’re not battered and bruised doesn’t mean you’re not being abused. Many men and women suffer from emotional abuse, which is no less destructive. Unfortunately, emotional abuse is often minimized or overlooked—even by the person being abused.
D. Understanding emotional abuse – (Part 2B)
The aim of emotional abuse is to chip away at your feelings of self-worth and independence. If you’re the victim of emotional abuse, you may feel that there is no way out of the relationship or that without your abusive partner you have nothing.
Emotional abuse includes verbal abuse such as yelling, name-calling, blaming, and shaming. Isolation, intimidation, and controlling behavior also fall under emotional abuse. Additionally, abusers who use emotional or psychological abuse often throw in threats of physical violence or other repercussions if you don’t do what they want.
You may think that physical abuse is far worse than emotional abuse, since physical violence can send you to the hospital and leave you with scars. But, the scars of emotional abuse are very real, and they run deep. In fact, emotional abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse—sometimes even more so.
Economic or financial abuse: A subtle form of emotional abuse
Remember, an abuser’s goal is to control you, and he or she will frequently use money to do so. Economic or financial abuse includes:
Click Here for PDF Version of DV Series S6, July 30, 2020
Click below for previous sessions:
PDF Version of DV Series S1, June 25, 2020
PDF Version of DV Series S2, July 2, 2020
PDF Version of DV Series S3, July 9, 2020
PDF Version of DV Series S4, July 16, 2020
PDF Version of DV Series S5, July 23, 2020
Next section posted will be “Domestic Violence Series” – Section IV - Part 2A – “Explanation of Domestic Violence and Abuse” – “Violent and Abusive Behavior is the Abuser’s Choice” on Thursday, August 6th.
In His Service,
Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks
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