Domestic violence can be a hard thing to define, especially if you are blinded by emotions and love for a person that is abusing you. Domestic violence is defined by a pattern of behavior that is used to gain and/or maintain power and control of an intimate partner in a relationship.
Forms of Abuse
Abuse comes in all forms: physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions, threats of actions. This comes in a variety of behaviors such as frightening, intimidation, terrorizing, manipulating, hurting, humiliating, blaming, injuring or wounding someone. All races, ages, sexual orientations, religions, and genders, socioeconomic backgrounds, and people with high or low education levels, can experience domestic violence.
Domestic Abuse?
If you suspect you might be a victim of domestic violence, you might want to ask if your partner does the following:
- Calls you names or insults you
- Acts jealous or possessive and does not trust you
- Attempts to isolate you from family or friends
- Monitors you – where you go, who you call
- Controls finances and refuses to share money
- Punishes you through withholding affections
- Requires you to ask permission
- Threatens to hurt you, children, other family members or pets
- Damages property when they get angry (examples include throwing objects or punching walls)
- Pushes, slaps, bites, kicks or chokes you
- Scares you by driving recklessly on purpose
- Uses a weapon to threaten or hurt you
- Forces you to leave your home
- Prevents you from calling police or seeking medical attention when they injure you
- Uses physical force in sexual situation
- Wants you to dress in a sexual way
- Has ever forced you or manipulated you into to having sex
- Holds you down or hurts you with weapons or objects during sex
Seek Help
If you feel you might be a victim of domestic violence, try to seek the help of a local domestic abuse hotline or center. Once you are out of the situation, you might want to work with a domestic violence lawyer that can help you get the best protection you need.
For advice on domestic violence, you need the expert law firm of Divorce Law LA. Schedule a consultation today.
Source: Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, What is domestic violence, 2014
33 S. Catalina Ave. Ste. 202
Pasadena, Ca. 91106
(626) 478-3550