IF YOU ARE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, CALL 911
Types of Abuse
Emotional Assault
A pattern of destructive behaviour that attacks a person’s sense of self-worth and confidence which are broken down into 7 forms of emotional abuse:
- Degrading: Messages of not being good enough (humiliation, insults)
- Ignoring: Ignore or gives mixed messages
- Isolating: Cut off from normal social interaction: become emotionally dependant
- Terrorizing: Causes Fear
- Corrupting: Encouraging illegal, destructive behaviours
- Exploiting: Using the other person for social or economic gain
- Controlling: Dominates and controls – often motivated by jealousy
Physical Assault
The intentional use of force, or threats of force, on another person in attempt to control behaviour, intimidate, or punish and can include:
- Scratching, punching, biting or kicking someone
- Throwing objects at the other person
- Pushing or pulling someone
- Grabbing someone’s clothing
- Using a weapon
- Preventing someone from looking away
- Preventing someone from leaving a place
- Strangulation
Sexual Assault
The force of any form of sexual activity on someone else without that person’s voluntary *consent.
*Consent: Consent is freely given, willing, non-pressured agreement to engage in any type of sexual activity.
Red Flags
It’s not always easy to tell at the beginning of a relationship if it will become abusive. It can take six months to a year, or even longer to see all of the different personality traits of your partner. Red Flags are indicators of potential abuse.
Your Partner May…
- Control all of the finances or do things to ensure you are financially reliant
- Make jokes that are intended to make you uncomfortable ie) threaten to take the children/pets if you were to ever leave / joke about assaulting you
- Encourage you to stop spending time with family or friends
- Demand that you no longer spend time with family or friends
- Makes demands or accusations regarding your appearance/dress
- Be Argumentative/moody/combative
- Accuse you of flirting or cheating without reasonable cause
- Share your personal information/secrets with others
- Ignore you in certain situations and is attentive in others
- Use passive aggressive or manipulative behavior to get what they want from you
- Yell, throw objects or otherwise make you afraid
- Threaten to hurt you, your family, a pet or themselves when upset
- Intentionally scare you or make you nervous
- Emotionally, Physically or Sexually Assault you and promise it will never happen again
- Blame you for their outbursts or abuse
- Approve or justify others’ violent behavior
- Insist on making all the plans when you hang out
- Constantly check up on you – where you are, what you are doing
Safety Planning
IF YOU ARE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER, CALL 911
Making a safety plan involves identifying the steps you can take to increase your safety and helps to prepare you and your children in advance for the possibility of further violence.