Types of Abuse
There are five major types of abuse: physical, emotional, sexual, social and spiritual. Below are listed only a few examples of each type of abuse.
Physical Abuse
- Throwing objects at the survivor
- Pushing or shoving the survivor
- Threatening the survivor with weapons
- Hitting, punching or kicking the survivor
- Choking or throwing the survivor
Emotional Abuse
- Insulting the survivor repeatedly
- Calling the survivor names
- Yelling at the survivor
- Blaming the survivor for everything
- Threatening to hurt/kill the survivor and/or the children
Social Abuse
- Insulting the survivor publicly
- Putting down the survivor’s capabilities as a spouse, parent, lover or worker
- Demanding all of the survivor’s attention and resenting any focus on others
- Isolating the survivor from friends or activities
- Spending money without first meeting basic financial obligations
Sexual Abuse
- Expecting the survivor to have sex after an abusive incident
- Criticizing the survivor’s sexual performance
- Withholding affection to punish the survivor
- Accusing the survivor of looking at, talking to, or having sex with another
Spiritual Abuse
- Discounting the survivor’s sense of right or wrong
- Denying the survivor’s value as a person with legitimate wants and likes
- Questioning the survivor’s sense of reality
- Denying, minimizing or ridiculing the survivor’s spiritual beliefs
From the book "It's not Okay Anymore" by Greg Enns and Jan Black