Abuse Guide

 Physical abuse is defined as physical injury inflicted on a victim deliberately. The statutes define physical injury as anything from severe or frequent bruising to more serious injuries. 

 Emotional abuse can involve any of the following: 

*Verbal: yelling at you, insulting you or swearing at you. 

*Rejection: Constantly rejecting your thoughts, ideas and opinions. 

*Gaslighting: making you doubt your own feelings and thoughts, and even your sanity, by manipulating the truth. 

You can be in a relationship and be sexually abused. 

Sexual abuse is when an abuse uses force to have their sexual way with the victim. Sexual abuse in most regards is forceful and sometimes will involve physical abuse. 

Even if you are in a relationship you do have a choice with your body. 

 Financial abuse involves controlling a victim's ability to acquire, use, and maintain financial resources. Those who are victimized financially may be prevented from working. They also may have their own money restricted or stolen by the abuser. 

Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence go hand in hand as shown by many studies. 

"The Facts:"

• On days of heavy drug and/or alcohol use, physical violence was 11 times more likely among intimate partner violence batterers and victims.

• More than 20 percent of male perpetrators report using alcohol or illicit drugs prior to the most recent and severe acts of violence.

A child witnessing abuse is Child Abuse.

 It effects the child's mental and physical health. The long term effects of witnessing abuse has been link to the following: 

• PTSD and C-PTSD
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Girls who witness their mother's abused are 6 times more like to be sexually abused as teens.
• Boys are 10 times more likely to grow up to abuse their partner if they witnessed abuse.
• Other links have been associated with diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and poor self-esteem.