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PHYSICAL VIOLENCE
Includes pushing the women around, slapping, kicking, "strangling", head-butting, burning with cigarettes, battering, punching or using a knife or weapon. It can also involve violence towards property or pets, including throwing things, smashing up the house, destroying possessions which mean a lot to the woman and cutting up her clothes. Violence can also take other forms either alone or in combination.
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SOCIAL ABUSE
The woman is forced to live in an isolated fashion. She is prevented from having social, family or other contact. The partner forbids family or friends from visiting and makes it difficult for her to see them.
SEXUAL ABUSE
The man forces the woman to perform sexual acts against her will, uses pornography against her wishes, uses force, threats or coercion to obtain sex, makes her perform sexual acts distasteful to her. Rapes - stabs - kills. However stressed, inadequate or drunk, the man chooses as his target the person who is a physical, emotional and economic disadvantage to him (often taking care not to hit her where the injuries will show). Frequently he will be charming to others, making it difficult for the woman to persuade them that she is being abused and causing others to disbelieve that their friend, relative, neighbour or work-mate could be violent at home.
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ECONOMIC ABUSE
The man assumes control of all finances and keeps the woman chronically short of money. He claims the income support and wages are "his", spending the family income on drink and drugs, not allowing the woman access to money for essentials, sometimes humiliating her by not giving her enough money to buy underwear or sanitary protection. He sabotages her attempts to get a job. |
PSYCHOLOGICAL, EMOTIONAL OR VERBAL ABUSE
The woman is constantly criticised by her partner. He calls her ugly, stupid, a bad mother. He mocks, putting her down, humiliating her, ridiculing her in company. He intimidates her, using angry threatening gestures, (or looks when in public) driving the car recklessly to scare her, threatening violence, self-inflicted injury or suicide. He yells, swears, blames, accuses the woman of having affairs with anyone she has been speaking to. The woman is harassed by the partner who follows her, checking up on her, timing her when she goes shopping or collects the children from school. He keeps weapons around which scare the woman, insisting she does things he knows scare her, threatens children pets or her family. |
