Recognizing signs of violence

Physical violence

Physical violence includes any behavior in which force is exerted upon you — pushing, spitting, choking, pinching, hair pulling, kicking, using a weapon, causing burns, beating, restricting freedom of movement, inflicting harm with objects, harassment, damage to property, or forcing you to carry out humiliating acts.

This type of violence is extremely dangerous because it can result in loss of life in the immediate term, and thus requires swift intervention.

Physical violence is not legitimate under any circumstances or in any form.
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Sexual violence

Sexual violence includes any behavior of a sexual nature that is carried out against your will, including unwanted touching of body parts, sexual activity that is accompanied by physical injury, sexual activity involving a third person against your will, physical force or threats, injury to the chest or genitals, rape, attempted rape, indecent acts, sodomy, the use of sexually derogatory names, intimidation during sexual intercourse, insistence on unwanted sexual behaviors, hiding a sexually transmitted disease or failure to protect against it, and prohibiting the use of contraceptives.

Sexual violence has repercussions on physical and mental health and requires immediate intervention.

Sexual violence is not legitimate under any circumstances or in any form.
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Emotional violence

This form of violence causes emotional and psychological harm without direct physical contact, and can include blackmail, intimidation, oppression, threats, withholding food or sleep, harassment, humiliation, social isolation, being controlling, disparagement, withholding affection, extreme jealousy, monitoring your every move, manipulation, invasion of privacy, outbursts of anger, baseless accusations, and prolonged and deliberate silent treatment.

It is in fact the systematic destruction of your sense of self-worth, through efforts to exert power and control over you in various ways.

Emotional violence is difficult to recognize and therefore extremely dangerous, because its results can be devastating, and it can deteriorate into physical violence.

Emotional violence is not legitimate under any circumstances or in any form.
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Verbal violence

Verbal violence includes cursing, shouting, humiliation, the use of derogatory names and insults (especially in public), and threats.

Beyond its psychological consequences, verbal violence can turn into physical violence at any point, and it therefore requires intervention and treatment before things get worse.

Verbal violence is not legitimate under any circumstances or in any form.
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Economic violence

Economic violence involves any attempt to make you materially and financially dependent on your partner, and can include preventing you from making financial decisions, demanding justifications for every legitimate expense, unjustified accusations regarding financial problems, denying access to information on financial matters, forbidding you from working outside the home, denying access to financial resources, maintaining control over bank accounts, coercing the victim into taking out loans in their name alone, and allocating money according to the abuser’s judgment alone.

This type of violence prevents independence and gives absolute control to the abuser, and therefore necessitates intervention and assistance.

Economic violence is not legitimate under any circumstances or in any form.
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