FORMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:

 

1. Physical or sexual violence

 

2. Using coercion and threats - making and/or carrying out threats to hurt her; threatening to leave her, to commit suicide, to report her to welfare; making her drop charges; making her do illegal things.

 

3. Using intimidation - making her afraid by using looks, actions, gestures; smashing things; destroying her property; abusing pets; displaying weapons.

 

4. Using emotional abuse - putting her down; making her feel bad about herself; calling her names; making her think she's crazy; playing mind games; humiliating her; making her feel guilty.

 

5. Using isolation - controlling what she does, who she sees and talks to, what she reads, where she goes; limiting her outside involvement; using jealousy to justify actions.

 

6. Minimizing, denying and blaming - making light of the abuse and not taking her concerns seriously; saying the abuse didn't happen; shifting responsibility for abusive behaviour; saying that she caused it.

 

7. Using children - making her feel guilty about the children; using children to relay messages; using visitation to harass her; threatening to take the children away.

 

8. Using male privilege - treating her like a servant; making all the big decisions; acting like "the master of the castle"; being the one to define men's and women's roles.

 

9. Using economic abuse - preventing her from getting or keeping a job; making her ask for money; giving her an allowance; taking her money; not letting her know about or have access to family income.

 

(Domestic Abuse International Project, www.duluth-model.org)