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Types of Abuse

Not all abuse is physical. There are many types of abuse that can occur during, and after a relationship.

Physical Abuse

PHYSICAL ABUSE occurs when  
someone uses physical violence,
or threats of it, to cause injury and
maintain control over you.

Emotional Abuse

EMOTIONAL ABUSE occurs when  
someone subjects / exposes you to damaging non-physical behaviors in order to shame, isolate, discredit, manipulate bully, and confuse you. These behaviors can erode self-worth over time, and are often harder to recognize compared to other types of abuse. 

Sexual Abuse

SEXUAL ABUSE is when someone uses force, threats, manipulation, and often coercion to control sexual intimacy. This often includes acting in a way that’s forced or non-consensual.

 

Oftentimes, SEXUAL ABUSE can involve SEXUAL and REPRODUCTIVE 
COERCION.

Economic Abuse

ECONOMIC ABUSE (sometimes referred to as FINANCIAL ABUSE or MATERIAL ABUSE) is when an someone uses money, or access to money / potentional access to money & resources to control you. 

Legal Abuse

LEGAL ABUSE occurs when someone uses the law or legal threats in order control or scare you. Legal abuse can often include emotional and economic abuse.   

Digital Abuse 

DIGITAL ABUSE occurs when someone
uses technology to stalk, harass, or intimidate you.   

Post-Separation Abuse

POST-SEPERATION ABUSE is abuse that occurs after the end of the relationship. This can include: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, economic abuse, 
stalking, child abuse and legal abuse. 

 

POST-SEPERATION ABUSE is often used to punish the victim for leaving, or  to intimidate them to return to the relationship. 

Stalking

STALKING is when someone follows you, sends many unwanted messages, threats, and repeatedly harasses you, causing fear and other disorder in your life.

Reproductive Coercion

REPRODUCTIVE COERCION includes
using acts or threats of violence, and
manipulation to interfere with
your reproductive choice.

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