FORMS

OF
ABUSE
Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is the most obvious. It comes in the form of

hitting, punching, slapping, bitting, anything that hurts
physically. If you see a loved one or anyone you know with bruises or scars, you may want to talk to
them about it.

Mental Abuse

Mental abuse happens when one dating partner or someone you know constantly puts down the
other. They may call names, make threats or accuse the other person of cheating. This is harmful to
the mind and is an unhealthy relationship.

Eg. “if you leave me. I’ll kill myself’.

Emotional Abuse

The abusive partner may try to control the other’s behaviour, personality, and life. They attempt to
crush the spirit of their partner or someone. This is called emotional abuse.

E.g “You can’t hang out with him/her anymore.”

Sexual abuse

Any forced sexual behaviours. This may include unwanted sexual contact, rape, forcing them to
perform sexual acts that cause pain or humiliation, forcing her to have sex with others or causing
injury to their sexual organs.

Financial abuse

The perpetrator takes full control of all the money, spending and decisions about finances so the
victim is financially dependent on the partner. Also denying them access to money, including their
own, and forcing them and their children to live on inadequate resources and demanding they
account for every cent spent. This type of abuse is often a contributing factor for them becoming
'trapped' in violent relationships.

Mental obvious control finances unwanted

hitting forced money calls names

denying constantly spirit perform emotional

cheating inadequate talk unhealthy bruises every