Am I being abused?

Click the red escape button above to

immediately leave this site if your abuser may
see you reading it.

 Signs of abuse

 Healthy vs. unhealthy relationships

 More information on being abused

Prasanna U DO ALL THE
THINGS I HAVE MARKED IN
RED, U R ABUSING ME.

Signs of abuse
It can be hard to know if you're
being abused. You may think that
your husband is allowed to make
you have sex. That's not true.
Forced sex is rape, no matter who
does it. You may think that cruel
or threatening words are not
abuse. They are. And
sometimes emotional abuse is a
sign that a person will become
physically violent.
Below is a list of possible signs of
abuse. Some of these are illegal.
All of them are wrong. You may be
abused if your partner:

 Monitors what you're doing

all the time

 Unfairly accuses you of

being unfaithful all the time

 Prevents or discourages you

from seeing friends or family

 Prevents or discourages you

from going to work or school

 Gets very angry during and

after drinking alcohol or using
drugs
 Controls how you spend your
money

 Controls your use of needed

medicines

 Decides things for you that

you should be allowed to
decide (like what to wear or
eat)

 Humiliates you in front of

others

 Destroys your property or

things that you care about

 Threatens to hurt you, the

children, or pets
 Hurts you (by hitting, beating,
pushing, shoving, punching,
slapping, kicking, or biting)

 Uses (or threatens to use) a

weapon against you

 Forces you to have sex against

your will

 Controls your birth control or

insists that you get pregnant

 Blames you for his or her

violent outbursts

 Threatens to harm himself

or herself when upset with
you
  Says things like, "If I can't
have you then no one can."

If you think someone is abusing

you, get help. Abuse can have
serious physical and emotional
effects. No one has the right to
hurt you.

Return to top

Healthy vs. unhealthy

relationships
Sometimes a relationship might
not be abusive, but it might have
some serious problems that make
it unhealthy. If you think you
might be in an unhealthy
relationship, you should be able to
talk to your partner about your
concerns. If you feel like you can't
talk to your partner, try talking to
a trusted friend, family member, or
counselor. Consider calling a
confidential hotline to get the
support you need and to explore
next steps. If you're afraid to end
the relationship, call a hotline for
help.

Signs of an unhealthy
relationship include:

 Focusing all your energy on

your partner
 Dropping friends and family
or activities you enjoy

 Feeling pressured or
controlled a lot

 Having more bad times in

the relationship than good

 Feeling sad or scared when

with your partner

These things
written below
never happen.
U never let me
do these
Signs of a healthy relationship
include:

 Having more good times in the

relationship than bad

 Having a life outside the

relationship, with your own
friends and activities

 Making decisions together, with

each partner compromising at
times

 Dealing with conflicts by talking

honestly
  Feeling comfortable and able to
be yourself

 Feeling able to take care of

yourself

 Feeling like your partner

supports you

If you feel confused about your

relationship, a mental
health professional can help.
Remember, you deserve to be
treated with respect.

Return to top
More information on Am I
being abused?
Read more from
womenshealth.gov

 One Department: Overview of

HHS Activities on Violence
Against Women (2009-2010) -
This report highlights the use of
funds from the Family Violence
Prevention and Services Act
that support emergency shelter
and related assistance for
survivors of domestic violence
and their children.

Explore other publications and

websites
 Are You Being Abused?
(Copyright © American College
of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists) - This simple
quiz helps victims and those
who care about them identify
the signs of abuse. It
encourages victims to seek
assistance and gives phone
numbers to call for help.

 Domestic Violence Against

Women: Recognize Patterns,
Seek Help (Copyright © Mayo
Foundation) - This fact sheet
list signs of domestic violence.
It also gives ways to seek help
 if you are experiencing
domestic violence.

 Emotional Abuse (Copyright ©

University of Michigan Health
System) - Learn about the
pattern of emotional abuse and
how to recognize emotionally
abusive behavior.

 Power and Control Wheel

(Copyright © Family Violence
Prevention Fund) - In an
abusive relationship, power and
control are repeatedly misused
by an abuser. This wheel gives
examples of physical, verbal,
and sexual abuse and violence.
  Violence Prevention - This
website provides information on
the impact of violence, risk
factors for violence, and
effective prevention tips. It also
addresses intimate partner,
sexual, and youth violence.

Connect with other organizations

 Choose Respect, CDC, HHS

 Family Violence Prevention and

Services Program, HHS, ACF

 Futures Without Violence

 National Center for Victims of

Crime
 National Domestic Violence
Hotline

 National Online Resource

Center on Violence Against
Women

 National Teen Dating Abuse

Helpline

 Office for Victims of Crime, U.S.

Department of Justice

 Office on Violence Against

Women, DOJ

 Rape, Abuse, and Incest

National Network
 The Stalking Resource Center,
NCVC