The easiest forms of abuse for us to recognize are physical and sexual abuse; however, women can be abused in other ways that can be just as frightening and damaging to their sense of self.  Examples of other abusive behaviors are: 

• Using threats and intimidation: making or carrying out threats to do something to hurt you; making you afraid by using looks, actions, gestures, smashing things, abusing pets, displaying weapons.
• Using emotional abuse: putting you down; making you feel bad about yourself; humiliating you.
• Using isolation: controlling what you do, who you see and talk to, what you read, where you go; using jealousy to justify actions.
• Minimizing, denying and blaming: saying you are responsible for the abuse; making light of the abuse and not taking your concerns about it seriously.
• Using the children: saying he will take the children if you leave.
• Using male privilege: treating you like a servant; acting like the “master of the castle”.
• Using economic abuse: preventing you from getting or keeping a job; making you ask for money; taking your pay cheque; withholding money from you so that you have no food or cannot get necessary medical treatment.

No one deserves to be abused!