It’s not always a bruise. It’s not always yelling so loud the neighbors can hear. It’s not always with the presence of drugs or alcohol in a home. It’s not always against women. Domestic violence is a complicated, multi-faceted issue that affects all communities and genders. Age, race, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and other factors do not protect people from abuse. Rather, these factors often make abuse more likely. Abuse comes in many forms, and if you feel unsafe or unloved, your feelings are valid. We can help you no matter what type of abuse you are facing.
Physical:
Any form of physical harm one individual inflicts on another, as well as the threat of physical harm, the withholding of healthcare, and other ways.
Sexual:
Any type of unwanted sexual attention, advances, or unwanted, non-consensual sexual acts. This type of abuse includes sexual coercion, the withholding of sex as a punishment, and becoming violent out of fear that one’s partner is having sex with other people are also forms of sexual abuse. Sexual abuse can happen within intimate partner relationships, marriages, dating relationships, or it can occur between strangers.
Psychological/Emotional:
Using power and control tactics to isolate a survivor from friends and family, breaking promises repeatedly, threatening or taunting. Also, degrading, attacking vulnerabilities, ignoring feelings, regularly threatening to leave, and other psychological and emotional tactics are used to abuse are other ways this type of abuse manifests.
Minimizing, denying, and blaming the survivor for the abuse
Verbal:
Saying things meant to be cruel, hurtful, or degrading, minimizing accomplishment, yelling or cursing at the victim.
Digital:
When the abuser uses technology to bully, harass, stalk, or intimidate a survivor. Also, closely monitoring digital devices or accounts to maintain power and control
Economic Abuse:
When the abuser controls finances, access to money, or the survivors ability to get or maintain employment. Also requires a survivor to turn in any earned money or keeping their name off or limiting access to shared assets.
Cultural/Identity
When the abuser tries to control the survivor’s identity and/or gender expression of an individual such as using wrong names or wrong pronouns. When the abuser threatens to out the survivor to their family or prevents them from associating with their culture or engaging in cultural practices. Also using privilege (gender, cultural, ability, language, etc.) to control the survivor’s life.
Spiritual:
When the abuser uses religious passages or beliefs to reinforce abuse. Manipulating the survivor’s religious beliefs, refusing to allow them to attend church or spiritual gatherings, or claiming the survivor is unwanted or unloved by their higher power to maintain power and control over them. Also, belittling or preventing a partner from participating in their beliefs, practices, and traditions or forcing them to participate in their practices when they do not share the same beliefs.
Contact us at our hotline if you are experiencing any of these types of abuse: 479-246-9999.
If you have experienced abuse in the past and would like to explore counseling or group therapy options, please contact us at 479-246-0353 and ask to speak to our counselor.