General information about abuse
What are the definitions of abuse?
Woman abuse happens when your husband or boyfriend mistreats you. It takes many forms and has many names: battered women, spousal abuse, wife abuse.
Physical abuse is any aggressive behaviour directed at another's body, such as pushing, pinching, squeezing, shaking, grabbing, biting, slapping, punching, kicking, or choking. It also includes throwing objects or using a weapon. Obviously, such conduct will often result in serious injuries, but many women are subjected to varying degrees of physical abuse without suffering physical injury visible to the eye.
Sexual abuse is forced participation in any type of sexual activity. No one, not even a husband, has the right to force a woman to participate in sexual activity if she doesn't want to. If force or threats of force are used to gain the woman's compliance, the man can be charged with sexual assault.
Psychological and verbal abuse involve the infliction of emotional pain and suffering by doing things to control or degrade, such as persistent verbal attacks on self-esteem, repeated accusations of infidelity, threats of suicide, control over friends and money, and threats of harm to others.
Forced confinement is when someone does not allow another person out of, for example, a house, room, bed, or chair for extended periods of time.
Abuse towards pets or property is the destruction of property or animals with the explicit or implicit threat that "she is next."
Financial Abuse means having no access to the family's money. The woman may live in a comfortable house, wear good clothing, have children who are well-equipped with toys and luxuries, but have no control over what is spent or saved, over what moneys come into the family, or over any decisions about what will be bought. She is allowed no money for personal use.
| General Information about Abuse - Continued: |
July 2003
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