How Bad Is It?

Potentially Dangerous:

• Ignores her feelings.
• Withholding approval as punishment
• Repeated humiliation, public and private
• Blames you for all faults
• Labeling or Name-Calling: “Crazy, bitch, whore”
• Pinch/Squeeze
• Pushing/Shoving/Jerking/Pulling/Shaking
• Restraining
• Slapping
• Pulling hair
• Looks at and makes jokes about women as sexual objects
• Extreme jealousy
• Minimizes her sexual feelings and needs
• Sexual criticism
• Jokes about the role of women
• Denies victim’s history, or heritage

Dangerous:

• Threatens violence and retaliation
• Puts down abilities as worker, parent, lover, etc.
• Threatens to abuse children, or get sole custody
• Shaking which leaves bruises
• Hitting, punching or kicking
• Throwing objects
• Targeted or repeated hitting for punishment
• Forces you to touch or look at genitalia
• Withholds sex and affection
• Forces you to strip in front of others
• Forces you to watch sex with others
• Isolates you from friends and family, through inappropriate behaviors or repeated moves
• Economic dependence (getting you fired or taking your money, etc.)
• Threatens to hurt your family

Highly Dangerous:

• Choking
• Using household objects as weapons
• Holding hostage
• Actions that cause broken bones, internal injuries, or anytime medical treatment is needed
• Use of knives, guns or other weapons.
• Any attempts to disfigure
• Forces/Coerces sex, or makes threats for same
• Forces uncomfortable sex
• Wants or forces sex after an assault
• Sex for purpose of hurting
• Use of objects or weapons in sexual way
• Directs violence at objects (hits punches or kicks walls, etc)
• Deprives you of food, sleep, medicine or health care
• Kills or injures pets; commits incest or child abuse
• The abuser threatens suicide