Types of domestic abuse

Types of domestic abuse

There are many different kinds of domestic abuse. Some victims may only experience one, or they may suffer from multiple. Some sorts of domestic abuse may go undetected by the victim, people outside the relationship or even the abuser themselves.

In order to see if laws have actually helped to prevent domestic abuse, we have to discover what domestic abuse can actually consist of:

• Physical violence is when a person hurts or tries to hurt a partner by kicking, hitting or using another type of physical force. It is what most people immediately picture when they hear the term 'domestic abuse', most likely because the effects of physical violence are more detectable and can have fatal repercussions. 
• Emotional / Psychological abuse is controlling another person by using emotions to shame, blame, manipulate, criticize or embarrass a partner. This could be through gaslighting, rejection, abusive language or consistent bullying behaviours which can undermine a person's mental health and wear down their self esteem. 
• Sexual violence is any behaviour thought to be of a sexual nature which is unwanted and takes place without consent. Sexual abuse is often difficult to prove if it occurs within a relationship, and is overlooked much too often by the general public or victims themselves. 
• Financial abuse is where a partner uses or misuses money with limits and controls their partner's current and future actions and their freedom of choice. It could include using credit card without permission, putting contractual obligations in their partner's name or gambling with family assets.