“Any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is

likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life” ¹ .

Physical Abuse

Physical violence is partner abuse when it is intended to enhance the power and control of the abuser over the partner. If the partner is fearful of the abuser, if the partner modifies his behavior in response to the assault or potential assault, or if the partner intentionally maintains a particular routine of behaviors in an effort to avoid violence – despite his preference not to do so – then this is partner abuse.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is any forced or coerced sexual act or behavior motivated to acquire power and control over the partner. It is not only forced sexual contact but also contact that demeans or humiliates the partner and instigates feelings of shame or vulnerability – particularly in regards to the body, sexual performance or sexuality.

“Sexual abuse and rape by an intimate partner is not considered a crime in most countries, and women in many societies do not consider forced sex as rape if they are married to, or cohabiting with, the perpetrator. The assumption is that once a woman enters into a contract of marriage, the husband has the right to unlimited sexual access to his wife. Surveys in many countries reveal that approximately 10 to 15 percent of women report being forced to have sex with their intimate partner”. ²

 Verbal Abuse

Emotional abuse, isolation, name calling, putting a partner down, making fun of partner

Financial

Financial abuse is the use or misuse, without the partner’s freely given consent, of the financial or other monetary resources of the partner or of the partnership.

Common examples of financial abuse includes:

• Forbidding the partner to work
• Jeopardizing the partner’s employment by such tactics as excessive calls to work; creating conflict with co-workers, supervisor or clients; creating scenes with co-workers; forcing the partner to miss work through threats, injuries or coerced substance use
• Refusing to work, yet contributing to expenses
• Controlling shared resources, including bank accounts and common property
• Demanding the partner sign over paychecks or denying access to liquid assets, like mutual funds
• Demanding the partner account for all the money he spends
• Coercing the partner to pay for all expenses, including rent, food and utilities
• Stealing the partner’s property, such as valuables or assets
• Destroying or threatening to destroy the partner’s property as a means of affecting his financial situation
• Using the partner’s identity to charge expenditures to partner
• Taking credit cards, money or checkbook
• Forging the partner’s signature on financial documents

 Click here for quick stats about domestic violence via the Huffington Post.

UNICEF: Innocenti Research Center

Emotional/Psychological Abuse

Emotional abuse is any use of words, voice, action or lack of action meant to control, hurt or demean another person. Emotional abuse typically includes ridicule, intimidation or coercion. Verbal abuse usually is included in this category. This type of abuse is more difficult to define and to identify than physical abuse. At some time in their relationship almost all couples say or even shout things they later regret. Emotional abuse, however, is repeated hurtful exchanges with disregard for the partner’s feelings aimed at gaining power and/or exerting control over the partner.