Are You in an Abusive Relationship?

Are you in an abusive relationship? If you think you may be experiencing abuse, you are not alone. One in three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime. Four million women in America have experienced a serious assault by a partner during an average 12-month period.

Domestic violence is defined by The National Domestic Violence Hotline as behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse comes in many forms - physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats. If your partner has frightened, intimidated, terrorized, manipulated, hurt, humiliated, blamed, injured or wounded you, you have experienced abuse. Abuse does not discriminate against age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, economic status and can occur within marriages or dating relationships.

The following are signs to look for in your partner if you think you may be in a physically abusive relationship.

- Pushes, slaps, bites, kicks or chokes you

- Scares you by driving recklessly

- Forces you to leave your home

- Prevents you from calling police or seeking medical attention

- Uses physical force in sexual situations

- Hurts your children

- Traps you in your home

- Uses a weapon to threaten or hurt you

- Abandons you in dangerous or unfamiliar places

The following are signs to look for in your partner if you think you may be in an emotionally abusive relationship.

- Does not trust you and exhibits jealous and possessive traits

- Monitors you by checking your phone calls and who you spend time with

- Controls finances or refuses to share income

- Expects you to ask permission

- Humiliates you in any way

- Threatens to hurt you, your children, your family or pets

- Punishes you by withholding affection

- Does not allow you to have a job

- Isolates you from family and/or friends

- Calls you names, insults or criticizes you

The following are signs to look for in your partner if you think you may be in a sexually abusive relationship.

- Accuses you of cheating or is often jealous of your outside relationships