Physical assault is an attack on a person that comes with potential injury and criminal charges. While this can be considered an act of violence against a person, it is only one type. Several other actions are considered domestic violence.
How do you know if you have been a victim, or can your actions be considered domestic violence? Here are the six types of domestic violence and their characteristics:
Type #1: Physical Abuse
This is a clear sign of domestic violence and can cause bodily harm to another person. In some cases, it may involve bumping or pushing, and while there may not be a physical injury, it is still an assault. Physical abuse includes:
- Hitting
- Kicking
- Punching
- Shaking
- Burning
- Threatening with a weapon
- Slapping
- Stabbing
- Shooting
- Choking
Some of these altercations may or may not produce noticeable injuries, but all fall under the same type of domestic violence. If you are a victim, contact a criminal defence lawyer Brampton for professional guidance.
Other forms of physical abuse are withholding medications or food, locking the victim in the house, scaring the victim or punching walls and throwing objects during arguments.
Type #2: Emotional Abuse
Physical and emotional abuse is also categorized as domestic violence. Perpetrators go after their victims with insults, criticism, intimidation and humiliation that are persistent and coercive to control or ruin their lives.
It is often combined with other sexual, financial, physical or psychological abuse. Threats of violence and neglect are other forms of emotional abuse and forced drug and alcohol use. Victims may be barred from seeing family and friends practicing their faith and may be ignored and neglected.
The perpetrator will also use behaviours or statements that distort reality, using untruths to create doubt and confusion in the victim.
Type #3: Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse is when a person is exploited or forced into sexual acts, and even though they may have consented to past sexual contact, this doesn’t constitute current consent. Sexual abuse is typically an unwanted sexual act perpetrated on another person but can also manifest in different ways, including:
- The exploitation of a victim under the influence of alcohol while sleeping
- Offensive statements about a person’s body or sexuality
- Nonconsensual contact of any kind
- Extreme jealousy
- False accusations of infidelity
- Manipulation or coercion to get sex
- Withholding sex to control
- Taunting a victim with information about affairs
Type #4: Verbal Abuse
Verbal abuse can be a part of other types of domestic violence but also stands alone as abuse. It is typically name-calling and demoralizing language that embarrasses the victim. Threats are verbal abuse and can include the threat to hurt or kill pets, children, family members, property or even the victim’s reputation. Yelling and screaming are violent and terrorizing or even refusing to talk. This all serves to denigrate and break down the victim.
Verbal abuse may also come from written and digital communications such as notes, letters, email, text and social media platforms. Ultimately, it is a way to control the victim through negative language to control them.
Type #5: Financial Abuse
With financial abuse, the abuser controls all the money and bars the financial freedom and independence of the victim. Some examples are:
- Denying the right of the victim to gain employment
- Controlling all the banking
- Using the victim’s name in financial transactions
- Forcing the victim to sign legal and financial documents
- Controlling the way money is spent in the home
- Denying the right to further education
In this scenario, a victim can become dependent on the other partner and has no way of obtaining any money. They are completely at their mercy and may have food and clothes withheld as punishment.
Financial abuse is not easily seen and often happens when finances and bank accounts are pooled together, where one partner controls the finances.
Type #6: Isolation Abuse
This is when a person controls every move of another and keeps them isolated in the home. It accompanies other controlling behaviour and domestic violence but can be done independently.
Isolation includes:
- Restriction from seeing family and friends
- Denied access online
- Keeping the victim away from accessing services that could free them from their situation
Sometimes the victim will self-isolate, making it easier to be controlled by the abuser. This could be because of injuries, marks or bruises on their body, or they are embarrassed due to their continued absence at social events. They may have also been humiliated by the abuser in public and don’t want to go through that experience again. The threat of harm to themselves or family members can also keep them at home.
Many victims live in this nightmare, only to hope that it will get better. Understanding the types of domestic violence will help you recognize if you are a victim. Then you can reach out and get help.
