Domestic violence not only includes physical abuse, but also mental, verbal, and emotional abuse.  In many situations, non-physical abuse can lead to physical abuse, and in some cases even murder.

Although women are the primary victims of domestic abuse, especially violent abuse, men can be victims as well in both same-sex and opposite sex relationships.  One of the most important steps in breaking free of an abusive violent relationship is to recognize that your relationship is abusive.  The following is a list of various forms of domestic violence and abuse:
a.  Economic abuse, such as preventing you from earning money or making you beg for an allowance;
b.  Sexual abuse, which means treating you as a sex object or making you perform sex acts against your will;
c.  Emotional abuse, which includes causing you to have low self-esteem, humiliating you, and making you feel guilty or crazy;
d.  Isolating you from friends and controlling who you see;
e.  Using threats to make you do things - for example, threatening to leave you, threatening to commit suicide, or threatening to hurt you;
f.  Intimidating you by implying physical violence through words or actions including destroying your property;
g.  Minimizing the abuse, denying the abuse, and blaming you for causing the abuse.

Because of the psychological aspect of domestic abuse, many abused people look to themselves to find things to change, while in reality it is their partner who has the problem.  This is why it is extremely important, if you are close to someone who may be in an abusive relationship, to provide help and support.  Once a person who is being abused has recognized the situation for what it is, he or she can begin to seek help. 

Please feel free to call our office and set up a consultation if you think you may be a victim of domestic violence.