NEED TO KNOW

SIGNS YOUR PARTNER MAY BE ABUSIVE:

Spiritual violence – Keeping you away from your faith community.

Sexual violence – Taking unwanted sexual photos, coercing sex, forced sexual activity, calling you sexually derogatory names, criticizing you sexually, any sexual act which is not based on mutual consent constitutes sexual abuse.

Threats – Threatening to ‘disappear’ with children, report you to social services, to commit suicide, to harm you, your children, or loved ones.

Emotional abuse – Using critical, insulting, or humiliating remarks to wear you down into acceptance, undermining your self-esteem, insisting on taking you to and picking you up from work, checking up on you, accusing you of unfaithfulness, finding fault with your friends/family, humiliating you either in private or in company, criticizing your interests, opinions or beliefs, blaming you for their failures or abuse.

Financial abuse – Preventing you from getting or keeping a job, denying you sufficient housekeeping money, denying access to finances, demanding your paycheques, spending money allocated to bills/groceries on themselves.

Physical abuse – Hitting, throwing things, using restraints, reckless driving.

EARLY RED FLAGS:

• Pushing for commitment immediately

• History of abuse

• Strong belief in traditional gender roles

• Possessiveness

• Jealousy

• Keeping you away from friends or family with words or actions