Types Of Domestic Violence

Abusers will display similar behaviours these tend to escalate in frequency and severity over time. The following are some of the tactics used by perpetrators

• Pushing, pinching, squeezing, kicking, slapping, choking, punching, cutting, tripping, burning, and pulling hair.
• Holding you down
• Punching the wall or kicking the doors
• Threatening you with a weapon.
• Throwing objects at you.
• Refusing to help you when you are sick, injured or pregnant.
• Blaming or accusing you.
• Shouting at you.
• Saying hurtful things to upset you.
• Forcing you to listen.
• Manipulating you with lies.
• Abusing pets or children.
• Destroying important belongings.
• Giving you the “silent treatment”.
• Isolating you from the outside world.
• When you try to explain, or give your side during an argument, your partner may shout, “don’t talk back to me”. It feels as though he/she is the boss.
• Driving dangerously or aggressively to intimidate or frighten you.
• Sexual name-calling.
• Forcing you to dress or perform in a sexual way that you find unpleasant.
• Forcing pregnancy.
• Being exposed to pornographic material against your will.
• Rape or sexual assault.
• People who behave like this are called abusers.

The Cycle Of Abuse

The Tension Building Phase is characterised by

• Walking on eggshells
• Criticism and Sarcasm
• Name calling
• “I am trying to do everything right but my partner keeps getting mad at me.”

Abusive Incident Phase is characterised by

• The big fight
• The explosion
• The break-up
• The violence
• “My partner’s totally crazy he has just exploded”

Conflict Resolution Phase is characterised by

• Apology and explanations
• Shared feelings
• Excuses and denial, minimising what happened
• Spelling out the rules
• Forcing the victim to admit that she or he was partially to blame
• My partner was under a lot of stress and it didn't help that I was talking to someone else.
• He/She is just a little insecure. We worked it all out.

Honeymoon Phase is characterised by

• Falling in love again
• Us against the world
• Getting back together
• Passion
• “We were meant for each other. My partner loves me very much.”