What is Abuse?

1. What is Abuse? Generally Speaking, abuse is any behavior that results in the mistreatment of another. There are five major kinds of abuse: emotional, physical, sexual, social and spiritual. ywca Lewiston, ID – Clarkston, WA

2. What is Abuse? Physical Abuse • Destroying your belongings • Throwing objects at you • Pushing or shoving you • Keeping food, shelter, money or food from you • Threatening • Touching to scare or hurt you • Strangling or throwing you • Denying you medical treatment • Inflicting injury, slapping, or biting • Causing a miscarriage ywca Lewiston, ID – Clarkston, WA

3. What is Abuse? Emotional Abuse • Taunting you saying it is “just fun” • Ignoring you and /or your feelings • Insulting you • Yelling at you • Telling you that you will fail • Threatening to hurt you/pets/children • Threatening to get custody of the kids • Saying you must stay because you can’t make it alone • Accusing you of the violence when you protect yourself • Labeling you as crazy, stupid, bitch, ugly, or a whore • Blaming you when things go wrong • Holding back approval as punishment ywca Lewiston, ID – Clarkston, WA

4. What is Abuse? Social Abuse • Insulting you publicly • Controlling your use of money • Checking up on you • Recording conversations • Checking your cell phone calls • Following you/ stalking • Demanding all your attention & resenting any attention to others • Making a public display of destroying property • Threatening to hurt family or friends • Isolating you from friends or activities • Spending income without meeting obligations ywca Lewiston, ID – Clarkston, WA

5. What is Abuse? Sexual Abuse • Talking about you or others as sexual objects • Forcing you to have sex • Criticizing your sexual performance • Withholding affection to manipulate or punish you • Accusing you of looking at, talking to, or having sex with another • Forcing you to engage in uncomfortable sexual activities • Inflicting harm or mutilation of your genitals • Strangling or slapping you during sex ywca Lewiston, ID – Clarkston, WA

6. What is Abuse? Spiritual Abuse • Discounting your sense of right and wrong • Denying, minimizing, or ridiculing your spiritual beliefs • Denying your value as a person with legitimate wants and likes • Questioning your motives for nearly everything • Questioning your sense of reality • Refusing to allow you access to worship communities or support groups ywca Lewiston, ID – Clarkston, WA

7. Why a victim of abuse doesn’t leave • Fear of violence • Threats of harm or death • Being told the abuse is the victim’s fault • Dependence on abuser due to health issues • Belief or hope that abuser will change • Belief that abuser will injure or kill themselves if victim leaves • Connection to abuser through children ywca Lewiston, ID – Clarkston, WA

8. Why a victim of abuse doesn’t leave • Lack of financial resources • Lack of affordable/ safe housing • Isolation from support systems • Shame • Overwhelmed with abuse causing inability to focus on escape • Sabotage • Fear of legal reprisal (abuser using systems to abuse) ywca Lewiston, ID – Clarkston, WA

9. YWCA of Lewiston, ID / Clarkston, WA 24 hour Services 1-800-669-3176 or 208-746-9655 Stop the Abuse! If you are being abused, you are not alone. Call us. It’s a call that may save your life.