Checklist of Abusive Behavior

Following is a list of ways that a partner might abuse you:

EMOTIONAL ABUSE:

• Ignored your feelings
• Ridiculed or insulted women as a group
• Ridiculed or insulted your most valued beliefs, your religion, race, heritage, or class
• Withheld approval, appreciation or affection as punishment
• Continually criticized you, called you names, shouted at you
• Insulted or drove away your family or friends
• Humiliated you in private or public
• Refused to socialize with you
• Kept you from working, controlled your money, made all decisions
• Refused to work or share money
• Took your car keys or money away
• Regularly threatened to leave or told you to leave
• Threatened to hurt you or your family
• Punished or deprived the children when he was angry at you
• Threatened to kidnap the children if you left him
• Abused pets to hurt you
• Told you about his affairs
• Harassed you about affairs he imagined you were having
• Manipulated you with lies and contradictions

PHYSICAL ABUSE:

• Pushed or shoved you
• Held you to keep you from leaving
• Slapped or bit you
• Kicked or choked you
• Hit or punched you
• Threw objects at you
• Locked you out of the house
• Abandoned you in a dangerous place
• Refused you help when you were sick, injured or pregnant
• Subjected you to reckless driving
• Forced you off the road or kept you from driving
• Raped you
• Threatened or hurt you with a weapon

SEXUAL ABUSE:

• Told anti-woman jokes or made demeaning remarks about women
• Treats others as sex objects
• Been jealously angry, assuming you would have sex with anyone available
• Insisted you dress in a more sexual way than you wanted
• Minimized the importance of your feelings about sex
• Criticized you sexually
• Insisted on unwanted and uncomfortable touching
• Withheld sex and affection
• Called you sexual names like “whore”, “frigid” ...
• Forced you to strip when you did not want to
• Publicly showed sexual interest in others
• Had affairs with others after agreeing to a monogamous relationship
• Forced you to have sex or forced you to watch others
• Forced particular unwanted sexual acts
• Forced sex after beating you
• Forced sex when you were sick or it was a danger to your health
• Forced sex for the purpose of hurting you with objects or weapons
• Committed sadistic sexual acts

Maury County 24--hour Crisis and Referral Hotline at 931-381-8580

OR National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)