Women Abuse
WOMEN ABUSE - THE BASIC FACTS
(People Opposing Woman Abuse)
WHAT IS ABUSE?
Abuse is any form of behaviour that controls another person, causes physical harm or fear, makes someone do things they do want to do, or prevents them from doing things they want to do. Abuse can be verbal, emotional, physical, sexual, material or financial. Abused women usually experience multiple forms of abuse.
FORMS OF ABUSE
Physical abuse includes:
* slapping, punching, hitting, kicking, shoving, scratching, biting, throwing things at you.
* threatening or attacking you
* locking you in or out of the house or abandoning you in a dangerous place
* refusing to help you when you are injured, sick or pregnant
Sexual abuse includes:
* making you wear clothes or do sexual things that make you uncomfortable
* pressuring or forcing you to perform sexual acts that you do not want to do
* forcing you to have sex when you do not want to; raping you or threatening to rape you
* forcing you to have sex with other people
Emotional abuse includes:
* insulting you
* making you feel stupid or worthless
* ridiculing your beliefs
* humiliating you in public or private
* ignoring you
* intimidating or harassing you
* being overly jealous or possessive
* accusing you of infidelity without good reason
* isolating you from your family and friends
* preventing you from going to work or school
* attacking your children or your pets
* threatening to kill you or to leave you or throw you out
* threatening to kill himself or go mad if you leave or don't do what he wants
Financial or Material abuse includes:
* taking or spending your money
* preventing you from having a job
* taking or destroying your possessions
* spending most of the money on himself or giving you a very small allowance
* expecting you to account for every cent or do more with the money than is possible
* refusing to give you information about your joint financial situation
Related links:
http://www.womensenews.org/
http://www.womensnet.org.za/
http://www.capegateway.gov.za/search/index.php?q=Violence+against+women
