Signs of an Abusive Relationship
Your Inner Feelings and Thoughts
Do you :
fear your partner a large percentage of the time?
avoid certain topics out of fear of angering your partner?
feel that you can’t do anything right for your partner?
ever think you deserve to be physically hurt or mistreated?
sometimes wonder if you are the one who is crazy?
feel afraid that your partner may try to hurt or kill you?
feel afraid that your partner will try to take your children away?
feel emotionally numb or helpless?
think that domestic violence seem normal to you?
Your Partner’s Violent or Threatening Behavior
Has your partner ever:
had a bad and unpredictable temper?
hurt you, or threatened to hurt or kill you?
threatened to take your children away, especially if you try to leave?
threatened to commit suicide, especially as a way of keeping you from leaving?
forced you to have sex when you didn’t want to?
destroyed your belongings or household objects?
Your Partner’s Controlling Behavior
Does your partner:
try to keep you from seeing your friends or family?
make you embarrassed to invite friends or family over to your house?
limit your access to money, the telephone, or the car?
act excessively jealous and possessive?
try to stop you from going where you want to go or doing what you want to do?
check up on you, including where you've been or who you've been with?
Your Partner’s Belittlement of You
Does your partner:
verbally abuse you?
humiliate or criticize you in front of others?
often ignore you or put down your opinions or contributions?
blame you for their own violent behavior?
objectify and disrespect those of your gender?
see you as property or a sex object, rather than as a person?
What are the warning signs that a co-worker is a victim of domestic violence?
Domestic violence often plays out in the workplace. For instance, a husband, wife, girlfriend, or boyfriend might make threatening phone calls to their intimate partner or ex-partner. Or the worker may show injuries from physical abuse at home.
If you witness a cluster of the following warning signs in a co-worker, you can reasonably suspect domestic abuse:
Bruises and other signs of impact on the skin, with the excuse of “accidents.â€
Depression, crying.
Frequent and sudden absences.
Frequent lateness.
Frequent, harassing phone calls to the person while they are at work.
Fear of the partner, references to the partner’s anger.
Decreased productivity and attentiveness.
Isolation from friends and family.
Insufficient resources to live (money, credit cards, car).
If you recognize signs of domestic abuse in a co-worker, talk to your Human Resources department. The Human Resources staff should be able to help the victim without your further involvement.
What are the causes of domestic abuse or domestic violence?
An individual who was abused as a child or exposed to domestic violence in the household while growing up is at an increased risk of becoming either an abuser or the abused in his or her adult relationships. In this way, domestic violence and abuse is transmitted from one generation to the next. This cycle of domestic violence is difficult to break because parents have presented abuse as the norm.
Other factors that can lead to domestic abuse include:
Stress
Economic hardship
Depression
Jealousy
Mental illness
Substance abuse
What are the effects of domestic violence or abuse?
The adverse effects of domestic violence or abuse can be very long-lasting. People who have been abused by a spouse or intimate partner often suffer from:
Depression
Anxiety attacks
Low self-esteem
Lack of trust in others
Feelings of abandonment
Anger
Sensitivity to rejection
Chronic health problems
Sleeping problems
Inability to work
Poor relationships
Substance abuse
In addition to these problems, physical abuse may result in serious injury or death if the victim does not leave the relationship.
What is the effect of domestic violence on children?
Children who witness domestic violence may develop serious emotional, behavioral, developmental, or academic problems. As children, they may become violent themselves, or withdraw. Some act out at home or school; others try to be the perfect child. Children from violent homes may become depressed and have low self-esteem.
As they develop, children and teens who grow up with domestic violence in the household are more likely to:
Exhibit violent and aggressive behavior.
Attempt suicide.
Use and abuse drugs.
Commit crimes, especially sexual assault.
Become abusers in their own relationships later in life.
Courtesy of MsTags.com
Courtesy of MsTags.com