Types of Abusive Behaviour: Know the Signs

Threats and intimidation

Verbal or written threats to harm or kill you
Verbal or written threats to harm or kill your children or other family members, friends, pets
Verbal or written threats to kill themselves
Verbal or written threats to find you wherever they go after separation
Verbal or written threats to have a you ‘sectioned’ under the Mental Health Act
Verbal or written threats to report partner to social services or immigration authorities
Verbal or written threats to turn others against the partner
Verbal or written threats to leave partner
Verbal or written threats to ‘out’ partner’s sexuality/gender identity to employers
Threats of violence sent via social media

Being stalked or watched, or in any way having your movements monitored
Receiving letters, emails, messages, or getting phone calls to harass or scare you
Having your property damaged
Being reminded of previous abuse or violence

Being harassed via child contact arrangements
Having access to your children threatened or taken away
Being forced to watch while your children are physically or sexually violated
Having lies told to your children in an attempt to damage your relationship with them

Having the abuse partially or totally denied by the abuser
Being told by the abuser that the abuse is not a big deal
Being told the abuse is justified by the abuser
Being told by the abuser that you are imagining the abuse
Being blamed for the abuse by the abuser, or having them blame someone else
Other people being told that the injuries of your abuse are in fact due to your own clumsiness

Being attacked with a weapon
Being choked or strangled
Being burned with cigarettes, iron, oven, fire
Being pushed, kicked, bit, pinched, slapped, or hit or punched with hands or objects
Being held down or shaken
Being tied up
Having your belongings or furniture smashed or broken
Being deprived of food/warmth/sleep/medication/other aids

Rape
Being made to engage in sexual behaviour without your consent
Being made to engage in sexual behaviours which you do not like
Having violence threatened against your children
Being forced to have sex with others
Being forced into prostitution
Being stopped from using contraception by your partner
Being forced to have an abortion or alternatively stopped from being able to have one
Being made to wear revealing clothes, or made to cover up your body
Having affection withheld by your partner
Being criticised by your partner for your sexual performance
Being accused of having sex with other people

Threatening to kidnap or kidnapping of a child or young person when for example one parent disapproves of the cultural/religious values of the other
Using deception to trick someone to travel abroad in order to carry out a forced marriage
Dowry theft
Organising for a girl or women to have FGM carried out (female genital mutilation)