Gender-based violence, including violence between intimate partners or family members, can be physical, sexual, emotional, or financial in nature and in many cases, becomes more frequent and more severe over time. Often, the abuse is a way to gain control over you

Physical

Gender-based violence does not always include physical abuse. When it does, it can include someone slapping, pushing, punching, kicking, strangling, or smothering you. It can also include someone threatening you with weapons, interrupting your sleep, throwing things at you, destroying your property, hurting or killing your pet, restricting your movement or denying you medical treatment.

Sexual

Abuse can include using sexual acts, either obviously or subtly, to make you feel ashamed or humiliated.

Sexual abuse can include someone forcing or pressuring you to have sex, making you feel fearful about saying no to sex, forcing you to have sex with other people, forcing you to participate in sexual acts that you find hurtful or harmful, using violence or calling you names during sex, denying you contraception or protection from sexually transmitted diseases, or sharing private photos or videos without your permission..

Emotional

Emotional abuse can include someone constantly putting you down or criticizing you, calling you names, making you feel crazy, acting superior to you, blaming you for their behavior, threatening you or making you feel fearful, isolating you from your family or friends, acting overly jealous, accusing you of cheating, and watching where you go and who you talk to. It can also include someone trying to control you by threatening to hurt themselves if they don’t get what they want.

Financial

Financial abuse can include someone trying to control you by giving you an allowance, not letting you have your own money, hiding your family assets, running up your debt, interfering with your job or education, or ruining your credit.

If a person is doing any of this to you, please reach out for help.