Incidents of family violence are responsible for an alarming number of injuries and deaths each year, spanning across all classes and races, regardless of income and education levels. Family violence—also known as domestic violence—usually begins manifesting itself with a pattern of threats, insults, or jealousy, and gradually becomes more frequent and severe over time. The abuser tends to utilize these tactics to essentially isolate, overpower, and control the victim.
What Does Family Violence Look Like?
While the behaviors described above comprise the typical abuse cycle, family violence can look very different from one case to the next. There are multiple kinds of abuse—all of them capable of causing long-term emotional, mental, and physical damage. Here are five general categories of domestic violence and the behaviors that define them:
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Physical abuse - This is usually one of the first categories we think of when we think of domestic violence. Inflicting any kind of physical harm on a partner, such as hitting, kicking, slapping, punching, or forcing them to use drugs or alcohol classifies as physical abuse.
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