Physical Abuse

Does your partner:

• Hit, slap, punch, shove, bite, cut, strangle, kick, or burn you? Spit on you?
• Throw objects at you or restrain you?
• Threaten or hurt you with an object or deadly weapon (a gun, knife, baseball bat, brick, chain, hammer, scissors, rope, belt buckle, extension cord, branch, bottle, acid, bleach or scalding water)?
• Abandon you or lock you out of the house?
• Neglect you when you are sick or pregnant?
• Endanger you or your children through reckless driving?
• Threaten or attempt to drown you?

Emotional Abuse

Does your partner constantly say or do things that shame, embarrass, ridicule or insult you? Has he said:

• You're stupid, filthy, lazy, nasty, silly, etc.
• You're fat and ugly.
• You can't do anything right.
• You'll never get a job.
• You're an unfit mother.
• Who'd want you?

Does he:

• Withhold affection to punish you?
• Threaten to hurt you or your children?
• Tell you about his affairs or accuse you of having affairs?
• Forbid you to make decisions or socialize with your friends?
• Manipulate you with lies, contradictions or promises?

Economic Abuse

Does your partner:

Forbid you to work or handle your own money?

Force you to sign over property or give him your personal possessions?

Refuse to provide economically for you?

Sexual Abuse

Does your partner:

• Force you to have sex when you don't want to or while sleeping?
• Force you to perform sexual acts you don't like?
• Criticize your sexual performance?
• Deny you sex?
• Not inform you of a Sexually Transmitted Disease he/she might have?
• Force you to have sex with or to watch others?
• Commit sexual acts that you consider sadistic?

Destructive Acts

Does your partner:

• Break furniture, flood rooms, ransack or dump garbage in your house?
• Slash tires, break windows, steal, tamper with parts or put foreign substances in the gas tank of your car?
• Kill pets to punish or frighten you?
• Destroy clothing, jewelry, family photos or other personal items that he knows are important to you?

- There is no excuse and no acceptable reason for your partner to ever be physically abusive to you.

- You do not deserve to be emotionally abused. You have a right to a considerate and caring relationship.

- You don't have to submit to sexual acts you don't like. You deserve warm and nurturing sexual experiences.

- You do not deserve, nor do you have to be the victim of destructive acts by your partner.

For more information or help with this issue CALL The Women’s Center Counseling Services 242-1526 or 242-3110 ext 328