It’s not always easy to tell at the beginning of a relationship if it will become abusive.
In fact, many abusive partners may seem absolutely perfect in the early stages of a relationship. Possessive and controlling behaviors don’t always appear overnight, but rather emerge and intensify as the relationship grows.
Domestic violence doesn’t look the same in every relationship because every relationship is different. But one thing most abusive relationships have in common is that the abusive partner does many different kinds of things to have more power and control over their partners.
If you’re beginning to feel as if your partner or a loved one’s partner is becoming abusive, there are a few behaviors that you can look out for. Watch out for these red flags and if you’re experiencing one or more of them in your relationship, call the hotline to talk about what’s going on.
Telling you that you can never do anything right
Showing jealousy of your friends and time spent away
Keeping you or discouraging you from seeing friends or family members
Embarrassing or shaming you with put-downs
Controlling every penny spent in the household
Taking your money or refusing to give you money for expenses
Looking at you or acting in ways that scare you
Controlling who you see, where you go, or what you do
Preventing you from making your own decisions
Telling you that you are a bad parent or threatening to harm or take away your children
Preventing you from working or attending school
Destroying your property or threatening to hurt or kill your pets
Intimidating you with guns, knives or other weapons
Pressuring you to have sex when you don’t want to or do things sexually you’re not comfortable with
Pressuring you to use drugs or alcohol
If you think someone’s monitoring your devices, visit this website from a computer, tablet, or smartphone that isn't being monitored
Abuse usually isn’t isolated — it forms a pattern of behaviors that collectively make the victim question their own self-worth and become further entrenched in the abusive relationship.
Abuse usually isn’t isolated — it forms a pattern of behaviors that collectively make the victim question their own self-worth and become further entrenched in the abusive relationship.
Managing money in the midst of life’s other priorities is no easy task. Women of all ages and backgrounds struggle with the pressure to earn enough, access education, care for a family and plan retirement.
Taking the initiative to educate yourself about complex financial decisions will help you achieve your next major milestone. Every informed financial decision you make gets you closer to that goal.
Stalking is a serious crime that affects 1 out of every 12 women and 1 out of every 45 men during their lifetime. In most cases, the stalker isn’t a stranger.
Intimate partner violence (IPV) and addiction are interrelated.Study after study has proven that substance misuse increases the chance of violence in the home.
In one study, 92% of perpetrators used substances on the day of the assault.[1] In another, the odds of an attack were 8 to 11 times higher on days the perpetrator used substances.[1]
The connection doesn't stop with perpetrators. Victims are more likely to use substances to cope with ongoing violence. Children growing up in a household touched by violence are more likely to misuse substances as adults.
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Similarities Domestic Violence and Substance Use (pdf)
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