Defining Abuse:

Abuse includes physical, sexual or emotional attacks, ranging from mild to lethal. It is important to recognize patterns that define an abusive relationship and to understand that this behaviour is not acceptable.

Physical Abuse:

Has your intimate partner done any of these things to you:
• pushed or shoved you
• held you to keep you from leaving
• slapped or bit you
• kicked or choked you
• hit or punched you
• thrown objects at you
• locked you out of the house
• abandoned you in dangerous places
• refused you help when you were sick, injured or pregnant
• subjected you to reckless driving
• forced you off the road or kept you from driving
• raped you
• threatened to hurt you with a weapon

Sexual Abuse:
Sexual abuse is so common that it too is beginning to seem almost normal to some people. Women have historically had so little to say about their sexuality that it’s a very confusing area for many of us.

Has your partner done any of these things to you:
• told anti-women jokes or made demeaning remarks about women
• treated women as sex objects
• been jealously angry, assuming you would have sex with any available man
• insisted you dress in a more sexual way than you wanted
• minimized the importance of your feelings about sex
• criticized you sexually
• insisted on unwanted sex and uncomfortable touching
• withheld sex and affection
• called you derogatory sexual names like “whore”, “frigid”
• forced you to strip when you didn’t want to
• publicly showed sexual interest in other women
• had affairs with other women after agreeing to a monogamous relationship
• forced sex with him or others or forced you to watch others
• forced particular unwanted sexual acts
• forced sex after beating
• forced sex when you were sick or it was a danger to your health
• forced sex for the purpose of hurting you with objects or weapons
• committed sadistic sexual acts

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