Providing domestic violence and child abuse services to American women and children overseas

Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center
Formerly the American Domestic Violence Crisis Line

Types of Abuse

There are five major types of abuse: physical, emotional, sexual, social and spiritual. Below are listed only a few examples of each type of abuse.

Physical Abuse

  • Throwing objects at the survivor
  • Pushing or shoving the survivor
  • Threatening the survivor with weapons
  • Hitting, punching or kicking the survivor
  • Choking or throwing the survivor
Emotional Abuse

  • Insulting the survivor repeatedly
  • Calling the survivor names
  • Yelling at the survivor
  • Blaming the survivor for everything
  • Threatening to hurt/kill the survivor and/or the children

Social Abuse

  • Insulting the survivor publicly
  • Putting down the survivor’s capabilities as a spouse, parent, lover or worker
  • Demanding all of the survivor’s attention and resenting any focus on others
  • Isolating the survivor from friends or activities
  • Spending money without first meeting basic financial obligations

Sexual Abuse

  • Expecting the survivor to have sex after an abusive incident
  • Criticizing the survivor’s sexual performance
  • Withholding affection to punish the survivor
  • Accusing the survivor of looking at, talking to, or having sex with another

Spiritual Abuse

  • Discounting the survivor’s sense of right or wrong
  • Denying the survivor’s value as a person with legitimate wants and likes
  • Questioning the survivor’s sense of reality
  • Denying, minimizing or ridiculing the survivor’s spiritual beliefs

From the book "It's not Okay Anymore" by Greg Enns and Jan Black