No To Abuse

Physical Abuse is using physical force to control a partner. This includes hitting/punching, slapping, shoving, grabbing, pinching, biting, hair pulling, using weapons and other physically violent behaviors. It also includes denying medical care and/or forcing alcohol or illegal substance use upon a partner.

Sexual Abuse is forcing or coercing a partner to engage in unwanted sexual contact or behavior. This includes marital/intimate partner rape, attacks on sexual parts of the body, forcing sex after physical violence has occurred, treating a partner in a sexually demeaning manner, and forced prostitution.

Emotional Abuse is an intentional undermining of an individual's sense of worth and/or self-esteem through constant criticism, name-calling, playing emotional games to keep a partner in emotional turmoil, or damaging one's relationship with her/his/their children.

Economic Abuse is using finances to control a partner. Economic abuse includes maintaining total control over financial resources and/or withholding access to money.

Psychological Abuse includes causing fear by intimidation, threatening suicide, or harming their partner, children, or partner's family or friends, destruction of pets or property, and gaslighting (making their partner question their sanity or reality).

Isolation is a tactic often used by abusive partners by sabotaging relationships, moving away from family and friends, refusing to allow contact, monitoring phone calls, and demanding their partner account for their whereabouts.