BAJAN SUN
Bajan Sun Magazine
AUG 2014
DOMESTIC
& ABUSE
By Skye Murray
Domestic violence and abuse does not discriminate. It happens among
heterosexual and normal couples, families and in same-sex partnerships.
Domestic violence can be defined as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over a relative or a partner. Yet this problem is often overlooked, excused or denied.
This happens especially when it escalates to physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological actions or threats of actions that can influence others. Domestic Violence includes any behavior that frightens,
intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure or
wound someone.
Domestic violence can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion or gender. It can happen to couples who are married,
living together or who are dating. No one should live in fear of the
person they love!
Emotionally abusive relationship – does your family, friend or partner:
Prevent you from calling police or seeking medical attention?
Hurt your children?
Use physical force in sexual situations?
Sexually abusive relationship: does your family, friend or partner:
View women as objects and believe in rigid gender roles?
Accuse you of cheating or appear jealous of your outside relationships?
Want you to dress in a sexual way?
Insult you in sexual ways or calls you sexual names?
Ever forced or manipulate you into to having sex or performing sexual
acts?
Hold you down during sex?
Demand sex when you were sick, tired or after beating you?
Hurt you with weapons or objects during sex?
Involve other people in sexual activities with you?
Ignore your feelings regarding sex?
Economic or financial abuse: A subtle form of emotional abuse.
Call you names, insult you or continually criticizes you?
Not trust you and acts jealous or possessive?
Try to isolate you from family or friends?
Monitor where you go, who you call and who you spend time with?
Not want you to work?
Control finances or refuses to share money?
Punish you by withholding affection?
Expect you to ask permission?
Threaten to hurt you, the children, your family or your pets?
Humiliate you in any way?
Remember, an abuser’s goal is to control you, and he or she will frequently use money to do so. Economic or financial abuse includes:
Physically abusive relationship – does your family, friend or partner:
Written By : Skye Murray
Rigidly controlling your finances!
Withholding money or credit cards!
Making you account for every penny you spend!
Withholding basic necessities (food, clothes, medications, shelter)!
Restricting you to an allowance!
Preventing you from working or choosing your own career!
Sabotaging your job (making you miss work, calling constantly)!
Stealing from you or taking your money!
Damage property when angry (throws objects, punch walls, kick doors,
etc.?
Push, slap, bite, kick or choke you?
Abandon you in dangerous or unfamiliar places?
Scare you by driving recklessly?
Use a weapon to threaten or hurt you?
Force you to leave your home?
Trap you33 your home or keep you from leaving?
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