Signs You're in an Abusive Relationship

You can feel like you're being hit while not being touched by your abuser.

The signs of an abusive relationship aren't always clear because physical abuse isn't the only type of an abusive relationship. You may know that something isn't quite right about your relationship, you are just not sure if it's cause for concern. Understanding what constitutes an abusive relationship helps you figure out if you are being abused.

Physical Abuse

Physical abusive relationships are the most obvious. Your significant other may slap, hit or push you. You may have scratches, bruises and broken bones.

Many victims of domestic violence make excuses for the reasons why they have injuries so no one knows they are being abused. Victims have a difficult time leaving their abuser because they may feel threatened or they feel that they deserve to be punished for something. They also may believe that their abuser will eventually stop once the abuser realizes how much it hurts the victim.

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse hurts just as much as physical abuse and sometimes even more. This type of abuse isn't as clearly defined as physical abuse because it isn't visible to others.

Belittling and insulting someone to the point of emotional harm is enough reason to consider it abusive. Simply being mean to someone is abuse. Therefore, if someone is condescending and calls her partner names, making the person feel undervalued, unimportant and undeserving, she is abusing her partner.

Sexual Abuse

Sometimes in a relationship, one partner demands things that are not acceptable, even in a marriage. Whenever someone forces his partner to have sex, he is raping her. Even if she is unaware of the sexual act, such as being drunk or under the influence of drugs, she is a victim of rape. No one has the right to demand sex from anyone under any condition. Both parties have to consent to sex.

Passive-Aggressive Abuse

Many people don't realize they are in an abusive relationship because the signs are not obvious. A passive-aggressive abuser finds ways to hurt his partner indirectly. He may tell friends secrets that his partner didn't want anyone to know, which causes a lot of emotional damage. He may have someone else rape his partner or even hire someone to physically harm her. The abuser may even do things to himself to cause harm to his partner by getting into trouble, such as drug addiction, committing crimes and associating with dangerous people. Due to his actions, his partner receives a lot of the repercussions.

Resources

• HelpGuide.org: Domestic Violence and Abuse
• The National Domestic Violence Hotline: What Is Domestic Violence?
• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Take Action