Physical Abuse
Throws things at you
Pushes, grabs or shoves you
Pulls your hair/twists your arm
Pins you to wall, floor or bed
Chokes you
Kicks, hits or punches you
Threatens you with a knife, gun or other weapon
Tries to run you down with a car
Physically abuses the children
Hurts or kills pets
Forces you to terminate pregnancy
Causes physical harm while you are pregnant
Emotional Abuse
Insults you in front of others
Puts down your physical appearance
Treats you as though you are stupid
Criticizes your care of children/home
Calls you names and swears at you
Calls you crazy/irrational
Accuses you of having an affair
Ridicules family or friends
Goes through personal things, i.e., purse, drawers, pockets, phone or computer
Sends harassing messages through social media sites or via text messages
Heterosexist/Transphobic abuse
Exploits societal homophobia
Exploits internalized anxieties about your sexual orientation to control you
Threatens to “out” you and reveal your sexual orientation to family, friends, neighbours and employers
Uses offensive pronouns
Denies you access to medical treatment or hormones or coerces you to pursue medical treatment
Tells you that you are not a real “woman”
Uses looks, actions, gestures to reinforce homophobic, biphobic or transphobic control
Makes you feel bad about yourself
Says no one will believe you, especially if you are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans
Says women can’t abuse women or men can’t abuse men and therefore it is just “fighting” and not abuse
Threatens to tell your ex-spouse or authorities that you are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans so they will take the children
Controls/defines each partner’s role or duties in the relationship
Uses privilege or ability to “pass” to discredit you, put you in danger, cut off your access to resources or use the system against you
