Abusive relationships, or any relationship in which one person intentionally causes harm to another person, can occur in marriages, romantic relationships, friendships and even families. It can be hard for people to admit that their relationship is abusive, which is why it's important to understand what an abusive relationship is.
Types
Domestic abuse can take several different forms. Physical abuse is abuse that takes place when a person touches your body in an unwanted way, such as hitting, kicking, biting, choking or attacking you with a weapon. Psychological or emotional abuse happens when someone uses words or behavior to make you feel afraid or insecure, including making threats, yelling, calling you names, embarrassing you on purpose or trying to isolate you from your friends and family. Sexual abuse is a specific kind of physical abuse that involves someone forcing unwanted sexual activities on you.
Identification
Certain behaviors may be warning signs of an abusive relationship. According to Baltimore County's Department of Social Services, you may be in an abusive relationship if your partner monitors your activities and movements, constantly accuses you of being unfaithful, discourages you from having relationships with your other friends and family members, is critical and easily angered, is controlling about finances, embarrasses you or makes rude comments about your appearance and behavior, destroys your belongings or threatens to hurt you, your family or your children.
Effects
Being in an abusive relationship can have negative effects on your health and your self-esteem. If you're in an abusive relationship, you may have unexplained aches and pains, such as headaches and stomach aches, as a result of the stress in your relationship. People in abusive relationships may have trouble sleeping. Staying in an abusive relationship negatively impacts your self-esteem, making you feel bad about yourself and ultimately leading to depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Significance
One in four women say that they have been physically or sexually abused by a person they were in a relationship with, according to the National Women's Health Information Center. At least one out of every 10 teenagers is physically abused in a relationship, according to the Office on Women's Health.
Prevention/Solution
If you are in an abusive relationship, get help. Abusers are unlikely to stop being abusive on their own, and it's more likely that the abuse will escalate than that it will go away. There are many resources available to help people in abusive relationships find help. To find help, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. If you're older than 55, you can also contact the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life at 608-255-0539. Most states also have resources to help people in abusive relationships--visit the State Resources for Domestic Violence list in the Resources section of this article to find the contact information for your state's domestic violence resources.
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