Relationship abuse is a pattern of abusive and coercive behaviors used to maintain power and control over a former or current intimate partner.
Abuse affects people of all cultures, races, genders, occupations, income levels, ages, abilities, and sexual orientations.
Domestic Violence is a pattern of assault and coercive behaviors, used to attain power over another person. This violence takes many forms and can happen once in a while or all the time. Although each situation is different, there are common warning signs or red-flag behaviors to look out for, including those listed in the power and control wheel (below). Knowing these signs is an important step in preventing and stopping violence.
Dating Abuse (like domestic violence) is a pattern of destructive behaviors used to exert power and control over a dating partner. Abuse affects all types of relationships, not just long-term or committed relationships. However, often violence that happens between dating teens is viewed/addressed differently than abuse in a relationship between two cohabitating or intimately involved adults.
Sexual Violence is forced, manipulated, or coerced sexual activity. It includes any non-consensual sexual advance; such as sexual assault, rape, exposure, and sexual harassment. Men and women can commit acts of sexual violence, and the perpetrator can be someone you know such as a friend, spouse, teacher or acquaintance, or a stranger. Sexual Violence is not about love or sex; the act is motivated by the need to have power and control.
Stalking is unwanted pursuit, contact, intimidation, or harassment with the attempt to make a person afraid. New Beginnings work focuses on assisting victims of current or former intimate partner stalking.
Human Trafficking is the title given to a wide range of acts that involve human beings being transported to another location (either another country or another part of their home country) and forced to commit actions against their will. Anyone at any age from any country can be involved in human trafficking, even citizens of New Hampshire.
Physical and sexual assaults are the most obvious forms of abuse and are typically what makes the problem apparent. However, physical violence is only a portion of the larger system of abuse used to maintain power and control over an intimate or dating partner's life.
The Power and Control Wheel demonstrates how an abuser uses different tactics and aspects of a person's life to maintain control over their partner. It is common that violent, physical acts are accompanied by one or more of these other forms of abuse. Other forms of abuse are less easily identified than physical violence, but still play a significant part of creating a pattern of abuse. In order to make identifying forms of abuse more easily we have included descriptions and examples below.
Physical abuse is any type of abuse that harms a person's body or threatens harming a person physically; this includes loved ones and pets.
Sexual abuse is the same as sexual violence; while sexual violence happen to people both in and out of relationships by strangers or people they know, sexual abuse refers to an intimate partner using sex or sexual heath as a way to maintain power over their partner.
Emotional abuse, also referred to as psychological abuse or mental abuse, includes actions an abuser uses to make their partner feel afraid, isolated, and/or controlled without physically harming them. Emotional abuse is just as harmful to someone as physical abuse; even if your partner has never physically harmed you, it can still be an abusive relationship.
Verbal abuse is when your partner uses language or their tone of voice to make you feel worthless or upset.
Economic abuse, also referred to as financial abuse, is when someone limits their partner's access to finances or controls their partner's capability to earn a personal income.
Technology Abuse, or digital partner violence, is the use of technologies such as cell-phones, computers, and location technologies to bully, harass, stalk or intimidate a partner. Often this behavior is a form of verbal or emotional abuse perpetrated online, through texts, calls, etc. It may also include stalking behavior aided by technology.
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