Hesperian Health Guides
Warning Signs of Physical Abuse
Stupid woman. I told you not to go out, especially looking as ugly as you do.
It does not matter how much you love a person. Love cannot change someone. Only that person can choose to change.
Relationships with emotional or verbal abuse may later become physically violent. When an abuser shows the signs below, they are more likely to become increasingly and physically violent. Try to get help.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Does the person act jealous when you see other people, or accuse you of lying? If you find you change your behavior to prevent this jealousy, then they are controlling you.
- Does the person try to keep you from seeing your friends and family or from doing things on your own? Whatever reasons they use do not matter. They are trying to keep you from having outside support. Abusing you will be easier if you have nowhere else to go.
- Does the person insult you or make fun of you in front of other people? You may start to believe the insults are true. This can make you feel as though you deserve to be treated badly.
- What does the person do when they are angry? Do they break or throw things? Have they ever physically hurt you or threatened to hurt you? Have they ever hit another woman? All of these things show that they have trouble controlling their actions.
- Does the person feel bullied by people with authority, such as teachers, bosses, or parents? Their lack of power or respect can make them feel they can get power over other people by using violence.
- Does the person blame alcohol, drugs, or stress for their actions? They may say things will get better if they get a new job, move to a new town, or stop using drugs or alcohol.
- Does the person blame you or someone else for how they act or deny that they are doing anything wrong? They are less likely to want to change if they think that how they act is someone else’s fault.
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| If you are pregnant, has your partner become more controlling or angry that you are less sexually available? Some people first experience violence from a partner during a pregnancy | Do you have a disability? Women with disabilities face many forms of violence and are abused more often than women without disabilities. This includes emotional and physical abuse, sexual assault, neglect in caregiving, and isolation from family, friends, and community |
This page was updated:22 Jan 2024