Domestic violence is often more than just physical abuse. It encompasses sexual, emotional, economic and psychological violence. Initially, identifying the signs of an abusive relationship can be difficult, especially if the abuser uses subtle tactics to gain power and control. It is very common for survivors to recognize the beginning of the abuse as the first time the abusers hit them, but really the cycle of violence may have started early on in the relationship. Perpetrators tend to be charming and very convincing when exerting power and control tactics. However, understanding common occurrences or patterns in an unhealthy relationship and being able to begin an informed conversation is a major step to healing and helping others to join in understanding why and how domestic violence occurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Common signs of an abusive relationship are if one or both partners:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Often, it can be difficult to identify what types of abuse are and what constitutes each type of abuse. These are some telltale signs of physical, sexual, emotional, economic and psychological abuse:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you would like to know more signs of abusive relationships, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline<\/a> website or loveisrespect.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTed Talks Leslie Steiner: Why Domestic Violence Victims Don’t Leave<\/h2>\n\n\n