Everyone who is living in an abusive relationship experiences this in different ways. However, there are often patterns to abusive behaviours. This includes controlling, bullying and / or violent behaviour. The behaviour can be from your partner, ex-partner or close family member. If you are worried that you or a friend may be experiencing abuse then you could try working your way through our checklist below.
- Does your partner or someone close to you criticise you, put you down or call you names?
- Are you frightened about how your partner will react if you get into an argument?
- Are you frightened of your partner when he or she has been drinking?
- Has your partner ever hit you?
- Does your partner complain about your friendships or family members or stop you from seeing them?
- Does your partner ask you to do things you are uncomfortable with?
- Are you ever worried that your children are seeing or hearing things they shouldn't be?
- Has your partner ever forced you to have sex with him/her or with other people? Has he/she made you participate in sexual activities that you were uncomfortable with?
- Has your partner ever kept you short of money so you are unable to buy food and other necessary items for yourself and your children?
- Has you partner prevented you from continuing or starting a college course, or from going to work?
- Does your partner constantly check up on you or follow you?
- Has your partner ever tried to control you by telling you you could be deported because of your immigration status?
- Has you partner ever threatened to take your children away or said he/she would refuse to let you take them with you, or even to see them, if you left him/her?
If you answered 'Yes' to any of the questions, give our helpline a call on: 03000 110 110 or email us: info@idas.org.uk