Ten Signs of Domestic Abuse


When people hear the words “domestic violence,” they almost instantly think of a person, most likely a man, physically abusing his partner. And, they wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. This type of dreaded behaviour accounts for a decent percentage of abuse within a relationship.

However, contrary to the general misconception, domestic violence engulfs a wide range of abusive behaviours, most of which do not even include physical contact. Experts estimate that in the UK, domestic abuse will affect 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men in their lifetime.

We rounded up the 10 most common signs of domestic violence that allude to a potentially abusive partner. You should look out for these symptoms of domestic abuse in a person before engaging in a serious relationship with them!

  1. Physical abuse

One of the most common forms of domestic violence occurs when one partner uses physical force to abuse the other half of the couple. If the maltreatment continues, the abuser feels more confident in using disproportionate force and/or objects or weapons to hurt the other person.

  1. Mental or emotional abuse

In this case, the abuser substitutes physical hits for a verbal offense. More than often, he or she will threaten and bully the other person into submission.

Some emotional abusers are very well aware of the mental power that they hold over their partners. They use subtle tactics and psychological games to intimidate and manipulate their partners into doing their bid.

  1. Controlling money

The financial situation of a couple needs to be in balance to ensure a carefree, long-lasting relationship.

Unfortunately, some partners prefer to keep financial secrets from their loved ones. Others aim to gain control over how their partners spend their money.

Both of these toxic behaviours are signs of domestic violence and potential abuse in the future.

  1. Invading private communication channels

Despite being in a perfectly honest relationship, partners should be free to maintain their privacy when it comes to phone contacts, email conversations, and social media activity.

This kind of freedom is unthinkable for overly controlling individuals. They demand their partners to share every aspect of their private lives. Sometimes, they go as far as to check their phone or their messages without their partners’ knowledge or consent.

  1. Forced Isolation

A healthy relationship grows steadily when the couple spends a great deal of time together. However, the bond grows even stronger when the two get to spend time alone from each other, seeing friends and family.

If your new partner is keeping you from meeting friends or loved ones, you might be dealing with a potentially dangerous abuser.

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  1. Cruelty towards animals and/or children

Some abusers may act lovingly towards their partners, but they show their true faces when they mistreat children or animals.

  1. Threats or intimidation

A clear sign that someone may be domestically violent is seeing them damage things on purpose. These types of abusers are ill-equipped to use physical dominance or verbal manipulation, so they choose to hurt their partners by destroying something valuable to them.

  1. Threats of suicide

The fear of their partners ending a relationship may lead some abusers to use false threats of suicide.

  1. Drug or alcohol abuse

Addiction to drugs or alcohol may transform regular individuals into abusers that use physical force and emotional intimidation to control their partners.

  1. Extreme jealousy or possessiveness

This kind of domestic violence occurs when one of the partners demands to know where their significant other is at every moment. The abuse takes many forms, such as calling or visiting to check where their partners are, what are they doing, and with whom, even going as far as dictating what to wear and what to say.

No matter how strong your feelings are for a person, you should know that these types of behaviour are completely unacceptable and intolerable in a relationship. If you are the victim of such actions from your partner, you should seek professional guidance from a health professional.

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