Today, we are taking a deeper dive into the concept of Domestic Abuse to further understand how it can be a factor for PTSD. In the previous show, we defined PTSD but, in today’s show, we will do more than just define domestic abuse.
Key Characteristics of an abusive relationship
Compounding factors
How parents are affected by domestic abuse
How domestic abuse impacts the victim as a parent
How abusive parents parent
How domestic abuse affects the children
(1) Examples of physical abuse include:
• Being kicked, punched, pinched, slapped, choked and bitten
• Use or threats of use of ‘weapons’ including knives and irons
• Being scalded or poisoned
• Objects being thrown
• Violence against family members or pets
(2) Examples of isolation:
• Limiting outside involvement such as family, friends and work colleagues
• Not allowing any activity outside the home that does not include her or him
• Constant checking up on your whereabouts
(3) Examples of verbal abuse:
• Constant yelling and shouting
• Verbal humiliation either in private or in company
• Constantly being laughed at and being made fun of
• Blaming you for their own failures
(4) Examples of threatening behavior:
• The threat of violence
• The threat of use of ‘weapons’ including knives and irons
• The threat of use of violence against family members or pets
• Threatening to use extended family members to attack you
• Destroying personal items
• Threatening to tell the police that you are the person committing the domestic abuse
• Threatening to remove your children
(5) Examples of emotional and psychological abuse:
• Intimidation
• Withholding affection
• Turning your children and friends against you
• Being stopped from seeing friends or relatives
• Constantly being insulted, including in front of others
• Repeatedly being belittled
• Keeping you awake/stopping you sleeping
• Excessive contact, for example, stalking
• Using social media sites to intimidate you (such as Facebook and Twitter)
• Wilfully stopping fathers from seeing their children by breaching court orders
• Persuading you to doubt your own sanity or mind (including “Gaslighting”) we will discuss this concept separately, later in the show.
(6) Examples of power and control:
Abusers believe they have a right to control their partners by:
• Telling them what to do and expecting obedience
• Telling you, you will never see your children again if you leave
• Using force to maintain power and control
• Not accepting responsibility for the abuse – not their fault
• Continual and purposeful breach of family court orders
• Forced marriage