Identifying Abuse

• 

  10 Tactics of Coercive Control, Torture Within a Family

  The abuser strives for absolute power over all aspects of adult and child victims’ lives | Coercive control and the severe abuse professionals refer to as “torture” ca... read more

• 

  Profile of an Abuser

  Is it possible to spot an abuser before you get involved? | This article was originally published in 2014. It was updated in 2022. No one ever plans to venture ou... read more

• 

  Will Domestic Abuse Happen Again?

  How to tell if your partner has really changed or if they’re likely to abuse again | This piece was originally published in 2016. It was updated in 2022.  Perhaps you... read more

• 

  Sex and Homicide Risk in Relationships with Domestic Abuse

  Learn how abusers who use sex to control can indicate later dangerousness—and what to do about it | Most domestic abusers do not kill their partners. But some do. Psyc... read more

• 

  The Connection Between Cults and Domestic Violence

  What studying cults can teach us about control and victim shaming | Hearing the phrase “drank the Kool-Aid” is like nails on a chalkboard to clinical psychologist Patr... read more

• 

  Is Mutual Abuse Real?

  The term is most often used as a manipulation or victim-blaming tactic | Mutual abuse—a term to describe two partners are mutually abusive against each other—is rare a... read more

• 

  What Are Grey Rape and Stealthing?

  These forms of sexual abuse have sinister definitions and dangerous consequences | This article was updated in 2022. The original was published in 2017. Stealthing an... read more

• 

  Three Hidden Signs of Physical Abuse

  Knowing about these three “hidden” signs of abuse can help medical professionals recognize domestic violence victims | Healthcare professionals are on the frontlines o... read more

• 

  What Is Spiritual Abuse?

  A comprehensive guide to recognizing this type of domestic violence, also called religious abuse | Spiritual abuse, also called religious abuse, has multiple meanings.... read more

• 

  Netflix's "Maid" Highlights Truth About Domestic Violence

  The 6 things the show got right, and one thing it got wrong | Netflix’s Maid is the 10-episode fictional drama released in October, based on Stephanie Land’s 2019 memo... read more

• 

  A Guide to Gaslighting

  A comprehensive look at this confusing abusive tactic that makes you doubt your reality | In yet another tactic of power and control, abusive partners can use gaslight... read more

• 

  Drugging an Intimate Partner as an Abuse Tactic

  Abusers slip drugs to their intimate partners to control, sexually assault, disable and discredit them | In a violating and abusive move, sometimes abusers will give d... read more

• 

  Sexual Coercion in Intimate Relationships: Eight Tactics

  When sex in a couple is not exactly violent, but not entirely voluntary, either | Sexual coercion refers to using nonviolent means to pressure an unwilling partner to ... read more

• 

  Revenge Porn Meets the Law: Federal Protections for Victims

  A federal law on nonconsensual distribution of sexual images, or “revenge porn,” is poised to become law | Forty-eight states, the District of Columbia, and one U.S. t... read more

• 

  What is Physical Abuse?

  There’s never an excuse for a partner to be physically violent. This comprehensive guide breaks down what’s involved in physical abuse | Physical abuse in a relationsh... read more