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Identifying Abuse

R. Kelly's Sex Cult is Domestic Violence

Why some victims believe they love their abusers | In July of 2017, a story broke that seemed almost too absurd to be true—famed ‘90s rapper Robert “R.” Kelly had b... read more
Are You Seeing Ghosts?

Social isolation can give rise to imaginary relationships | While some call it torture, the CIA calls it “an interrogation technique." Either way, it's used to extr... read more
5 Ways to Recognize Religious Abuse

Is your abuser using your spiritual beliefs to control you? | In The Handmaid’s Tale, a trending drama on the streaming service Hulu based on the 1985 Margaret A... read more
Spotting the Enemy

How the Marine Corps trains soldiers to identify threats overseas can save your life here at home | Patrick Van Horne is used to spotting people with dangerous inte... read more
Forbidden Food

When abuse includes forced starvation and malnutrition | One of the great things about being an adult versus a kid is we get to make our own choices. We can wear wh... read more
What Are Grey Rape and Stealthing?

They have sinister definitions and dangerous consequences | There are two new concerning buzzwords you may hear surrounding violence against women. One, argue many,... read more
Technology and Teen Dating Violence Are Unfortunately Linked

Dating abuse is easier than ever thanks to cell phones and social media | On March 14 of this year, a young girl’s prank had unimaginable consequences. Tysen Benz, ... read more
Sexual Assault Is More Than Rape

How to recognize if you’re a victim | There’s a misconception out there that sexual assault is simply another way to describe rape or attempted rape. Every other ty... read more
Withholding Intimacy Can Be Abusive, Too

Another type of sexual abuse includes using sex to taunt, control a victim | Michele Weston describes herself as “a smart girl with a college degree” who, for a whi... read more
The Big Deal about Belittling

When abuse takes the form of insults and other disparaging words and actions | Emotional and psychological abuse can take many forms, including belittling, which ca... read more
Why We Blame Victims for Domestic Violence

And how to respond to victim-blaming when it’s directed at you | How many times have you read a news story about a woman accusing someone of abuse only to scroll down... read more
Domestic Violence in the Transgender Community

Rates of intimate partner violence are high and barriers stand in the way of getting help | Domestic violence affects people with any gender identity, and transgender... read more
Abuse Cannot Be Blamed on Mental Illness

Research shows abusers are no more likely to be mentally ill than others | Abusers love excuses. They only yelled at you because they were drunk. They only hit you be... read more
Ways Manipulative Narcissists Silence You: Part IV

Narcissists enjoy making malicious remarks at a survivor's expense | In Parts I, II and III of Shahida Arabi's piece on toxic people, we learned 15 ways abusiv... read more
When Abuse Goes from Shouting to Striking

Verbal abuse often turns to physical abuse. Here’s how to see the signs | There’s no medical report. No bruises or black eye or broken bone to signal what’s happeni... read more