This kind of abuse may be more difficult to spot or talk about and is often a slow process that increases over time, but it can include:
- Denying you access to basic needs such as food, medication, sleep
- Getting angry and jealous when you want to spend time with your friends and family
- Stopping you from seeing friends and family
- Putting you down
- Spreading rumours about you
- Saying things like “If you loved me, you would…”
- Trying to control your life (telling you how to dress, who you hang out with and what you say)
- Blocking access to your phone, social media, email etc.
- Threatening to harm you or to self–harm if you leave them
- Demanding to know where you are all the time
- Following you
- Threatening to report you to the police
- Excessive jealousy
- Monitoring your calls and emails, threatening you if you don’t respond instantly
- Blaming you and others for their problems or feelings
- Being verbally abusive
- Using threatening behaviour towards others
- Pressuring you to send them nude pictures
- Pressuring you into having sex when you don’t want to, watching pornography,
- Threatening to ‘out’ your sexuality
- Denying the abuse happened
Remember, this is not your fault, and you deserve to be safe and treated with respect. Help is available.