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What does emotional abuse mean, what are the signs?

Domestic abuse is not just physical. Some people use emotional abuse to abuse people. This is also called ‘coercive control’.

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.

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Remember you can also message a member of the Safer team with a question you may have or advice you may need – askbe@safer.gg