Psychological Abuse:

Psychological abuse is any threat to do bodily harm to a partner, a child, a family member, friends, pets, or one's self (suicide). Psychological abuse involves not only hurt and anger, but also fear and degradation. The purpose of psychological abuse is to render you emotionally insecure about your own self-worth and to render you helpless and/or not able to escape further physical, sexual, and/or psychological abuse.

Examples include your partner:

• threatening to punch, hit, slap or kick
• threatening to use a weapon
• threatening to harm him/herself if you leave
• threatening to punish children to "get back" at you
• threatening to harm pets or harming a pet to "get back" at you
• throwing objects in your direction
• vague threats such as "You're going to get it," or "I'm really going to let you have it"
• smashing and breaking things
• slamming doors
• punching walls
• hiding, stealing and destroying your possessions
• sabotaging your car
• any emotional abuse which in the past was a prelude to physical or sexual abuse

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