5 Signs of Domestic Abuse

Every 9 seconds in the United States a woman is assaulted and beaten. This is a staggering and eye-opening statistic. And yet many women never seek help for themselves.

The stunning reality is that in the United States, a woman is more likely to be assaulted, injured, raped, or killed by a male partner than by any other type of assailant. In fact, over 4 million women are assaulted by their partners every year.

Signs of domestic abuse are fairly easy to spot. If you know someone who may be subjected to domestic abuse, encourage them to get help now. Here are five common signs of domestic abuse:

CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT HIM
Victims of abuse often feel like they can’t live without their abuser. In many cases, women become dependent on their abuser. This is usually because of the lack of self-esteem.

WALKING ON EGGSHELLS
Women in abusive relationships often feel like they are walking on eggshells around their partner. They constantly worry about what they say or do, for fear their partner will become angry towards them.

ISOLATION
Abusers always isolate their victims from friends and especially from family. They don’t want their victim to feel safe with turning to anyone for help. The isolation also enables the abuser to hold total control over his victim.

SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MEnVictims of domestic violence feel like something must be wrong with them. Often times the abuser forces his victim to commit sexual acts that she doesn’t want to participate in. Battered women wonder why they can’t do anything right to please their partner.

BELIEVE JEALOUSY EQUALS LOVEnA common sign of domestic abuse is jealousy. The abuser doesn’t want his partner to speak with or form relationships with other men and women. This jealousy usually leads to the isolation of the victim from her friends. The victim of abuse frequently defends their partner’s jealousy and confuses it with love.