Women experience physical and sexual violence. But perpetrators can use a range of other abusive behaviours to manipulate, coerce, control, threaten and harm victims. All forms of abuse can have significant and long-term health and wellbeing, economic and social impacts on victims.
Abusive behaviours that are non-physical include technological, financial, social, spiritual and emotional abuse.
Technological abuse
- Sending nude or embarrassing images of a partner to other people.
- Tracking a partner’s whereabouts using a phone or GPS device without consent.
- Accessing a partner’s private messages or conversations.
- Posting messages from a partner’s accounts.
- Using technology to send unwanted images or messages.
Financial abuse
- Not allowing a partner to have debit/credit cards or access to bank accounts.
- Not giving a partner access to shared bank accounts.
- Spending or borrowing a partner’s money without their knowledge or agreement.
- Forcing a partner to quit their job or lose their income.
- Holding back funds for necessities like food, medication, or disability-related equipment.
Social abuse
- Stopping a partner from seeing certain people or groups of people.
- Forcing a partner to live far away from family or friends.
- Sabotaging a partner’s relationships or damaging their reputation.
- Deliberately embarrassing a partner in front of other people.
Spiritual abuse
- Stopping a partner from visiting their place of worship or spiritual community.
- Not allowing a partner to practice their beliefs and customs.
- Forcing a partner to practice beliefs or customs which they don’t believe in.
- Shaming a partner for not practising their beliefs strictly enough.
- Using spiritual beliefs to justify abuse or harmful behaviour.
Emotional abuse
- Verbal aggression and fits of rage.
- Blackmail, i or to harm people or pets.
- Regularly teasing or putting someone down to damage a partner’s self-worth.
- ‘Gaslighting’ or tricking and lying to make a partner question their own sanity.
- Constantly correcting or criticising to diminish a partner’s confidence.