Physical abuse includes the physical assault, battery and sexual assault used as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. Physical abuse can cause severe injury and even death. It often co-occurs with other forms of abuse, i.e. psychological abuse, economic abuse and stalking.
You may be experiencing physical abuse
if your partner has done or repeatedly does any of the following tactics of abuse:
· Pulling your hair, punching, slapping, kicking, biting or choking you
· Forbidding you from eating or sleeping
· Hurting you with weapons
· Preventing you from calling the police or seeking medical attention
· Harming your children
· Abandoning you in unfamiliar places
· Driving recklessly or dangerously when you are in the car with them
· Forcing you to use drugs or alcohol (especially if you’ve had a substance abuse problem in the past)
Signs of Physical Abuse
Obvious signs of physical abuse are often physical in nature. These may include:
· Cuts
· Bruises
· Burns
· Restraint or grip markings
· Black eyes
· Unusual pattern of injury; repeated trips to the emergency room
Less Obvious Signs of Physical Abuse
While the above signs of physical abuse are obvious, other signs of physical abuse may be subtle.
The less obvious signs may include:
· Social isolation or withdrawal
· Vague medical complaints such as chronic headaches, fatigue or stomach pain
· Pelvic pain; vaginal or urinary tract infections
· Unwanted pregnancy; lack of prenatal care
· Sexual problems
· Depression
· Anxiety, including panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
· Fearfulness
· Abuse of alcohol or other drugs
If you need help
Visit ONE PLACE Family Justice Center at 530 S. Lawrence Street, Montgomery, Alabama or call 334.262.7378 or if you are in immediate danger Call 911.
