Domestic violence
How can I tell if I am being abused?
The answer isn't always obvious. The RYKA ROSE foundation provides the following questions
to help you determine whether you are in an abusive relationship. Do you recognize
yourself, or a friend, here?
Does the person you love ...
Track all of your time?
Constantly accuse you of being unfaithful?
Discourage your relationships with family and friends?
Prevent you from working or attending school?
Criticize you for little things?
Anger easily when drinking or on drugs?
Control all finances and force you to account for what you spend?
Humiliate you in front of others?
Destroy your personal property or sentimental items?
Hit punch, slap, kick, or bite you or your children?
Threaten to hurt you or your children?
Use or threaten to use a weapon against you?
Force you to have sex against your will?
If you find yourself saying yes to several of these questions, you need to learn more
about domestic abuse right away.
What is different about being abused by someone you know?
It may be harder to recognize and to acknowledge that it is happening to you. There
are strong emotional and social forces that can keep even a very abusive relationship
going for a long, long time. It can also be emotionally more difficult to decide that you
need to take strong action to protect yourself, but knowing your attacker does not change
your right to protect yourself.
What to do if you are being abused
If you're in an abusive situation, you should not try to get through it alone. You
should get help from a local shelter, a local women's group, or an organization like
AWARE.
Your danger may temporarily increase when you try to separate from your abuser, so get
help to plan that step carefully. Some sources for that help are local women's shelters
(look in the phone book or ask at a police station) and aware.org
Information presented as a public service courtesy of www.aware.org for women
Return to Womens Self Defense Center Protection Center Index