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Last Update
04/02/2008
What is Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is the mistreatment of one family member or intimate partner by another. The abuse can be physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and psychological. Most often (but not always) the persons who abuse are men. Most often (but not always) the victims of abuse are women or children.
Substance
abuse by a family member can contribute to other
forms of abuse.
Understanding the legal definition of abuse in Maryland.
The following list of words from victims give you a flavor of what is meant by abuse. Some acts by themselves are abuse. Other acts should be considered in the larger context of the relationship and other acts.
Physical Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Financial Abuse
Verbal Abuse
Emotional Abuse
| Physical abuse |
|
|
|
|
|
| pushed |
kicked |
raped |
| dragged through the house |
poked |
held down |
| threatened with a weapon |
slapped |
hair pulled |
| restrained |
arm twisted |
squeezed |
| locked in the house |
choked |
pinched |
| thrown down the stairs |
punched |
spitting |
| bent fingers backwards |
cut |
grabbed |
| threw objects at me |
tripped |
kidnapped |
| pushed out of the car |
bumped into |
suffocated |
| banged my head in wall |
burned |
|
| Sexual abuse |
|
|
| raped |
accused me of affairs |
| said my body disgusted him |
told I was inadequate in bed |
| friends wanted sex after abuse |
forced pregnancy |
| distasteful sexual acts forced on me |
beaten if I refused sex |
| brought other women home |
criticized my appearance |
| told me I was fat and ugly |
bragged about his infidelity |
| made constant sexual demands |
didn't care about my pleasures |
| withheld sex from me |
forced cohabitation |
| Financial abuse |
|
|
|
| took my money |
he controlled the checkbook |
| all bills are in my name |
didn't know about our assets |
| no money of my own |
I had inadequate clothing |
| sold my furniture |
had to account for every dime |
| destroyed belongings worked for |
quit his job |
| never given enough money for bills |
forced to write bad checks |
| his wants came before family needs |
not allowed to go to school or work |
| forced to commit robberies |
spent money on drugs and alcohol |
| Verbal abuse |
|
|
|
| yelled at |
called names |
| nagged at |
called racial slurs |
| put-down of women in general |
cussed at |
| always called stupid |
told no one else would want me |
| talked to as a child |
threatened to kill |
| put down my appearance |
belittled important things I did |
| threatened to take kids |
constant phone calls |
| told I was crazy/stupid/ugly/dumb |
told I was an alcoholic/drug user |
| Emotional abuse |
|
|
|
| embarrassed me in front of others |
couldn't have any privacy |
| created crises so I had to pay attention to him |
couldn't tell when he'd be nice or mad |
| living with his alcoholism/drug abuse |
made me lie about how injuries occurred |
| only allowed to see his friends, never mine |
threatened to hurt family/friends |
| had to do everything, even when sick |
threatened or actually hurt pets |
| always worried [about] his next step |
not allowed to use the phone |
| threats to hurt or kill me or the kids |
told me others didn't like me |
| threats to hurt or kill himself |
destroyed my belongings important to me |
| his suicide attempts |
physically withdrew from me |
|
didn't talk to me - the silent treatment |
Last date reviewed (no legal content)
4/2/08 (PLL/M.A.J.)
Source: This section is reprinted with permission from "Family Violence and Religion," a book published in 1995 by
Volcano Press.This particular material is from pages 11-13 which were, in turn, used with permission from The Center for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, 23875 Commerce Park Rd., Beachwood, Ohio 44122.Some editing by Maryland Legal Assistance Network.
Updated by the Maryland State Law Library (MSLL).
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advice? This site offers legal information, not legal advice. We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information and to clearly explain your options. However we do not provide legal advice - the application of the law to your individual circumstances. For legal advice,
you should consult an attorney. See our section on Finding Legal Help.
About this website.
The Maryland State Law
Library, a court-related agency of the Maryland
Judiciary,
sponsors this site. The website was developed
(1999-2007) as part of an access to justice initiative
by the
Maryland Legal Assistance Network
(MLAN) in collaboration with a number of legal
services providers serving low and moderate income
Marylanders. In the absence of file-specific
attribution or copyright, the Maryland
State Law Library may hold the copyright
to parts of this website. You are free to copy the information for your own use or for other non-commercial purposes with the following language “Source:
Maryland's People’s Law Library – www.peoples-law.org.
© Maryland State Law Library, 2007.”
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