WHAT IS ABUSE?
Abuse is anything that robs another person of their dignity.
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Abuse knows no social, age or economic boundaries.
It occurs in families, extended families, in neighborhoods, schools, churches and community groups.
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Intimidation is abuse. Manipulation is abuse. Harassment is abuse.
Types of abuse include physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, social, economic, intellectual, and spiritual.
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Abuse is NEVER OKAY.
NO ONE DESERVES to be abused.
The children ARE being hurt.
It WON'T just go away.
You ARE NOT alone.
There IS help!
TYPES OF ABUSE
Physical Abuse
Standing over you, getting "in your face", blocking a doorway, grabbing you if you try to leave, kicking, punching, biting, slapping, choking, threatening to harm you, using weapons, throwing things, punching walls or doors, driving recklessly, burning, cutting, pulling hair, stabbing, strangling, tying or confining you, preventing you from seeking medical care, threatening to harm children or pets and murder.
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Emotional Abuse
Insults, put downs, intimidating you, embarrassing you in public, talking down to you, not listening to or respecting your feelings, making threats, being jealous, possessive, controlling; excessive or threatening texts, wanting access to your messages, email, Facebook/MySpace, spying, checking up on you, accusations of cheating, insisting you justify your actions, giving you no privacy, shaming you.
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Verbal Abuse
Yelling, shouting, swearing, continuously arguing, interrupting, talking over you, put downs, using loud and threatening language and tone, name calling, intimidating you, mocking you.
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Economic Abuse
Withholding money, opening up a joint account but you don't have access, forcing you to leave your job, forcing you to get fired, shaming you for how you spend your money, not allowing you to work or get an education, putting all the bills/credit cards in your name, preventing you from using a car.
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Mental Abuse
Playing mind games with you, twisting everything around so nothing is their fault and all of their behavior is caused by something you did or didn't do, accusing you of doing things that they are doing, lying, manipulating you for control or sex, distorting reality so you think you are losing your mind.
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Sexual Abuse
Rape, unwanted sexual touching, vulgar comments, pressure for sex, forcing you to have unprotected sex, forcing you to get pregnant or to have an abortion, sexting, forcing you to have sex with other people or having sex with someone else and forcing you to watch, forcing you to use or participate in pornography.
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For a detailed list of local resources see Important Links, Important Contact Numbers, or check out the Campbell River Community Directory.