"How You Can Help a Friend or Relative in an Abusive Relationship"

"How to Recognize Abuse"

Recognizing Abuse 

Do you think a friend or family member is in an abusive relationship? Here are some signs that may indicate an abusive relationship.

• When she and her husband or boyfriend are together, she becomes very quiet and seems afraid of making him angry. She does not act like herself around him.

• He acts extremely jealous of others who pay attention to her, especially men.

• Her husband or boyfriend puts her down in front of others, sometimes even in a subtle way that could be considered as his way of being humorous. 

• She stops seeing her friends and family members and is becoming more and more isolated. She has no social life apart from him. 

• She often cancels plans at the last minute.

• She does not have her own money to spend. She may have to ask his permission to buy the most essential items. 

• You may see him violently lose his temper, yelling, calling her names, or striking or breaking objects.

• She often has unexplained injuries, or the explanations don’t quite make sense. (Sometimes you won’t see any bruises, as batterers target their blows to areas that can be covered with clothing.) 

• She has casually mentioned his anger but laughed it off as a joke or minimized it. 

• Her children are frequently upset or very quiet and withdrawn and when asked, won’t say what is wrong. 

• He may limit her attendance or not allow her to attend church. 

• He may not support her in encouraging her children to attend church.

• Be supportive of her.

• Let her know that she is not alone and that you care about what is happening to her.

• Let her know that help is available.

• Give her information on Domestic Violence Shelters or Support Groups.

• Become educated about Domestic Violence.