Symptoms for physical abuse

Building Your Case: How to Document Abuse

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If you are in an abusive relationship and are in the process of taking (or deciding to take) legal action against your abusive partner, documenting the abusive behaviors of your partner can be an important component of building your case.

It’s worth noting that each state has different laws about what evidence and documentation can be used in court. Speaking with a legal advocate in your state might better prepare you for your unique situation (our advocates at the Hotline can help locate a legal advocate near you). According to WomensLaw, in most states evidence can include (but is not limited to) the following:

Verbal testimony from you or your witnesses
Medical reports of injuries from the abuse
Pictures (dated) of any injuries
Police reports of when you or a witness called the police
Household objects torn or broken by the abuser
Pictures of your household in disarray after a violent episode
Pictures of weapons used by the abuser against you
A personal diary or calendar in which you documented the abuse as it happened

Below are a few actions you can take to create documentation, if you are able to or feel safe doing so:

Visit the doctor.

More and more, doctors and gynecologists are trained to recognize signs of abuse. Your health care provider could also be a safe resource for disclosing the abuse. If you’re visiting a doctor for an injury, ask them about safe ways they can make notes about the abuse — ex. Some can write “cause of an injury” without it having to go to the police.

Consider outside documentation.

Do you have a trusted friend, coworker or family member who knows what’s going on and would be willing to help? There are many ways they can help document the abuse — whether that’s a coworker making note of times your partner calls you at the office, or a friend holding your journal at her house.

Create a stalking log.

If your partner is stalking you, creating a stalking log can be very helpful to your case. The National Center for Victims of Crime’s Stalking Resource Center has examples of stalking logs (in PDF and Word formats) as well as additional information on stalking.

Learn more about police reports.

ex. Like filing about a lost bike. Ask, “Hypothetically, if there was something that was happening that I would want to report…”

Always ask questions. Call your local police department’s non-emergency number and find out about the protocols and procedures of filing a police report.

This can help you prepare for filing a police report if you need to, which creates a paper trail of the abuse.

Take pictures.

A digital camera or your phone camera may not always be safe. Consider getting a disposable camera. Another option is for someone else to take the pictures and keep them for you.

Let it go to voicemail.

Is your partner calling over and over? Let it go to voicemail once and save the voicemail.

Save digital evidence.

Do you have a smartphone? Most have the “take a screenshot” option. Thirty missed calls from your abusive partner? Take a screenshot of that. Threatening texts? Instead of responding to them, take a screenshot of them. These screen shots get saved in your images folder, so remember to send them on to a friend and delete them. If your partner sends threatening emails, don’t respond to them, but consider saving them in a folder in your inbox.

If you’re not sure if documenting your abuse would be safe, always go with your gut. It’s very important to keep in mind that you are the expert on your situation, and what works for one person may not be a safe idea for another person.

We are not legal advocates at the Hotline, but we are able to offer support and refer you to the local or state resources that might be helpful to you.

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Identifying Child Physical Abuse & How to Prevent It

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What is physical abuse?

Physical abuse is when someone hurts or harms a child or young person on purpose. It includes:

hitting with hands or objects
slapping and punching
kicking
shaking
throwing
poisoning
burning and scalding
biting and scratching
breaking bones
drowning.

It's important to remember that physical abuse is any way of intentionally causing physical harm to a child or young person. It also includes making up the symptoms of an illness or causing a child to become unwell.

If a child reveals abuse

A child who is being physically abused might not realise what’s happening is wrong. And they might even blame themselves. If a child talks to you about physical abuse it’s important to:

listen carefully to what they're saying
let them know they've done the right thing by telling you
tell them it's not their fault
say you'll take them seriously
don't confront the alleged abuser
explain what you'll do next
report what the child has told you as soon as possible.

Report abuse

Call us on 0808 800 5000, email [email protected] or fill in our online form.

Effects of physical abuse

Physical abuse can have long lasting effects on children and young people. It can lead to poor physical or mental health later in life, including:

anxiety
behaviour issues
criminal behaviour
depression
drug and alcohol problems
eating disorders
issues at school
obesity
risky sexual behaviour
suicidal thoughts and/or attempts.

Effects of shaking a baby or infant

If a baby or infant is shaken or thrown, they might suffer head or brain injuries, causing:

fractures
internal injuries
long-term disabilities
learning problems
seizures
hearing and speech problems
sight issues or blindness
behaviour issues
brain damage
death.

Who's at risk

Physical abuse can happen in any family. But some parents might find it hard to give their children a safe and loving home if they're facing:

poverty
poor housing
issues with drugs and alcohol
mental health issues
relationship problems
domestic abuse
isolation or a lack of support
the effects of childhood abuse or neglect.

Babies have a higher risk of suffering physical abuse as well as disabled children, especially those who are unable to tell someone what's happening or don't understand what's happening to them is abuse.

Support

For parents

If you're an adult experiencing physical abuse, there are organisations that can help.

Relate
0300 003 0396
You can talk to Relate about your relationship, including issues around physical abuse.
National Domestic Violence Helpline
0808 2000 247
A 24 hour free helpline run in partnership between Women's Aid and Refuge.
Men's Advice Line
0808 801 0327
Advice and support for men experiencing domestic violence and abuse.
National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline
0800 999 5428
Emotional and practical support for LGBT+ people experiencing domestic abuse.

We're here to support you, no matter your worry. Call us on 0808 800 5000, email [email protected] or fill in our online form.

For children and young people

How Childline can help

We understand how difficult it is for children to talk about physical abuse. Whether it's happening now or happened in the past, Childline can be contacted 24/7. Calls to 0800 1111 are free and confidential. Children can also contact Childline online.

Childline has information and advice for children and young people about physical abuse, including why it happens and what they can do.

Help if you're worried about your behaviour

If you are, or think you might be, physically abusing a member of your family, there's help available.

You can call us for information and advice on 0808 800 5000, email [email protected] or fill in our online form.

Respect offers information, advice and support to perpetrators of abuse.

Call Respect – People living in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can call for free on 0808 802 4040 (Monday – Friday 9am-5pm).
Email Respect – You can email Respect on [email protected]. They aim to reply to emails within two working days.
Chat online – Respect have a webchat service available on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am-4pm.

Help us make a difference

Campaign. Donate. Fundraise. Race. Whatever you do, you'll help us make the world safer for children.

Get involved

More support for you and your child

Domestic abuse

Witnessing domestic abuse is child abuse. If you're worried about a child, we have advice to help you keep them safe.

Find out more

Emotional abuse

It can be hard to know what emotional abuse is. We’ve got advice on the signs, effects and how to report it.

Find out more

Neglect

Neglect can be hard to spot. We've got advice on the types and signs of neglect and what you can do if you’re worried about a child.

Find out more

Types and signs of violence | Glubokoe region | Deep | News of Glubokoe | News of the Glubokoe region

Prevention of domestic violence / Types and signs of violence

TYPES OF VIOLENCE

Physical violence - direct or indirect impact on the victim with the intent to cause physical harm, expressed in mutilation, severe bodily harm, beatings, kicks, slaps, pushes, slaps, throwing objects etc. nine0003

Sexual abuse - violent acts in which a person is forced, against his will, by force, threat or deceit, into any form of sexual relations.

Psychological - harm to the psychological health of a person, manifested in insults, intimidation, threats, blackmail, control.

Economic violence – material pressure, which can manifest itself in a ban on work or education, deprivation of financial support, complete control over expenses. nine0003

SIGNS OF VIOLENCE

Physical violence - marks of blows, scars, cuts on the hands, face, legs and other parts of the body, fractures or bruises, burn marks.

Sexual violence - sexual touching a person without his consent, forcing a person to undress, forcing him to have sexual contact with him.

Psychological abuse – constant shouting and threats towards a person, swearing and using obscene words, humiliation, insulting a person, intimidation, establishing control, etc. nine0003

Financial exploitation - denial of livelihood, strict financial control, unexpected financial problems or loss of money, concealment of income, use of a bank card when an elderly person cannot walk, economic dependence on his abuser.

All types of violence are closely interrelated. If the aggressor in the family practices physical violence, of course, this causes mental trauma, and not just physical pain. Economic violence is often based on manipulation and control. There are usually physical injuries and consequences behind sexual assault. As a rule, it is difficult to imagine a situation where the aggressor uses only one type of violence, often the victims suffer from the simultaneous manifestation of its various types. nine0053 CYCLE OF VIOLENCE
Increasing tension in relationships
Dissatisfaction in relationships increases and communication between family members is disrupted. On the part of the aggressor, planning and “preparation” take place. He/she can visualize the next attack. He/she enjoys the power of fulfilling his/her fantasy. In most cases, the perpetrator is not aware of this internal "preparation" for various reasons. One of them may be the learned "script" of relations in the parental family. nine0003

Violent incident
An outbreak of verbal, emotional or physical abuse occurs. Accompanied by rage, arguments, accusations, threats, intimidation.

Reconciliation
The offender apologizes, explains the reason for the abuse, shifts the blame to the victim, sometimes denies what happened or convinces the victim to exaggerate the events.
It is difficult for the victim, and sometimes it is unbearable for the rapist to be in a state of tension associated with the fact of violence. Therefore, in order to get rid of the "heavy burden" of responsibility, he / she takes some action. The abuser makes excuses and blames the victim for the reason for their behavior. As a rule, the victim is blamed for her behavior. nine0071 For example, "If you had cleaned the house, I would not have had to hit you" or "If you had cooked dinner on time, I would not have had to hit you." A person who practices violence does not repent of hurting his victim. He may apologize, but only to avoid possible punishment. The purpose of this stage is to ensure their impunity.

Honeymoon
This is a difficult stage. After abuse, the abuser can turn into the caring, loyal, and kind person that she, the victim, loved him. He/she can take him/her to a restaurant, buy flowers, assure her/him that he/she will change. The goal is to keep the victim in the family and maintain a semblance of well-being. The violent incident is forgotten, the offender is forgiven. Many women/men return to their abusive partners for this period when “everything is so good!”, “as if at the beginning of our acquaintance!”, “how he/she loves me!” . After the honeymoon, the relationship returns to stage one and the cycle repeats. As time progresses, each phase becomes shorter, violent outbursts become more frequent and cause more damage.

Types and signs of domestic violence

Domestic violence is a deliberate emotional or forceful coercion/action of one person over another person, carried out for a specific purpose, contrary to the consent, will and interests of the victim. nine0003

The main difference between domestic violence and other types of violence is that it occurs between people who are close or related.

What is domestic violence? is the deliberate use of various forms of physical, sexual, psychological and economic violence by one family member against another, resulting in bodily injury, emotional trauma, developmental disabilities or various types of damage.

Types of violence:

Physical violence - direct or indirect influence on the victim with the intent to cause physical harm, expressed in mutilation, severe bodily harm, beating, kicking, slapping, pushing, slapping, throwing objects, etc.

Sexual abuse is violent acts in which a person is forced, against his will, by force, threat or deceit, into some form of sexual relations.

Psychological - harm to the psychological health of a person, manifested in insults, intimidation, threats, blackmail, control, etc.

Economic violence - financial pressure, which can manifest itself in a ban on work or education, deprivation of financial support, complete control over expenses.

Medical violence - negligence and untimely delivery of medicines, intentional overdose of a medicine, or, conversely, deliberate refusal of a patient to receive the necessary medicine.

Neglect - irresponsibility or failure to provide an elderly person with the necessary conditions for life: food, drink, clean clothes, safe and comfortable housing, personal hygiene products, medical care, and more. nine0003

Pronounced signs of violence:

Physical abuse:
- marks of blows, scars, cuts on the hands, face, legs and other parts of the body;
- fractures or bruises;
- traces of burns;

Sexual abuse:
- sexual touching of a person without his consent;
- forcing an elderly person to undress;
- forcing a person to have sexual contact with him.

Psychological abuse:
- constant screaming and threats towards an elderly person;
- swearing and using obscene words;
- humiliation of an elderly person;
- ignoring an elderly person when he asks for something.

Financial exploitation:
- ordering services, making donations or unnecessary expenses;
- unexpected financial problems or loss of money;
- using a bank card when an elderly person cannot walk;
- loss of money in a bank account or cash. nine0003

All types of violence are closely interrelated. If the aggressor in the family practices physical forms of violence, of course, this causes mental trauma, and not just physical pain. Economic violence is often based on manipulation and control. There are usually physical injuries and consequences behind sexual assault. As a rule, it is difficult to imagine a situation where the aggressor uses only one type of violence, often the victims suffer from the simultaneous manifestation of its various types.

Increasing tension in relationships

Dissatisfaction in relationships increases and communication between family members is disrupted. On the part of the aggressor, planning and “preparation” take place. He/she can visualize the next attack. He/she enjoys the power of fulfilling his/her fantasy. In most cases, the perpetrator is not aware of this internal "preparation" for various reasons. One of them may be the learned "script" of relations in the parental family. nine0003

Violent incident

There is an outbreak of verbal, emotional or physical abuse. Accompanied by rage, arguments, accusations, threats, intimidation.

Reconciliation

The abuser apologizes, explains the reason for the abuse, shifts blame to the victim, sometimes denies what happened, or convinces the victim to exaggerate the events.

It is difficult for the victim, and sometimes it is unbearable for the rapist to be in a state of tension associated with the fact of violence. Therefore, in order to get rid of the "heavy burden" of responsibility, he / she takes some action. The abuser makes excuses and blames the victim for the reason for their behavior. As a rule, the victim is blamed for her behavior. For example, "If you cleaned the house, I wouldn't have to hit you" or "If you cooked dinner on time, I wouldn't have to hit you." A person who practices violence has no remorse for hurting his victim. He may apologize, but to avoid possible punishment. The purpose of this stage is to ensure their impunity. nine0003

Honeymoon

This is a difficult stage. After abuse, the abuser can turn into the caring, loyal, charming and kind person that she, the victim, fell in love with him. He/she can take him/her to a restaurant, buy flowers, assure her/him that he/she will change. The goal is to keep the victim in the family and maintain a semblance of well-being. The violent incident is forgotten, the offender is forgiven.