Can You Recognize These Signs of Abuse?

Spoiler alert: abuse comes in both underhanded and obvious forms.

AI generated by the author

On the street in front of a restaurant, my boyfriend, angry that I had reminded him we didn’t have time to linger because we had another appointment, referred to me in front of our friends as “the bitch in black.” (I was wearing a black jacket.)

I immediately called him out. “You have no right to speak about me in that language. That’s verbal abuse, and it’s not acceptable.”

Of course, he thought I over-reacted, but did I?

If your child were mis-treating the family dog, wouldn’t you step in and say something? Would that be considered “over-reacting?”

(Well, maybe “the family dog” was the wrong metaphor here…)

In any case, what are familiar signs of abuse? And what kind of abuse are we talking about? And does that make a difference in how we respond?

Abuse includes physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual maltreatment.

Physical abuse is the most easily recognized.

Visible injuries like bruises, cuts, bleeding scratches, broken bones and untreated wounds are pretty clear signs.