Types and Signs of Abuse excerpted fromWCASA's Information Sheets If you are experiencing abuse in your life, there are ways to end the violence, find shelter, and secure safety. Intervention might include getting the police involved or help from a local advocacy organization. The following are types and signs of abuse which might be helpful in assessing an abusive situation. Signs of Physical Abuse Does anyone you know: Hit, slap, punch, shove, bite, cut, choke,kick, burn or spit on you? Throw objects at or restrain you? Threaten or hurt you with an object or deadly weapon (a gun, knife, baseball bat, brick, chain, hammer, scissors, rope, belt buckle, extension cord, branch, bottle, acid, bleach, or scalding water)? Abandon you or lock you out of the house? Neglect you when you are sick or pregnant? Endanger you or your children through reckless driving? Threaten or attempt to drown you? Signs of Sexual Abuse Does anyone you know: Force you to have sex when you don't want to? Force you to perform sexual acts you don't like? Criticize your sexual performance? Deny you sex? Force you to have sex with or to watch others? Threaten to hurt you if you don't desire sex? Commit sexual acts that you consider sadistic? Signs of Destructive Acts Does anyone you know: Break furniture, flood rooms, ransack or dump garbage in your house? Slash tires, break windows, steal, tamper with parts or put foreign substances in the gas tank of your car? Kill pets to punish or frighten you? Destroy clothing, jewelry, family photos or other personal items that he knows are important to you? Signs of Emotional Abuse Does anyone you know consistently say or do things that shame, embarrass, ridicule or insult you and say: You're stupid, filthy, lazy, nasty, silly, etc. You're fat, black, and ugly. You can't do anything right. You'll never get a job. You're an unfit mother. You don't deserve anything. Who'd want you? Does your partner: Withhold affection to punish you? Threaten to hurt you or your children? Forbid you to work, handle your own money, make decisions or socialize with your friends? Refuse to provide sexually, emotionally, or economically for you? Force you to sign over property or give him your personal possessions? Tell you about his affairs? Accuse you of having affairs? Undermine your sense of power or confidence? Manipulate you with lies, contradictions or promises?