“Emotional abuse is dangerous when it comes to self-esteem,” says Christopher Holly, a licensed clinical social worker based out of Illinois. “When somebody uses words, it’s just as violent sometimes as somebody who uses a fist. The effects on how a person thinks about themselves and the value they place on themselves can be swept away.”

Signs of Physical Abuse

Another, more discussed form of abuse is physical abuse. According to The National Domestic Violence Hotline, it isn’t always possible to determine whether or not a relationship is going to become abusive. People can seem really nice when a relationship begins. But the patterns often unfold in a slow manner, making it more difficult to understand.

The statistics associated with domestic violence are downright terrifying. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), a woman is assaulted or beaten every nine seconds in the United States. Almost 20 people are physically abused by a spouse or partner every single minute. And one-third of women and one-fourth of men have experienced some sort of physical violence from a spouse or partner during their lifetime. 

Even more concerning, just 34 percent of victims will get medical treatment for injuries. And 19 percent of these instances will involve a weapon. This makes physical abuse both unpredictable and secretive. 

While the NCADV acknowledges that every situation is unique in its own way, there is one common thread that exists in all cases of physical abuse: control. The abuser will just take different routes to obtain what he or she wants. 

When it comes to understanding physical abuse, there are a number of things to look for. The first method of abuse occurs when an abuser harms you. This may involve hitting, hair pulling, slapping, biting or choking. In addition, abusers may use weapons in order to instill fear in their victims.