What kinds of violence against women do exist
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There are many different ways that a man tries to gain power over a woman. Beating is only one of them. But all of them can hurt a woman:
Emotional Abuse: The man insults the woman, puts her down, or makes her think she is going crazy.
Controlling Money: The man tries to keep the woman from getting a job or making her own money. He makes her ask him for any money she needs. Or he may force her to work and then take the money she earns.
Sexual Abuse: The man makes the woman do sexual things against her will, or physically attacks the sexual parts of her body. He treats her like an object.
Blaming Her: The man says that the abuse did not really happen, that it was not serious, or that it was the woman’s fault.
Using Children: The man uses the children to make the woman feel guilty, or to hurt her.
Because He Is a 'Man': The man uses the fact that he is a man as an excuse to treat the woman like a servant. He makes all the decisions and tells her that, as a woman, she has no right to object.
Making Threats: The man uses a look, action, tone of voice, or makes threats that make the woman feel afraid that he will hurt her.
Isolation: The man controls everything the woman does — who she sees and talks to, and where she goes.
One form of abuse often turns into another. Power and control are the reasons behind all of the actions.
In many cases, verbal abuse becomes physical abuse after a while. It may not seem like it at first, but the man may slowly begin to ‘accidentally’ push or bump the woman, or begin to sit down in the place the woman usually sits, so that she has to move. If this behavior works for him, it may get worse until he becomes violent. Not all women who suffer other forms of abuse are beaten, but all women who have been beaten have suffered from other forms of abuse.