The Wheel of Domestic Violence

How do you know for sure if you or someone you love has been abused? Many of us that have been victims of abuse know how to answer this. We have been there and can better see the signs of abuse than someone who is not aware that they are in a bad situation.

I am hoping that this abuse wheel can shed some light on what is defined as abusive behavior. This behavior can come from anyone - you spouse, a parent, your church pastor, or even your own child (if they've reached a certain age, of course). Seen below is a diagram of the wheel of abuse taken from domesticviolence.org. Please visit this website for more information.

Notice how multifaceted abuse can be - not necessarily the "wife-beating" picture that most people have of obvious abuse.

If you know someone that is in a relationship that exhibits any of these characteristics (whether they be female or male) please have them call the National Hotline for Domestic Violence at 1-800-799-SAFE