Abuse occurs when someone you live with or are related to uses physical violence, threats, stalking, harassment, emotional, or financial abuse to control, manipulate, coerce, or intimidate you. Abusive relationships not only involve husbands hitting their wives.
Abuse can happen to anyone at any time, regardless of age, gender, or sexual preference.
Parents hit their children, children hit their parents, wives abuse husbands, husbands batter wives, brothers beat sisters, sisters beat brothers. The problem with an abusive relationship is that it usually doesn't start out that way. Most relationships that end up abusive start off as any non-violent relationship does, with kind words and passion, togetherness and devotion. The violence may begin only after many other abusive behaviors occur, such as indifference to your needs, blaming you for everything that goes wrong, and being extremely possessive. These behaviors can be early signs of future violence.