Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Physical violence generally escaletes in severity, intensity, brutality and frequency over time. More severe methods of control are generally imposed by the abuser if the violence fails to produce the desired effect on the victim.
Fear Instilled in the victim adds another dimension to the dynamic of violence against the victim.
The fear of future violence often becomes the most powerful weapon in the oppression of the victim. Threats These are another common controlling mechanism used by the abuser. For example, death threats and threats of injury to another such as a womans child can be employed to coerce the victim into submission. This includes emotional and verbal abuse and is usually experienced by vitims as damaging to their self worth and mental well being. Over time, a belief in the victim's worth, self-concept and sense of havinf rights or choices becomes eroded by the incessant condemnatory abuse from the abuser.