Today there are over twelve hundred shelters in this country. Types of Abuse Abuse does not just mean physical abuse. It takes several different forms that I will briefly describe. Emotional abuse can be in the form of repeated verbal attacks. It can be coercing her into doing things that she may find humiliating or against her moral or religious principles.
Isolation is a type of abuse.
The batterer finds fault with social contacts of the victim including family members. The victims end up with nobody to confide in. The batterer may threaten to take or harm the children if she doesn't do what he wants her to do. Gender role stereotypes play a dominant role in battering relationships. Economic abuse is frequently involved in an abusive relationship.