ARTICLES:

Abuse, or battering, is a pattern of behavior where one person tries to control the thoughts, beliefs or conduct of a lover, friend, or any other person close to them.  It can include physical, emotional, sexual, spiritual, and/or economic abuse.

Battering, also called domestic violence and dating violence, happens in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender and straight communities.  It crosses all social, ethnic, racial and economic lines. An individual's size, strength, politics or personality does not determine whether she or he could be battered or a batterer. 

Domestic violence may include but is not limited to:

• Physical abuse--hitting, choking, slapping, burning, shoving, using a weapon, neglecting, locking in a room.
• Isolation: Restricting freedom--controlling personal/social contacts, access to information and participation in groups or organizations.
• Emotional and Psychological Abuse--criticizing constantly, ridiculing, trying to humiliate or degrade, lying, undermining self-esteem.
• Threats and Intimidation--threatening harm, threatening children, family or friends, threatening to make reports to authorities that would jeopardize child custody, immigration or legal status.
• Heterosexist Control--threatening to reveal lesbian identity to family, neighbors, employers, ex-spouses, or city, state, and/or federal authorities.
• Sexual Abuse--forcing sex or specific acts, assaulting "sexual parts," withholding sex, criticizing.
• Property Destruction--destroying mementos, breaking furniture/windows, smashing objects.
• Using Children--using custody of children to control or intimidate.
• Using Vulnerabilities--using past experience with abuse or violence, an illness, homophobia or any other vulnerability to manipulate and control.