Domestic Violence Prevention: Types

Types of abuse

People are often confused about whether or not what they are experiencing in their relationship is abuse. Some experience abuse for years while others experience abuse only once. Domestic violence can happen to anyone, including:

• Current or past partners or spouses
• People in heterosexual and same sex relationships
• Dating partners, spouses, people who are separated or divorced
• Adults and teens

Domestic violence includes several different types of violence, and a person does not need to experience every type of violence for it to be abuse. Understanding what types of behaviors make up domestic violence can help you understand if you or someone you know may be experiencing abuse.

Connect with local support to find help and resources.

Physical violence

Intended harm caused by physical force. This may include:

• Punching, hitting, pushing, kicking, slapping, biting, strangling or choking.
• Throwing items.
• Pulling hair.
• Pinning someone down.

Sexual violence

Sexual activity without sober, freely given consent. This may include:

• Rape.
• Sexual assault.
• Exposing a partner to pornography or other sexually explicit material without their consent.
• Sexting, sextortion, or revenge porn.
• Refusing to use condoms or restricting access to birth control.

Sexual violence doesn’t always occur within a romantic relationship. Learn more on the Sexual Violence Prevention page.

Stalking

Pattern of repeated, unwanted attention, or contact causing fear or concern for personal safety or safety of loved ones. This may include:

• Driving past someone's house.
• Showing up at someone's job.
• Repeatedly calling, emailing, or texting.
• Posting about someone on social media.
• Monitoring someone's movements using GPS, cameras, or other technology.

Emotional abuse and psychological aggression

Verbal and non-verbal communication meant to harm or control a partner, including isolating a partner. This may include:

• Threats to harm loved ones.
• Manipulation.
• Ridiculing personal beliefs, background, or traits.
• Calling a partner names.
• Putting a partner down or making them feel bad about themselves.
• Yelling and screaming.
• Embarrassing a partner on purpose in front of others.
• Controlling what a partner can wear.
• Being very jealous.
• Threatening to hurt themselves, a partner, pets, or children.
• Making a partner afraid with looks or gestures.
• Breaking a partner's things.
• Displaying weapons.
• Isolating a partner by:
  • Controlling where a partner can go, including to work.
  • Controlling who a partner can spend time with.
  • Using jealousy to prevent a partner from spending time with friends or family.

Financial abuse

Controlling, monitoring, or limiting access to money and resources. This may include:

• Monitoring a partner's spending.
• Taking away a partner's debit or credit cards.
• Preventing a partner from seeing shared bank account information.
• Putting a partner on an allowance.
• Preventing a partner from going to work by taking their keys, car, bus pass, or other mode of transportation.
• Getting a partner fired by harassing them at work.
• Refusing to provide a partner with money, food, rent, or clothing.
• Maxing out credit cards without a partner's knowledge.

The previous examples are based on definitions and instances from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website and the Michigan State Police website.

Funding statement

This work is supported by funds made available from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) of the HHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), Public Health Infrastructure Center, through PW26-2600: Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant – 2026. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.