What do you know about non-physical domestic violence?

You never raise your hand or voice to your partner, but yet you face accusations of domestic violence. Could the charge stem from non-physical violence?

WebMD explores emotional and psychological abuse in relationships. Determine if your partner may have a solid case against you.

Mental abuse

A person who verbally or nonverbally harms her or his partner may commit domestic violence. Examples of psychological abuse include threatening harm either to one’s self or one’s partner, name-calling, yelling, ongoing criticism, shaming and blaming. A partner who threatens her or his significant other’s pets, property or children may also commit mental domestic violence.

Financial abuse

One partner may control all streams of income in a relationship, which may amount to financial abuse. This type of domestic violence may also look like forbidding one partner from gaining higher education or getting a job.

Community abuse

Domestic violence may take different forms depending on which community or group a person belongs to. For instance, non-physical violence in the LGBTQ community may look like one partner threatening to out the other or questioning a person’s transgender, bisexual or gay identity.

Domestic abuse in the disabled community may look like one partner stealing disability benefits, not helping the disabled partner bathe or complete everyday tasks or intentionally damaging assistive equipment.

An immigrant may face abuse if her or his romantic partner threatens to call ICE or a similar law enforcement agency or prevents the immigrant from learning English. An abusive partner may keep the immigrant from communicating with loved ones back home.

You may commit domestic violence without realizing it. Consider speaking with a professional to understand and protect your rights and legal options.