Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Defining Physical and Sexual Abuse
• Method 2 of 4: Defining Emotional Abuse
• Method 3 of 4: Defining Financial Violence and Violence at Work
• Method 4 of 4: Helping a Girlfriend Who Is Being Abused
• Tips

If you believe that a woman you know, be it a friend, family member, or coworker, is being abused, it is very important to know what decals can be seen. Violence can range from physical to psychological, financial, or both. If someone you know is being abused, you can read more about how to help her in Method 4. If you are currently witnessing the abuse, call the police and report the incident.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Defining Physical and Sexual Abuse

1. 1 It is necessary to understand what physical abuse is. Physical violence is any act against a woman with the intent to hurt or intimidate her. It can also include forcing a woman to physically act in any way that is against her will. Physical abuse includes:
   • Punching, kicking, pushing, or physically attacking a woman.
   • Using a weapon to injure a woman.
   • Using force to coerce a woman into certain actions, submission or loss of control.
2. 2 Identify signs that the woman is being physically abused. Physical abuse often results in bodily harm such as wounds and bruises. The abuser can force the woman to hide the damage. If you see a woman with the following symptoms, she may be physically abused:
   • Injury marks such as burns, bruises, open wounds, and unexplained fractures.
   • She can avoid contact with everyone around her.
   • You may notice that she trembles violently and is easily frightened.
3. 3 Learn what sexual assault is. Sexual violence is when a woman is forced to have sex against her consent. Sexual abuse also includes actions of another person that control her ability to control her body, such as forcing her to get pregnant or have an abortion. Sexual assault can also include the following:
   • Forcing a woman to have sexual intercourse or engaging in sexual activities, or forcing her to observe other people's sexual activities.
   • Inflicting injuries on a woman during intercourse.
4. 4 Identify the signs of sexual assault against a woman. There are certain signs you can watch when you are convinced that a woman you know is being sexually abused. However, many of these signs are bodily and can be hidden under clothing, making them difficult to recognize. These features include:
   • Bruises around her buttocks, chest and genitals
   • Difficulty walking, sitting, or moving.
   • Unexplained pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, or stomach and abdominal pain.
   • Signs of exhaustion.
5. 5 You listen to excuses that don't make sense. A common symptom of physical abuse is incredible excuses to explain repeated injury. A woman may have new injuries and new excuses every day. The abuser may bully her even more if she tells someone about what is really happening to her, so she comes up with excuses for each injury.
   • If you see new injuries in a woman you know every day, you should consider how she can deal with the situation. See method 4 for more details.
6. 6 Pay special attention if you are not allowed to see and communicate with the woman for suspicious reasons. Some rapists may force women to be isolated in order to cover up the damage they have inflicted on her.
   • If you have tried to see your friend several times and she has refused or presented strange excuses, you may be correct in your suspicions.

Method 2 of 4: Defining Emotional Abuse

1. 1 You need to know what is related to emotional abuse. Emotional abuse is the use of verbal or psychological threats to control or subdue another person. This type of violence can have a variety of manifestations, including:
   • Constant criticism of a woman through ridicule, abuse or intimidation.
   • Exercising emotions such as excessive jealousy, hostility and aggression to intimidate and manipulate her.
   • Discontent, even if the woman does everything in her power to try to make the person happy.
   • Threats and intimidation of a woman with gestures or actions without actually physically harming her.
2. 2 Look for signs of emotional abuse. When a woman is emotionally abused, she may behave differently. A violent relationship can be very harmful psychologically, and a previously outgoing and friendly woman can become withdrawn or depressed. If a woman you know shows the following signs, she may be in an emotionally abusive relationship.
   • She is insecure and lacks self-respect.
   • She is embarrassed to voice her opinion, and when she does, she cannot make eye contact with you.
   • She may break off other relationships, such as friendships, and may note that her partner is “very jealous” or “protective”.
   • She may cry often, or look like she has recently cried; her eyes may be red, puffy, and puffy, with dark circles underneath.
3. 3 Know that spiritual abuse is also a form of emotional abuse. Emotional abuse, also called psychological abuse, can also include prohibiting a woman from practicing her religion. Her rapist may belittle her for her faith or religion. Her rapist can also:
   • Restrict her access to places of worship.
   • Prohibit her from performing religious activities.
   • Forcing her to follow the rapist's religion against her will.

Method 3 of 4: Defining Financial Violence and Violence at Work

1. 1 It is necessary to understand what constitutes financial violence. Financial violence means the misappropriation of a woman's money and property without her consent. An abuser can forcibly obtain a woman's financial or identity information in order to gain access to her money. Financial violence also includes:
   • Stealing money from a woman or a woman's family.
   • Forcing a woman to disclose information about her bank accounts.
   • Controlling women's purchases or establishing a “benefit” for her against her will.
   • Failure to provide a woman with sufficient funds to properly care for herself or her family.
   • Forcing a woman to sell bonds, stocks and other capital.
2. 2 Look for signs of financial abuse. Because financial violence is more difficult to identify than other forms of violence, there are some signs you may find if you think a woman is being financially abused.
   • If a woman has a well-paying job, but her clothes are old and tattered, she looks like she’s not eating enough, then she may be a victim of financial abuse.
   • Please note if a woman is very careful with money, keeps all receipts and very rarely makes purchases. Note that this may just be a sign of someone trying to save money. You can bring up the topic by carefully asking something like, "Save up for a long trip?" or something else that raises this issue.
   • Look out for broken or damaged property, or if the woman suddenly loses a lot of property.
   • Please note if you notice that the woman does not have access to her bank accounts or she cannot go to the bank.
3. 3 Be aware that violence can take place in the workplace. It can also be called sexual harassment. Workplace violence is when a woman is confronted with sexual advances, verbal or physical actions that insult or intimidate the woman, or is threatened by colleagues, both physically and verbally. Workplace violence occurs when:
   • A woman's employment is influenced by sexual advancement or violence by her colleagues.
   • The sexual harassment and verbal threats to which she is exposed interfere with the woman's ability to do the job.
   • She feels intimidated, embarrassed, or offended by people doing this.
4. 4 Pay attention to signs of workplace violence. If you think a woman is being abused in the workplace, but she doesn’t step forward or say anything, look for signs that include:
   • The woman looks intimidated when she starts work and tries to avoid the office as much as possible.
   • She is often absent or late for work.
   • She shows low levels of productivity even though in the past she has shown herself to be more than capable of doing the job.

Method 4 of 4: Helping a Girlfriend Who Is Being Abused

1. 1 Call the support hotline if you are unsure of how to confront your friend or if you fear that a woman you know may be in serious danger. If you're worried about a woman you know, whether she's a friend, colleague, or just an acquaintance, and you don't know how you can help her without putting her in further danger, contact an agency that can help you. These agencies include:
   • National Domestic Violence Hotline. Call 800-799-SAFE (7233).
   • Office of Violence against Women.
   • National Network on Rape, Harassment and Incest.
2. 2 Take time to talk to your friend and tell her that you are concerned about her safety. Try to make sure you can be alone with the woman and away from those you suspect of being abusive.
   • A personal conversation can help your friend open up and tell everything about her situation.
3. 3 Tell your friend that you are concerned that she is in danger. Think about the times when you were afraid for her or noticed that she was acting strangely. Try to help her understand that she should not stay in this situation and there are ways to get away from it.
   • Make it clear that you are here and ready to support her in whatever way you can.
4. 4 Be sympathetic and listen to whatever your friend has to tell you. Remember that it can be difficult for her to open up about her experiences. Listen to whatever she has to say and make it clear that you are on her side.
   • Consider offering her specific support, whether it be to take her somewhere else, help her with the children, or just lend her a shoulder to cry.
5. 5 Don't make her feel guilty. Although you may feel a lot of anger towards the abuser, try not to make your friend feel guilty or embarrassed by saying something like, "Why haven't you left him yet?" Instead, show your anxiety to make her realize that she has a choice.
   • Say something like, “I get very scared when I think you are alone with him. I want to help you find a solution in any way that I can. "
6. 6 Offer to talk to a professional who can help. Try to nudge your girlfriend to seek professional help. For example, talk to your local anti-violence authority or even contact the police.
   • Although you can contact these organizations for her, she should seek help herself.
7. 7 Discuss your security plan. Help your friend come up with a plan to keep her and her family, if she has one, safe. Talk about:
   • How she can get away from the rapist, together with her children and, if possible, with her pets.
   • Places where she can go so the abuser does not look for her, such as shelters for abused women or a friend's house where the abuser cannot find her.
   • Discuss the means of obtaining a court protection order that will cause the abuser to stay away from the woman.
8. 8 Try to support your friend no matter what she decides. Unfortunately, people in abusive relationships often choose to stay with the abuser for many different reasons. Your friend may decide to leave the abuser, but then return to him again. If she does, continue to offer her all you can and encourage her to spend less time with the abuser.
   • If a friend decides to leave the rapist forever, try to support her emotionally during this difficult period. Offer to help her get support from services that work with women who are victims of violence.

Tips

• If you witness violence, call the police immediately. You may be asked to submit a written statement stating what you saw.