Types of Abuse
Give an example of emotional abuse.
Answers vary. (Ex. calling names, threats, degrading, accusing you of cheating when you aren't)
What percentage of children living in a home with domestic violence are aware that it's happening?
Nearly 90%
Name one reason that a person might stay in an abusive relationship.
A variety of answers are acceptable; financial problems, isolation, lack of a job / shelter / food, trauma bonding, loving the person, etc.
What are released in your brain / body that allow you to react to an assault?
Hormones
True or False: You must pass out or lose consciousness for strangulation to cause harm.
False. Even temporary lack of oxygen can cause brain damage and other life-threatening injuries. Brain damage, miscarriage, heart attacks, and delayed death can happen up to weeks following an assault.
What type of abuse is "stealthing" or removing a condom without the other partner's consent?
Reproductive Coercion
True. Some partners attempt to use traditional gender roles as a means to control their partner.
Rather than asking "Why doesn't he/she leave?" in situations of domestic violence, what question better holds the perpetrator accountable?
"Why doesn't he/she stop being abusive?" or "Why doesn't the abuser leave?"
What response initiates the chemical release associated with feeling danger?
"Fight or Flight" Response (also Fawn or Freeze!)
True or False: Strangulation always leaves visible, external injuries.
False. 50% of strangulation victims have no visible injuries. This includes those that die as a result of strangulation.
What is the name for the type of abuse being used when a partner threatens suicide if their partner leaves?
Threat or Coercion
Why might an abuser try to keep their partner away from family members or friends?
Isolation makes it more difficult for a person to seek support outside the relationship.
In "Maid", what type of health issue did the main character's mother struggle with?
Mental Health / Mania
Tonic immobility is a type of involuntary response that occurs in 12-50% of people experiencing violence. What is an example of Tonic Immobility?
Increased breathing, eye closure, muscular paralysis / "freeze" response
What's the difference between "choking" and "strangulation"?
"Choking" is an internal blockage of the airway (like food) and "strangulation" is an intentional act to cut off a person's oxygen and blood supply to the rest of the body.
What type of coercion occurs when a partner reacts with sadness, anger, or resentment when their sexual advances are turned down?
Sexual coercion
True or False: Domestic violence is just an anger or impulse control issue.
False. Anger is a tool used to control; we know abusers are in control because they CAN and DO stop as soon as there is a potential witness.
What is "generational violence"?
"Generational violence" refers to the "cycle of abuse"; if abusive behavior is normalized during childhood, red flags are often overlooked later in life.
Explain "Correlation doesn't mean causation."
Increased risks associated with high ACEs scores DO NOT guarantee those outcomes, but they do help us understand why some people are more susceptible than others. (Ice cream / Violence / Heat example.)
What are some psychological consequences of strangulation?
PTSD, depression, suicidal ideation, memory problems, nightmares, anxiety, severe stress reaction, amnesia, and psychosis.
What is being disregarded when a partner breaks the other person's "rules" for what they are comfortable with?
Boundaries
True or False: Couples counseling is always recommended for relationships that involve domestic violence.
True or False: You need a police report before calling a domestic violence shelter.
False. A police report isn't required to seek help, and many survivors avoid filing reports due to fear of retaliation by their abuser.
4 or higher
What are some neurological injuries that can result from strangulation?
Facial/eyelid droop, left or right side weakness, loss of sensation, loss of memory, paralysis, and delayed fatality.