But, I Love Him
Is love enough to overcome abuse? By DomesticShelters.org It’s true, he hurts me. He’s controlling, and it’s starting to really get me down. I should just leave. But, I love…
The Connection Between Cults and Domestic Violence
What studying cults can teach us about control and victim shaming By Shelley Flannery Hearing the phrase “drank the Kool-Aid” is like nails on a chalkboard to clinical psychologist Patrick…
A Guide to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
The signs and symptoms of PTSD in survivors of domestic violence Amanda Kippert One possible side effect of living through trauma is post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. This mental health…
Is Your Partner Exploiting Your Work?
You work too hard, and you feel you have no choice about it. Is your partner exploiting your labor? By Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD In many couples, both people work…
Possessiveness: The Precursor to Power and Control
Eight signs you should run before the abuse begins By Shelley Flannery We’re taught from a very young age that jealousy and possessiveness are signs of true love. If you…
8 Common Post-Separation Domestic Abuse Tactics
Even after a survivor leaves, the abuser doesn’t always stop abusing By Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD When domestic abuse victims leave a relationship, we assume they are safe. However, 90%…
Is Mutual Abuse Real?
The term is most often used as a manipulation or victim-blaming tactic By Stephanie Thurrott Mutual abuse—a term to describe two partners are mutually abusive against each other—is rare and…
Abuse That’s Hard to Recognize: Coercive Control
Intimate partner abuse that is often disguised as love By Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD Isolation. Threats. Humiliation. Sometimes even physical abuse. These are the weapons of coercive control, a strategy…
What Is Sexual Coercion?
Just because it’s not rape, doesn’t mean it’s not abuse By Shelley Flannery Maybe your partner guilted you into it, or just kept asking until you relented. Or maybe he…