DEFINITIONS OF VIOLENCE
Psychological abuse
Mental abuse can, for example, be expressed in the form of verbal or physical abuse. Mental abuse has many manifestations, including but not limited to::
- Naming and belittling
- Screaming
- Humiliating
- Hindering communication with others, such as relatives or friends
- Controlling behavior or dress code
- Destroying property
- Threatening to harm others or oneself
- Making victims doubt their experiences
Psychological abuse can occur alongside physical abuse, or the abuse may start as psychological abuse but progress to physical abuse. Psychological abuse can also occur even if there has never been physical abuse, and this does not diminish the severity of the abuse. A relationship can be violent and it can have very bad and devastating consequences for the victims, even if the abuse is never physical.
Gaslighting, for example, is a form of psychological abuse that can be very subtle but is nonetheless abuse and can have serious consequences for the victim. Gaslighting can undermine the victim’s reality, for example where the perpetrator denies the victim’s facts and feelings, in order to control the person. More about gaslighting here: Andlegt ofbeldi | Sjúkást (sjukast.is)
More about psychological abuse: