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TAKE PLEDGE

I pledge to take action to end domestic violence. To...

  • Learn about the facts, warning signs, and educate myself and my community.
  • Speak up against discrimination and violence to break the stigma.
  • Support survivors by reassuring them they are not alone, that help is out there.
  • Listen to survivors without judgment, reassuring their trust and safety.
  • Donate my time or funds to support programs helping victims overcome traumatic experiences.
  • Empower survivors to seek financial independence through programs like Live Your Dream: Education & Training Awards for Women.

Signs of Physical Abuse

  1. Hitting, punching, kicking, shoving, choking or slapping you
  2. Using weapons to inflict harm or threaten you
  3. Controlling what you eat or when you sleep
  4. Forcing you to do work against your will
  5. Forcing you to use drugs or alcohol
  6. Stopping you from seeking medical treatment or calling the police

Signs of Emotional Abuse

  1. Attacking your sense of self worth
  2. Insulting you, calling you names, criticizing you, humiliating you
  3. Acting jealous or possessive, accusing you of being with other partners
  4. Withholding affection or acknowledgement in order to punish you
  5. Cheating on you intentionally
  6. Lying to you

Signs of Psychological Abuse

  1. Threatening to hurt you, your loved ones, your pets, your children, or your possessions
  2. Controlling the time you spend with others, or monitoring where you go
  3. Controlling what you wear, often with the accusation that you attract too much attention
  4. Damaging or stealing your belongings
  5. Blaming you for the abuse, saying that you deserve what happens or that you instigated the problem
  6. Gaslighting, i.e. saying things to make you question your perception of reality, such as “That never happened, you never remember correctly,” or “Don’t get angry over such little things, you’re too sensitive.”

Signs of Sexual Abuse & Coercion

  1. Forcing or manipulating you to perform sexual acts
  2. Demanding sex when you’re not willing or able
  3. Harming you during sex by choking, holding or striking you
  4. Forcing you to watch pornography
  5. Insulting you in sexual ways

Signs of Reproductive Coercion

  1. Refusing to use a condom or other method of birth control
  2. Refusing to let you use birth control medication or devices
  3. Sabotaging birth control efforts such as poking holes in condoms, swapping out birth control pills, not pulling out, forcibly removing an IUD, etc.
  4. Forcing you to become pregnant
  5. Forcing you to have an abortion, or preventing you from getting one, regardless of your wishes

Signs of Financial Abuse

  1. Preventing you from having access to bank accounts with your money
  2. Only permitting you to spend from an allowance
  3. Monitoring how you spend money and deciding what can or cannot buy
  4. Stealing your money or using your savings without your permission
  5. Refusing to contribute to shared expenses such as rent, food, childcare, etc.

Signs of Digital Abuse

  1. Sending you insulting or threatening messages over text, email or social media
  2. Using social media sites like Facebook to track what you are doing and where you are
  3. Demanding you send sexually explicit photos or videos of yourself, or sending you their own
  4. Looking through your phone and checks your call history, texts, pictures, etc.
  5. Ordering you to not turn off your phone or punishing you when you don’t answer

Signs of Stalking

  1. Following you
  2. Spying on you, including cyber stalking
  3. Sending you unwanted packages, letters, texts, or messages
  4. Calling you at home or at work after you’ve told them to not to contact you

Domestic violence comes in all sizes and shapes, because every relationship is different. If you have a feeling that you or a loved one may be in an abusive relationship, here are some of the domestic violence warning signs to watch for.

LiveYourDream.org is an online volunteer and activist network offering flexible action opportunities to improve the lives of women and girls.

42 Domestic Violence Warning Signs

Psychological & Sexual

Reproductive & Financial

Digital & Stalking

Pledge to End
Violence Against Women

What Should I Do If I'm Being Abused?

Who Should I Call for Help?

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please CALL 911.

For crisis and counseling services, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1-800-787-3224.

Hotline advocates are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year to provide confidential crisis intervention, safety planning, information and referrals to agencies in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

If you’ve witnessed any of the domestic violence warning signs, t’s important to recognize that domestic violence is not normal, and no human being ever deserves to be abused. There is no shame in seeking help or looking for an escape. You are not responsible for what has happened, but you are responsible for what happens next. You have the power to help yourself.

At LiveYourDream.org’s Resource Page we’ve listed some valuable links to help your get the support you need.

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