Dating Violence Continuum

Physical Abuse	Emotional & Psychological Abuse	Sexual Abuse
Pinch/Squeeze	Joking about habits/making insults	Sexist jokes
Push/Shove	Ignoring partner’s feelings	Sexual objectification
Shake/Jerk	Withholding approval as punishment	Jealousy
Slap	Yelling	Minimizing partner’s feelings and needs regarding sex
Bite	Name-calling	Criticizing partner sexually
Push/Shake/Slap that bruises	Calling partner a “sell-out"	Unwanted touch
Punch/Hit	Repeated insults/labeling	Withholding sex and affection
Kick	Threatening to “out” partner	Sexual labels like “whore” or “frigid"
Choke	Humiliation in private	Always demanding sex
Throwing objects	Ridiculing partner’s gender identity	Forcing partner to watch sexual acts with others
Target physical blows to specific parts of the body	Humiliation in public	Demanding sex with threats
Use of household objects as weapons	Blaming partner for all faults	Forcing sex
Throwing person	Threats of violence/retaliation	Forcing sex with others
Restraining and physical blows	Putting down partner’s abilities to act on own behalf	Forcing uncomfortable sex
Abuse that requires medical treatment	Hiding/destroying partner’s adaptive equipment	Forcing sex after beatings
Use of conventional weapons	Demanding all of partner’s attention/restricting contact with others	Sadism
Abuse that leads to disfigurement or disability	Unpredictable consequences or actions	Murder
Murder	Attacking sense of reality
	Murder

Jan Kaufman

Director of Health Promotion