Alice Housing About Abuse

Putting down or attacking her spiritual beliefs
Not allowing her to attend the church, synagogue or temple of her choice.

Spiritual abuse

Controlling how she spends money.
Where she works.
What property she buys.

Financial abuse or exploitation

Touching or acting sexual in any way that she does not want.

Sexual abuse

Putting her down and calling her names all the time.
Describing her as stupid, crazy or irrational.
Accusing her of cheating.
Attacking her self-esteem in other ways.

Verbal abuse

Threats to take away her children.
Threatening to commit suicide.
Stalking and harrassing.
Humiliation.
Instilling fear and diminishing her self-esteem.
Controlling where she spends her time, what she does and how she dresses.
Putting limits on who she can talk to, thus isolating her from friends and family.
Denying affection .

Psychological or emotional abuse

Slapping, biting or hitting.
The intentional infliction of physical pain or injury.

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There is no simple explanation for violence against women. Domestic abuse exists in all socio-economic levels and is never justified by social, religious or cultural beliefs. Types of abuse can include:

Physical abuse

Types of Abuse

About Abuse

Violence against women. Why does it continue?

There is no simple explanation for violence against women. It results from many factors in our society that send the message that women are not worth as much as men. Some examples are:

Structures in our society. There are parts of our social system that keep women from being equal. For example, many women:

Don't have as much income to support themselves and their children and don’t have access to subsidized day care.
Can't be sure they’ll be protected if they leave their violent spouse.

Social, religious and cultural beliefs. These are beliefs about male and female roles, which can contribute to violence. For example:

It's okay for men to use force to control women.
The man is the head of the household and women are there to serve men's needs.
The family is a sacred place and what goes on there is nobody else's business.
Families should always have two parents.

Personal life experiences. A person's view of how women should be treated is affected if they:

Witness woman abuse as a child.
Accept that it is normal for men to express anger with violence.

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In 2004, 53% of women and children homeless in the Halifax Regional Municipality were so due to family violence. (Homeless in HRM: Portrait of Streets and Shelters, 2005)
One in three ever married women in Nova Scotia faces assault from an intimate partner in her lifetime. (Dalhousie Medical Journal, 1999)
Children witness violence against their mothers in at least 40% of violent marriages or common-law relationships. (Dalhousie Medical Journal, 1999)
A woman is hit an average of 35 times before she calls the police. (National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, 1992)
30% of women’s injuries presented in emergency departments are attributable to intimate partner violence. (Dalhousie Medical Journal, 1999)
In 1999, 36% of Nova Scotia women who experienced spousal violence reported it to the police. This means that 64% of abused women did not report to police. (NSACSW)
In Nova Scotia, 74 females (including two infant girls) have been murdered or died violently (non-accidentally) since 1989. (NSACSW)

Statistical Information