Domestic Violence Information

After people learn about domestic violence they are often interested in ways they can predict potential abuse in relationships.

Below is a list of behaviors that are seen in abusive intimate partners. The more signs the person has, the more likely the person has a battering personality and a potential for relationship violence. Initially batterers excuse abusive behavior as signs of love and concern (which can very be flattering), however, as the relationship progresses these abusive behaviors become more controlling, abusive and violent.

Traumatic bonding is the development of strong emotional ties between two persons, with one person intermittently harassing, beating, threatening, abusing or intimidating the other. Traumatic bonding includes two common features:

1) the existence of a power imbalance where the victim perceives him/herself as dominated by the other person
2) the intermittent nature of the abuse.