Physical abuse happens when someone deliberately hurts your body or takes away your control of your body. It can also be referred to as physical violence.

Physical abuse can be things like hitting, slapping or kicking, but it’s important to know that:

• Physical abuse can be anything that causes pain to any part of your body

• Someone can be physically abusive even if they aren't using their body or a weapon to hurt you. Some examples of this are: 

  • Tying, locking you up, or restraining you in any way

  • Giving you medicine or drugs to stop you from moving or thinking clearly

  • Giving you medicine, drugs or food to make you unwell

  • Forcing you to drink alcohol or take drugs

  • Stopping you from taking medicine you need to feel well

  • Leaving you naked or exposed when caring for you

  • Destroying or moving equipment you may need, such as a wheelchair

• You don’t have to have bruises, scratches or marks on your body for it to be physical abuse

• Someone saying they will physically hurt you is also abuse. This is true even if the person never does what they say they will.

Physical abuse can be a form of domestic or family violence. If you or someone you know is experiencing physical violence it is OK to ask for help.

You don’t have to have bruises, scratches or marks on your body for it to be physical abuse.

Financial abuse, also known as economic abuse, is a form of domestic and family violence.

• It often involves someone using money in ways that can hurt and control you

• Financial abuse can also include stopping you from getting a job or forcing you to get loans you don't want.

• Older people are known to experience this type of abuse at higher rates. It often includes theft or misuse of an older person’s money, assets or property.

• Financial abuse affects people of all ages, incomes, cultural backgrounds, genders and physical ability. It can also be hard to recognise, for example, they may use small money transfers to:

  • harass

  • threaten

  • send unwanted messages.

What are the signs of financial abuse?

• money decisions being made without your consent

• unwanted debts or loans forced upon you

• using banking transactions to intimidate, threaten or manipulate.

Psychological abuse is behaviour that aims to cause emotional or mental harm. It may not hurt your body, but can be just as painful and distressing in other ways.

No one behaves perfectly in their relationships all the time. However, when someone deliberately hurts you over and over again it becomes abusive. Behaviour from others that aims to make you feel scared or bad about yourself is not OK.

Psychological abuse can include someone regularly:

• Embarrassing you in public or in front of family, friends, support workers or people you work with

• Calling you names

• Threatening to harm you, your pets, children, or other people who are important to you

• Treating you badly because of things you can’t change — for example, your religion, race, past, disability, gender, sexuality, or family

• Ignoring you or pretending you aren’t there

• Doing and saying things that make you feel confused. This might include someone moving or changing things and then denying they have done this.

• Always correcting what you say with the aim of making you look or feel foolish.

• Intentionally making you question your own memory and mental health, also known as gaslighting. By withholding information and lying, gaslighters try to control a person’s thoughts, feelings, and actions to weaken a person’s confidence deliberately and gradually.

There may be a pattern to the behaviour that happens again and again. Sometimes other types of abuse are going on at the same time. If this kind of abuse is being used to scare and control you it may be domestic or family violence.

No one behaves perfectly in their relationships all the time. However, when someone deliberately hurts you over and over again it becomes abusive.

Spiritual abuse is any attempt to use religion, faith or beliefs to exert power and control over someone. It can involve someone forcing you or your children to join spiritual or religious practices when you don't want to. It can also involve someone stopping you from taking part in spiritual or religious practices that you want to participate in. It is a type of emotional abuse and coercive control. 

Spiritual abuse is when someone uses religion or beliefs to control, isolate or scare you. It can be part of a pattern and may happen alongside other types of abuse. If it’s used to make you feel afraid or powerless, it can be domestic or family violence.

What can spiritual abuse look like?

• Stopping you from practising your faith

• Forcing you to follow beliefs you don’t agree with

• Pressuring you or your children to take part in religious practices

• Using spiritual teachings or leaders to:

  • Justify abuse

  • Blame you for the violence

  • Pressure you to stay in a harmful relationship

  • Stop you or your kids from getting medical care

• Forcing you into a marriage you don’t want

• Shaming or mocking your beliefs

• Stopping you from returning home to Country

Spiritual abuse can be a form of domestic and family violence. If you or someone you know is experiencing this type of abuse it is okay to ask for help.

Neglect happens when the person or people who care for you do not give you the things you need to be healthy, comfortable and safe. There may be a pattern to the behaviour that happens again and again. Sometimes other types of abuse are going on at the same time. If this kind of abuse is being used to scare and control you it may be domestic or family violence.

Neglect mainly affects people who access help with daily tasks. The main groups affected by neglect are:

• People with disability who receive support from a carer, family member, paid support worker or service provider

• Elderly people who access regular care

• Children

• People living in or accessing institutional environments, including group homes and day support facilities

• People who temporarily need extra support with daily living. For example, someone recovering from surgery or an accident.

Being neglected means you don’t have all the things you need to feel healthy and safe. These things might include:

• Enough good quality food and water

• Enough personal care and personal support

• A place to live that is safe, clean and healthy

• Enough space for personal privacy

• Enough bathroom space for privacy

• Access to outings

• Transportation to necessary appointments

• The right clothes and shoes for the weather

• Ways to keep your clothes and body clean. This might include access to running water or help to wash yourself.

• A safe, peaceful, comfortable place to sleep

• Love and care. This means that you are treated kindly, that you have people to talk to, and that you feel cared for and valuable.

It is important to know that everyone has a right to these things. Neglect can be a form of domestic or family violence. If someone who is meant to be helping you feel cared for and safe is not doing so, it’s OK to ask for help.