spousal abuse
Partner harming partner
Spousal abuse is physical, emotional, sexual, or financial harm inflicted by one partner on the other within a marriage.
The term encompasses a range of behaviors from verbal intimidation and controlling conduct to physical violence.
Though *spousal* technically refers to married couples, the term is often used interchangeably with *domestic abuse* or *intimate partner violence*, which apply to unmarried partners as well.
She finally left after years of spousal abuse.
- restraining orderCourt-enforced avoidance mandate
- gaslightingManipulation causing self-doubt
- emotional manipulationExploiting feelings for control
- silent treatmentRefusing to speak
- safety planningDeveloping strategies to prevent harm
pressing charges · escape plan · safe house · physical violence · coercive control · learned helplessness · red flags · family court · custody battle · power imbalance · walking on eggshells · victim advocacy · intergenerational trauma · domestic violence · abusive relationship · protective custody · isolation · therapy sessions
- victim servicesvictim support, victim advocate, victim assistance, crisis intervention, safe house
- domestic abusedomestic violence, battering, batterer, wife beating, intimate partner violence
- divorce groundsadultery, cruelty, desertion, abandonment, infidelity
- marital offensesadultery, bigamy, unfaithfulness, cruelty, neglect
- family tragedyfamilicide, filicide, infanticide, matricide, patricide
- harmharming, injury, hurting, injuring, burn
spousal abusemarital harmony
Peaceful union between spouses
domestic bliss · marital devotion · mutual respect · cherishing · spousal support