What is Woman Abuse? Woman abuse is physical, sexual, psychological, financial or emotional abuse, or the threat thereof, of a woman, by someone with whom she has an intimate relationship. Intimate partners include a husband, common-law partner, boyfriend, same sex partner or an ex-husband, partner or boyfriend. Forms of Abuse Include: Physical Abuse is slapping, hitting, punching, kicking, burning, choking, stabbing, shooting, pushing or biting. It is being slammed against a wall or being injured with a weapon or object. It can include restraining or withholding food or medical attention. Brutal beatings can result in bruising, lacerations, broken bones or death. Sexual Abuse includes unwanted or forcible sexual touching or activity, having pain or injury inflicted during sexual acts, malicious withholding of sex, demeaning sexually through jokes, name calling, excessive jealousy, sexual accusations and denied ability to protect herself from sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Emotional/Psychological Abuse is the experience of criticism, name-calling and put-downs, alone or in front of friends and relatives that over time has a debilitating effect on victims. It includes any abuse which attacks self-esteem by acts such as unjust blaming, false accusations about loyalty, controls on time, activities and actions, shouting, screaming, any form of degradation or denial of ideas and feelings. It includes living with the constant fear caused by threats to the woman or the people or animals who are dear to her, of murder and physical harm, suicide, kidnaping children, property loss or damage, or deportation. It can also include control of a woman's eating and sleeping habits, use of weapons, harassment, verbal attacks that humiliate her or make her feel insecure, constant criticism, unfair accusations, isolation from friends, forcible participation in degrading acts and all other acts which are designed to manipulate, intimidate or terrorize her into compliance. Economic Abuse means having no access to the family's money. It implies that the abusive partner maintains control of the family finances, deciding without regard for the other person how the money is to be spent or saved, thereby reducing the woman to complete dependence for money to meet her personal needs. Even though a woman may live in a comfortable house, wear good clothing or have children who are well-equipped with toys and luxuries, she may have no control over what monies come into the family or over any decisions about what will be bought. Economic abuse can include withholding or restricting money needed for necessities like food or clothing, preventing her from getting or keeping a job, taking her money, denying her independent access to money or excluding her from financial decision-making. As with all forms of woman abuse, economic abuse occurs at all socioeconomic levels.