I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence
– Lupe Fiasco
TYPES OF VIOLENCE
1. Physical violence
Physical violence is when a person hurts or tries to hurt other person by hitting, kicking, or using another type of physical force
2. Verbal abuse
Verbal abuse is a mental abuse that involves oral language, gestured language, and written language directed to a victim
3. Psychological violence
Any intentional conduct that seriously impairs another person’s psychological integrity through coercion or threats
4. Cultural violence
Represents the existence of prevailing or prominent social norms that make direct and structural violence seem “natural” or “right” or at least acceptable
5. Sexual violence
Sexual violence refers to any sexual act or attempts to obtain a sexual act or unwanted sexual comments that are directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion by anyone, regardless of their relationship with the victim
6. Financial violence
Economic abuse is when one intimate partner controls the other partner’s access to financial resources, which diminishes the victim’s capacity to support themselves and forces them to depend on the perpetrator financially
How to recognize that someone is experiencing an act of violence?
Sometimes it may be hard to understand that someone you know is experiencing acts of violence. Very rarely do victims tend to speak about it and acknowledge harm openly.
Some signs that the person may be experiencing violence:
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Excuses for injuries
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Personality changes, like low self-esteem in someone who was always confident
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Constantly checking in with their partner
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Never having money on hand
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Overly worried about pleasing their partner
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Skipping out on work, school, or social outings for no apparent reason
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Wearing clothes that don’t fit the season, like long sleeves in summer to cover bruises
Where to search for help?
Do not forget that you are not alone. Here are some pages that can help you:
“Silence Hides Violence” project is co-founded by the European Solidarity Corps programme of the European Union and implemented together with Active Youth Association.