Domestic violence is abuse that may be physical, verbal and/or psychological. The intent is the same – to injure or degrade a victim. According to a professional domestic violence lawyer in Orange County, domestic violence can involve several parties, tactics, and consequences. Abusers dominate and control a victim, through abuse.

a. Physical Domestic Violence

California Family Code Section 6203 defines physical abuse as someone intentionally or recklessly causing or attempting to injure someone. Physical also abuse includes starvation, sleep deprivation, and denial of medical treatment. Physical abuse that does not cause pain, bruising or injury is still domestic violence.

b. Sexual Abuse

A few abusers use sexual activity to degrade another person. Sexual abuse includes sex trafficking, physically harming someone during sex, sabotaging the birth control of a partner, and distributing explicit pictures without consent.

Non-Physical Domestic Violence

Domestic violence includes covert forms of abuse as well, such as:

1. Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse accompanies physical abuse. It includes harassment such as stalking, isolation, humiliation, and intimidation.

2. Verbal Abuse

Verbally abusive relationships include derogatory statements (name-calling), degrading comments, threats, blaming, and false accusations by the abuser.

3. Financial Abuse

Financial abuse includes ruining the credit score of the victim, preventing them from working, and withholding money. An expert for family law in Orange County suggests that financial abusers exert a coercive control over spending. If married, they limit their spouse’s access to money.

4. Technological Abuse

California Penal Code Section 649.9 (e) punishes stalking and harassment through an “electronic communication device.” Examples of technological abuse include controlling social media accounts, monitoring through G.P.S. tracking, and incessant text messaging.

There may be several indications or signs of domestic violence. No matter if it is physical abuse or online harassment, abusers often display a pattern of controlling behavior.

Abusers often blame the victim for the abuse

  • Abusers excessively criticize their victims. They unfairly blame the victim for the abusive behavior.
  • Some will deliberately humiliate their partners or ex-partners in front of children, friends, or co-workers.
  • The majority of abusers belittle, demean, and direct relentless insults at their partners.

Abusers justify their abuse

  • An abuser often blames his or her victim for anything wrong that happens, no matter the cause.
  • He or she will likely find an external justification for their abusive behavior, such as stress or a bad day at work.

Abusers will deny or minimize their existence or impacts of their abuse

  • Between periods of abuse, they may show restraint.
  • They may act charming or polite in public settings to hide the ill effects of the abusive relationship.
  • They may even apologize for past abuse, promising to change their habits only to repeat the cycle of violence.

Domestic violence abuse is a learned behavior. Childhood exposure to domestic abuse may normalize violence as conflict resolution. Boys that grew up in abusive homes are 10x more like to become abusers than boys who didn’t.

If you are also in search of a specialized family or divorce lawyer in Orange County, look no further than Sunita Sood at The Law Offices of Sood and Sood!

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