Maltreatment that takes place in the context of any romantic relationship is abuse as described by the above specific terms.
It therefore affects men, women, or teen girls and boys, whether in a married or unmarried heterosexual or homosexual relationship.
For children it may be where they are most vulnerable to assault, misuse or deprivation, ironically at the very hands of those who have a duty to safeguard and nourish them.
Excessive anxiety that causes distress or impairment, or that interferes with normal function, is considered an anxiety disorder.
Domestic violence -- also called dating violence, intimate partner abuse, spousal abuse, intimate partner violence, and domestic abuse -- takes many forms.
Please also not that there is now a second page of personal domestic abuse stories here!
"I keep thinking if I just stopped and looked I would've seen the signs and could have ran away before it got to the point of being too scared to even leave the house.
Stalking and cyber-stalking are also forms of intimate partner abuse.
Domestic Violence is a violent confrontation between family or household members involving physical harm, sexual assault, or fear of physical harm.
Lots of things qualify as “unwanted sexual experiences,” even if at first a boy or man was grateful for the attention.
It could include an experience that a man may not be ready to label as abusive, or even understand how it might have been.
Anxiety is closely related to fear, which is the response to a real or perceived immediate threat.
Fear and anxiety are normal evolved responses in both humans and animals, and physical responses are linked to the "fight-or-flight" system.
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