Are there different kinds of abuse?

Yes, there are several different kinds of abuse including: prejudice, neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, survival sex, prostitution, domestic violence, date rape, rape or other crimes. It can be hard to decide what abuse is, so if you're not sure, keep reading or talk with someone you trust who can help you understand what is going on in your life.

What is child abuse?

Are their different kinds of abuse?

Am I being abused?

Why am I being abused?

Is it my fault?

How do I get help?

How can Nineline help me?

meet a Covenant House kid

visit our forum on abuse

download info on abuse (pdf)

abuse information for caregivers

Prejudice is practiced by people who feel frightened by those who are different from them. This fear leads them to treat others unfairly. Most of them believe their prejudice is normal and acceptable. They will put you down because of your race, religion, nationality or sexual orientation. They will use written or verbal insults, threats or physical attacks, or cause damage to your property.

Neglect can result in serious injuries, especially to young children.

It happens when a parent or guardian:

Abandons you
Causes you to be homeless
Does not supervise you
Does not send you to school
Does not help you get medical and dental care
Does not provide you with enough food, adequate and clean shelter, and/or appropriate clothing.

Emotional abuse happens when a parent or other person responsible for your well-being uses words and feelings to strike out, embarrass, shame, insult or reject you. It is different from physical or sexual abuse in a very important way -- it is never a one-time incident. Emotional abuse happens for months and years before damage is clear. Unfortunately, by the time the injury is noticed, you may already be having a lot of difficulty coping with life.

Physical abuse happens when a parent, or someone else responsible for you, injures you willfully or negligently, for example during punishment or during a fight.

The harm may include:

Visible injuries like bruises, welts and cuts; human bite marks; burns (for example from cigarettes, irons, hot liquids or ropes); displaced or broken bones; swelling.
Internal injuries, which must be seen through tests and X-rays. Signs include bleeding and/or torn soft tissue (muscles, for example), pain, dizziness or faintness.
A "near miss" such as when you're able to move quickly and escape harm. (This can be difficult to prove, but if you think your parent would have seriously injured you, it is abuse.)

Sexual abuse occurs when a parent or other person responsible for your care involves you in any sexual activity.

Sexual abuse includes:

Being fondled, touched, kissed, stroked or rubbed on or near the rectum, breasts or genitals; For girls, the genitals are the vagina and internal parts that lead into your uterus. For boys, genitals are the penis and testes (or balls)
Being asked or forced to touch an adult; this includes touching done with the person's body or using an object
Being forced to watch an adult masturbate, or to watch adults have intercourse, or when the person watches you do these things
Being asked or forced to have sexual intercourse in any form -- in the mouth, genitals or rectum

Survival sex and prostitution both involve using sex to survive. If you are practicing survival sex you might be exchanging sex for food, shelter, clothing or other things like drugs. If you are practicing prostitution you might be exchanging sex for these basics as well as money. In either case, it is abusive and illegal for anyone to take advantage of you this way.

Domestic violence involves a lot of fighting in your home that, in turn, might lead to abuse of a parent or child. It is, generally, a situation where the children are witness to, or exposed to a lot of violent behavior: of one parent toward another; between both parents; among siblings; between parents and children.

Domestic violence might include, or take the form of:

Criticizing such as shouting or name calling
Threatening to take away the phone, car or money without reason
Constantly disrespecting you by putting you down, or not listening or responding to you when you talk ·
Consistently Isolating you by preventing you from talking with or seeing friends and relatives
Regularly Threatening you with physical or sexual violence
Then Denying that they are abusive by trying to convince you that you caused their behavior, apologizing and acting completely different in public

As a member of the family, you may witness any or all of the above happening to another family member (parent, sibling, grand-parent), or it may be happening to you.

Rape and date rape happen when a stranger or someone you know forces you to perform sexual acts or have intercourse against your will. It is important to seek help immediately if you are raped by calling 911 and going to your local hospital emergency room � before showering or bathing. You should ask for a rape exam so the hospital can gather evidence of the crime, contact the police and offer you counseling. If you think you have been the victim of date rape drugs (tasteless, odorless and colorless drugs that make you incapable of saying �no� to sex), ask the hospital to test you for these drugs immediately because they leave your system without a trace within 72 hours.

Other crimes that result in your emotional or physical injury are considered abuse as well. Even if you were the victim of abuse a long time ago, there are people who can help you deal with the crime and regain control of your life.