Domestic violence occurs between people in a range of domestic relationships including spousal relationships, intimate personal relationships, past relationships, family relationships and informal care relationships.

In relationships where domestic violence occurs, the violent behaviors can include:

• physical abuse (including slapping, hitting, punching, pushing, biting, kicking)
• threatening to hurt you, your relatives, friends or work colleagues in some way
• damaging property such as furniture, the house or pets in order to frighten and intimidate you
• emotional abuse (making you feel worthless, criticising your personality, your looks, the way you dress, constantly putting you down, threatening to hurt you, your children or your pets)
• verbal abuse (including yelling, shouting, name-calling, and swearing at you)
• sexual abuse (forcing or pressuring you to have sex or participate in any sexual activities that you don't want to)
• financial abuse (taking control of the money, not giving you enough money to survive on, forcing you to hand over your money, not letting you have a say in how it is spent)
• threatening to stop providing care for you if you don't do what you are told (This sometimes happens to people with an illness, disability or impairment who rely on another person to care for them)
• social abuse (controlling where you go, not letting you see your friends or family)
• depriving you of the necessities of life such as food, shelter, medical care and the company of other people such as your family and friends
• spiritual abuse (forcing you to attend religious activities against your wishes, prohibiting you from participating in the religious practices of your choice)
• stalking (constantly following you by foot or car, constantly calling you by phone, text message and email, or staying outside your house or workplace).
• doing similar things which upset you and make you fear for your safety.