Abuse is when you treat someone in a harmful, injurious, or offensive way. There are different kinds of abuse: physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological.

Physical Abuse is when someone physically hurts another person. This consists of hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, burning, hair-pulling, choking or cutting another person. There are often times signs left behind such as bruises, burns, and other scars. Sometimes people try to hide their wounds with clothes, makeup, sunglasses, or other ways.

Emotional Abuse is when someone uses constant insults, criticisms, and other hurtful words that cut a person down and make them feel bad about themselves. The abuser might tell victims they’re fat, ugly, worthless, or will never amount to anything.

Sexual Abuse is when someone is forced to do something sexual against their will. This can include anything from inappropriate touching, forceful sexual intercourse, to forcing someone to watch pornographic movies. Sexual abuse can even happen among family members.

Psychological Abuse is designed to scare or intimidate a person. These abusers want their victims to become totally dependent to them so they lose touch with reality. They might threaten the person or someone the victim cares about in order to get the person to do what they want. Sometimes they purposefully set up their victims for failure. For example, they might tell someone to do a task, time the person, and then punish the person if late. Psychological abuse can also include stalking and keeping a person from sleeping.

While studies show that the most abuse happens between a man and a woman in a relationship (with the man being the abuser), some people believe that men are equally abused but are less inclined to discuss it for fear of being a "wuss." Abuse can happen to anyone. It can be between boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives, friends, family members, and same sex couples. Education, money, gender, age, religion, and race have nothing to do with determining who will abuse or who will be abused. Regardless of who the abuser is or who is being abused, it is always wrong and authorities should be notified!

Sexual harassment is unwanted sexual comments, looks, or touching that makes another person feel uncomfortable. It can also be asking for sexual intercourse in exchange for something. It’s a kind of bullying that usually goes on, even after a person asks the harasser to stop.

Relationships with your family, friends, and significant others should be built on love, respect, nurturing and appreciation. Exposure to any kind of abuse for a long time can damage a person’s physical and emotional health.

If you or someone you know is being abused, get help! Contact someone at the Macoupin County Safe Families Program Hotline at 1-888-259-6364 or you can call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.