Lighthouse Anchor can help you identify various kinds of abuse, which ultimately allows you to properly understand your situation and how you can get help.
What it looks like
Abuse can be many things, but there is one thing you must understand: Abuse is being touched, harmed, or hurt in any way in which you don’t want to be, no matter the situation. Abuse comes in different forms, and if you suspect even in the slightest that you are being abused, you need to understand what it is and recognize what is happening.
The second thing worth noting is that abuse can come from someone you are close to. It could be from a parent or family member, or maybe even a teacher. Every situation is different, but it always remains true that abuse is not normal and not okay. One person desires to have power and control over another. We know it can be very difficult to take steps forward to get help, but letting others know you need help is necessary to put an end to abuse and start healing.
Types of it
Physical: Someone else causing you pain or injury by hitting, punching, kicking, and more. Throwing something at you is physical abuse. Physical abuse can result in bruises, scars, or other noticeable marks on your body.
Emotional abuse: Often involves things like criticism, guilt-tripping, and isolation, creating a sense of worthlessness or fear. The goal of many of these things is to take away someone's self worth and emotional well-being by manipulating and controlling them. However, It's important to differentiate between emotional abuse and other behaviors, such as harsh parenting. Emotional abuse is characterized by consistent patterns of behavior that make you feel unsafe. On the other hand, a parent might occasionally say or do something that seems hurtful but is intended to guide or protect you.
If you recognize the signs of emotional abuse in your situation, don't hesitate to seek help immediately. Your well-being matters.
It is important for you to understand the difference between abuse and discipline:
Discipline: When an adult helps you learn the right way to behave and makes sure you follow rules. It’s meant to help you grow and become a responsible person. Discipline is generally fair and is meant to guide you, not harm you in any way. For example, a parent might take away your phone or not let you hang out with friends until you do your homework. Discipline does look different from different parents, so take precaution when judging if you are being abused and pay close attention to the definitions presented here.
Abuse: When someone uses their power to hurt you in a way that’s wrong and makes you feel scared or unsafe. This can be physical harm, being aggressive, or treating you in a way that makes you feel afraid and uncomfortable. Abuse is not about teaching or guiding you, it’s about hurting you and or wanting to feel in control over you.
Key Differences:
Purpose: Discipline is meant to teach and guide, while abuse is meant to hurt and control.
Feelings: Discipline should help you feel safe and cared for, even if it’s not always fun. Abuse makes you feel scared, sad, or hurt.
Actions: Discipline involves fair consequences or guidance, like a time-out, warning, and sometimes a scolding. Abuse involves harmful actions like hitting, aggressively insulting and discouraging.
Note: Parents have diverse parenting styles, with some being stricter or more authoritative than others. It’s crucial that their discipline or criticism doesn’t cross any boundaries. If you’re unsure about this, speaking with a counselor can help assess your situation and provide guidance.
Verbal abuse: Focuses on using harmful language to intimidate. This may include name-calling, insults, yelling, cursing, and making threats. While verbal abuse involves more straightforward verbal attacks, emotional abuse includes manipulation that affects mental health.
Neglect: Someone else denies, takes away from, or doesn’t provide you the basic needs for life such as food, shelter, and water. It is the failure to provide appropriate care. Neglect can physically affect you, resulting in malnourishment.
Sexual: Someone touches you in an inappropriate way in an inappropriate place on your body. They might ask you to do things that are private and or uncomfortable for you, and they may make you feel like you have to say yes to them by threatening, shaming, hurting, or doing other things to you. Sexual abuse is done to an individual WITHOUT their consent. If you are pressured into saying yes, it is still not real consent.