Domestic abuse and coercive control can include incidents or a pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading or violent behaviour, including sexual violence. This abuse is often committed by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer (Women’s Aid). Some specific examples include: 

Emotional or psychological 
- Threats, humiliation, criticism and name-calling (including racial abuse) 
- Undermining your self-confidence 
- Controlling what you do or who you speak to 
- Stalking 
- Depriving you of basic needs, such as food 
- Isolating you from your friends and family 
- Monitoring your time, contacts, and online communications 
- Threatening to or distributing intimate images 
 
Physical (see also physical violence) 
- Hitting, punching, kicking, burning, etc. 
- Use (or attempted use) of a weapon against yourself or others 
- Threats of violence against yourself or others 
- Depriving you access to support and medical services 
 
Sexual (see also Sexual Misconduct + Assault) 
- Rape 
- Forcing you to engage in sexual acts 
- Forcing you to engage in sex work 
- Stealthing (removing a condom without consent) 
- Forced marriage 
  
Financial  
- Not letting you work 
- Withholding money
- Monitoring or controlling your spending


Gender Based Violence (GBV) is defined by the Scottish Government (Violence against women and girls) as: 

- Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, within the general community or in institutions, including: domestic abuse, rape, incest and child sexual abuse
- Sexual harassment and intimidation at work and in the public sphere; commercial sexual exploitation including prostitution, pornography and trafficking
- Dowry related violence
- Forced and child marriages
- Honour crimes
- Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) 
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