Psychological (emotional) abuse is by the far the least acknowledged and considered when examining intimate partner violence but is in fact one of the most significant aspect of IPV given the fact that the abuse is taking place mentally. Psychological abuse can be defined as “the use of verbal and nonverbal acts which symbolically hurt the other or the use of threats to hurt the other, behaviors that can be used to terrorize the victim. . .that do not involve the use of physical force, or the "direct infliction of mental harm" and "threats or limits to the victim's well-being" (Mouradian, 2000). This can include acts such as, but aren’t limited to; belittling or ridiculing the partner/insulting the partner, belittling or berating one's partner in front of other people, making one's partner do humiliating or demeaning things, becoming angry when chores are not done when wanted or as wanted, withholding resources such as money, blaming the partner for one's problems and/or one's violent behavior, threatening violence against the partner's children, family, friends, or pets, etc.
