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1.15 PHYSICAL ABUSE -- TYPES AND CATEGORIES OF ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR

==== Physical Abuse

Any kind of physical intimidation or intrusion such as pushing, pulling, scratching, hitting, slapping, striking, punching, kicking, chocking, drowning, tripping, throwing things, wrestling holds, pulling hair, torturing, burning with cigarettes, cutting etc. Physical abuse can be referred to by other names such as domestic violence, family violence and teenage violence.

MORE ABOUT PHYSICAL ABUSE: This is probably the best known form of abuse, such as wife beating. Battered men are finally becoming more vocal and the latest statistics suggest that physical abuse, especially for younger couples, may be caused by an equal number of females and males. Physical abuse only gets worse over time; in fact, all abuse tends to get worse over time.

This is another example of abuse that only recently has been recognized for the destructive problems it causes. The well known comedian and radio celebrity, Arthur Godfrey had a hit record in 1949 in which he encouraged a man to hit his daughter. Laughingly he sang "slap her down again Pa" with lyrics such as "Come here gol-darned you take that and that and that. That's right." I suspect that such a song today would be shunned.

PERSONAL NOTE FROM RICK DOBLE: My older brother became more abusive as he got older. Toward the end of our relationship he was stealing, putting me in a life threatening situation, and finally beating me in front of my mother and 1st wife.

RELATED WORDS AND PHRASES: battered women, battered men, pain, suffering

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