An abusive domestic relationship in Tulsa County is characterized by patterns of behavior used by one partner to maintain power and control over another partner in an intimate or family relationship. Understanding what constitutes an abusive domestic relationship is crucial for recognizing the signs and being able to seek help.
Types of Abuse in Domestic Relationships
There are several different types of abuse within domestic relationships, and each has its own criteria.
Physical Abuse:
- Violence: Physical abuse includes hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, choking, and using weapons or objects to cause harm.
- Restraining: It also involves restraining someone against their will, such as holding them down or preventing them from leaving a space.
- Evidence: Visible injuries like bruises, cuts, or broken bones are common indicators of physical abuse.
Emotional and Psychological Abuse:
- Manipulation: Emotional abuse includes tactics such as manipulation, intimidation, and threats to instill fear and control.
- Isolation: Abusers often isolate their victims from friends, family, and support systems to increase dependency.
- Degradation: Constant criticism, name-calling, and belittling the victim’s self-worth are signs of psychological abuse.
Sexual Abuse:
- Non-Consensual Acts: Sexual abuse involves forcing or coercing someone into unwanted sexual activity.
- Control: It includes any non-consensual sexual behavior, such as rape, forced participation in sexual acts, or withholding sex as a form of manipulation.
- Exploitation: Using sex as a means of control or to demean the partner.
Financial Abuse:
- Control Over Finances: Financial abuse involves controlling the victim’s access to financial resources, such as withholding money or preventing the victim from working.
- Economic Dependence: Abusers may use economic dependency to manipulate and control their partners.
- Sabotaging Employment: This can include preventing the victim from going to work or causing them to lose their job.
Verbal Abuse:
- Insults and Threats: Verbal abuse includes yelling, screaming, and making threats to harm the victim or their loved ones.
- Gaslighting: Manipulating the victim into doubting their reality or sanity by denying events or their feelings.
Its also possible to experience multiple types of abuse within 1 relationship.
Legal Definitions for an Abusive Domestic Relationship
Under Oklahoma law, domestic abuse is defined as any act of physical harm, or the threat of imminent physical harm, committed by an adult, emancipated minor, or minor child who is 13 years of age or older against another adult, emancipated minor, or minor child who are family or household members, or who are or were in a dating relationship.
Victims are able to seek emergency protective orders (EPOs) from the court to provide immediate protection, and can include provisions for no contact, removal from a shared residence, and temporary custody of children. Later on, after a hearing, a permanent protective order or a stalking order can be issued, which can offer longer-term protection and legal recourse if the abuser violates the order.
Tulsa County Lawyers
An abusive domestic relationship in Oklahoma involves various forms of abuse, such as physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, and financial abuse. Oklahoma law provides protections for victims, including emergency and permanent protective orders. Our team of family lawyers here at Tulsa County Lawyers Group can help you understand both the laws and your options. If you need help, contact us today by calling (918) 379-4864 or reach us online for a consultation.
