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10 signs that characterize abused women

10 signs that characterize abused women

March 26, 2024

Abuse and gender violence they have become two concepts increasingly visible in politics and health and, of course, also in the world of psychology.

This, however, contrasts with the fact that many women fear so much the reprisals that they could suffer for asking for help that they often do not contact the authorities that can offer them protection, with which the person who mistreats them continues to do so. .

This is one of the indications that gender violence is not an individual problem, but a social one, and that it must be tackled collectively by developing, among other things, a sensitivity that allows detecting cases of abuse. But nevertheless, detect the signs that define battered women It is not always easy.


  • Related article: "Profile of the abuser of gender violence, in 12 features"

Characteristic signs of battered women

Know how to recognize the characteristics of battered women It is very important to make possible the prevention of future attacks. These signs of abuse will help you to detect cases in which it may be necessary to ask for help. Not all of them are met in all cases of abuse, but they are useful as guidelines.

1. React defensively with ease

People who have been mistreated continuously are accustomed to startle or take a defensive posture quickly when they notice that someone wants to touch them unexpectedly.


Thus, moving your arm to touch their shoulder or removing a brush from their hair can cause them to show signs of fear such as bringing their arms close to their bodies, hiding their neck by lowering their chins or placing one shoulder between them and the other person, all this in a fast and automatic movement.

2. They show an explicit submission frequently

Abused women embrace the habit of being submissive to the person who attacks them, but they frequently adopt this style of behavior with "authority figures". This usually means that they replicate them a few times , and in some cases they even avoid eye contact while keeping the look down.

3. They have low self-esteem

Battered women have been receiving psychological attacks aimed at undermining their self-esteem. That is why many times they will manifest beliefs related to his disability to perform relatively simple tasks, and will tend to distrust their own point of view. This last phenomenon, by the way, is used by abusers who use an abuse method called Gaslighting.


  • Related article: "Gaslighting: the most subtle emotional abuse"

4. Manifest signs of stress

Another of the typical signs of battered women is that in many cases their stress levels remain high for a long time. This is expressed in fatigue, sleep problems, accelerated breathing and body postures that denote muscle stiffness.

5. Distrustful attitude

Many battered women are forced to hide a lot of information about their lives out of sheer fear , and that makes them avoid situations in which they must talk about themselves. This can happen even in your relationships with your friends and family.

6. They show little of their skin

Battered women who have suffered physical abuse are accustomed to Adopt an appearance that allows them to hide bruises . For example, an abundant makeup, long sleeves and clothes without cleavage.

7. Charge with guilt easily

When something goes wrong, battered women tend to assume that the responsibility has been theirs, even when there is a lack of information about what has happened and a certain ambiguity is generated. This is one of the signs of their lack of self-esteem, and it is also a protection mechanism to avoid aggravating the problem, since in situations of constant abuse the batterer blames the battered woman systematically and he does not want to be questioned.

8. They take "the long way" to avoid arriving at the place of abuse

One of the indicators that indicate the presence of a battered woman is that, if they can, they try to "kill time" with apparently anodyne activities to delay their arrival at a place where the abuser is waiting. This implies artificially lengthen conversations with friends, take walks without enjoying them , etc.

9. Anticipate the anger of the abuser and avoid certain questions

Another sign that indicates possible abuse is the avoidance of asking certain things to the abuser in anticipation of mounting anger. This makes the communication between both is not very fluid, full of silences and moments in which the woman doubts.

In other words, one of the characteristic signs of battered women is the lack of assertiveness .

10. Feel embarrassed easily

Low self-esteem also tends to make it easier to be embarrassed with relative ease. For example, something as simple as not having heard a question well can cause blushing on the face. This is because victims of abuse learn that people show a very high level of demand, and that getting out of these perfection schemes "is not normal" .


10 Red Flags of Abuse (March 2024).


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