Table 3.

Categories of seriousness of levels of abuse

SEVERITY OF INCIDENTTYPE OF ABUSIVE ENCOUNTER
Minor incidents
Disrespectful behaviour

  • Abuser was rude or disrespectful

Bullying

  • Abuser was belittling or professionally humiliating

Verbal anger

  • Abuser was loud, angry, insulting, but not threatening

Verbal threats

  • Abuser was loud, angry, insulting, and threatening

Humiliation

  • Personal insults, name calling, or gestures perceived as decreasing your self-esteem or as humiliating

Major incidents
Physical aggression

  • Abuser was throwing objects, slamming doors, kicking, or gesturing but did not damage persons or property

Destructive behaviour

  • Abuser broke or smashed objects and was kicking or striking out toward and causing damage to possessions and property but not to any persons

Sexual harassment

  • Abuser spoke, looked, or gestured in a manner that you perceived as an unwanted sexual advance

Severe incidents
Assault

  • Abuser was hitting, punching, kicking, pulling, or pinching you without causing injury

Assault causing injury

  • Abuser was hitting, punching, kicking, pulling, or pinching you causing injury

Attempted assault

  • Abuser broke, smashed, kicked, or was striking out toward you but not physically hitting or harming you

Sexual assault

  • Abuser physically touched or assaulted you in a manner you perceived as unwanted and of a sexual nature

Stalking

  • Abuser monitored, followed, or stalked you