Why We Changed from “Violence” to “Abuse”

Recently, Uncovered Artistry has modified its motto from “empowering domestic violence survivors” to “empowering domestic abuse survivors.” Why did we change “violence” to “abuse?” When most people hear the word “violence” they associate it with physical beating. However, abuse can come in many forms. To clarify, here is a definition of domestic abuse as defined by A Safe Place NH (www.asafeplacenh.org):
Domestic abuse is a pattern of coercive and/or violent behaviors used by a partner to gain power and control over the other person, and it goes far beyond physical injury.

Types of abuse include:
• Verbal abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Financial abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Physical abuse

For a more detailed description of these types of abuse, go to http://www.asafeplacenh.org/abuse_types.html