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Spousal Abuse FAQs
Funded by the
Department of Justice Canada.
 What
is spousal abuse?
What
forms can spousal abuse take?
What
would be included as physical abuse?
What
would be
included as psychological or emotional abuse?
What
kind of behaviour is sexual abuse?
What
kind of behaviour is financial abuse?
How
common is husband abuse?
Revised
April 2000
Does
wife abuse
happen to one particular kind of person more than another?
Is
there a
particular kind of person who is an abuser?
How
might
someone tell if abuse is going on in a family?
I
have been physically abused by my husband for a long time. I have thought
about leaving him but I have three children.
Should I stay for the sake of the children?
My
husband does not hit the children but they sometimes see him hit me. It does
not seem to affect the children.
Are there any long term consequences of them seeing him hit me?
My
husband is physically abusive towards me, but I do not feel about to leave
him.
How can I better protect myself at home?
Revised November 1999
Who
can I talk to about the abuse I suffer at home?
I
am going to leave my partner because I cannot take the abuse anymore. I am
terrified that my partner will try to stop me from leaving.
How can I leave safely?
Revised
November 1999
I
am determined to get help the next time my spouse abuses me.
What should I do when the next time occurs?
Revised November 1999
What
can the police do if things have calmed down when they arrive?
Revised November 1999
What
should I do
if the police don't lay charges?
Revised November 1999
What
kinds of criminal charges might be made against my spouse?
Where
should I go if I have to leave my home because of abuse?
What
can I expect from the emergency shelter?
Is
there
anything else I should do immediately after an assault?
What
should I do about legal help after I leave?
What
if I can't afford a lawyer?
Revised November 1999
Do
I need any other legal assistance if I decide to lay criminal charges
against my abusive spouse?
I
want to leave my abusive husband, but I don't think I can take my children
with me until I find somewhere for us to live.
If I leave will I lose the right to have the children live with me?
Revised November 1999
I
have been abused by my partner for years. I do not want to uproot my
children from their home.
Is there any way I can force my partner to leave?
Revised November 1999
Apart
from an order for exclusive possession of the home, is there any other
way I can restrict my partner from being near to me?
Revised November 1999
I
finally left my husband after suffering years of abuse, but I cannot seem to
get away from him. He finds me wherever I am. He follows me, phones me and
makes threats about the children. He has not hurt me physically since I left
so I don't know if the police can do anything about this behaviour.
Is there anything that can help me?
Revised November 1999
What
would be defined as
harassing behaviour within the Criminal Code?
One
of the reasons that I left my spouse was because he was aggressive and
sometimes violent.
Is this significant if I make a complaint to the police about him
following me?
When
my husband keeps calling me he says that unless I go back to him he will
commit suicide.
Would this be harassment?
How
can I prove that my husband has been following me?
My
friend says that I will not be able to
prove in court that my husband scared me just by standing outside my
workplace every day. Is this right?
I
intend to take some legal steps to protect myself from my ex-husband who
continually follows me and makes threats against me and my children.
What are some other things I can do to protect myself when I am out?
How
can I protect myself at home from harassing behaviour?
How
can I protect myself when using my car?
I
have moved several times since I left my husband but he always seems to find
me.
How can I try and ensure he will not be able to find me?
I
have reported to the police that my husband is harassing me. They are
looking into the case but even if they charge him with criminal harassment
it will be some time before his case would be dealt with.
Are there other legal steps I can take to protect myself?
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