Physical abuse is more obvious than the other forms of abuse. Slapping, kicking, punching, biting, shaking and shoving are some examples. Throwing things, locking the victim in/out of the house, or attacking with weapons are some other forms of physical abuse.

Sexual abuse can involve jealous anger and accusing someone of having sex with anyone else, calling sexual names, inflicting injuries that are sex specific, forcing the partner to have sex when they don't want to and coercing sex by manipulation or threats are some forms of sexual abuse.

Psychological abuse is an effective weapon in controlling a victim, especially if threats of force have been used in the past and includes verbal and emotional abuse. Types of this abuse could be ignoring a partner's feelings, forcing them to do degrading things, name calling, humiliation, verbal attacks, mind games, threatening to leave the partner, always claiming to be right, and attacking the partner's vulnerablilities.  The effects of psychological abuse can last longer than any bruises or injuries.

Economic abuse is when the batterer will control all the money, ruins the partner's credit, makes the partner work to support the family, or sabotages the partner's attempts to work or go to school.