17 Powerful Tweets That Remind Us The Damage Of Emotional Abuse

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"#MaybeHeDoesntHitYou," but it's still abuse ...

Shannon Cabeen

When most of us think of abuse the first thing we think of is usually physical violence, not emotional abuse. However, intimate partner abuse comes in MANY forms and emotional abuse is by far more likely to occur than physical abuse. Not to mention that emotional abuse is often not taken seriously because the abuser doesn't behave abnormally outside of intimate partner relationships.

Earlier this month, Zahira Kelly, an artist and writer used Twitter to publicly share her experience of emotional abuse and she used the hashtag #MaybeHeDoesntHitYou. This hashtag is now being used to garner more awareness and support for victims of emotional abuse via Twitter.

Many people don't know that they have been, or are currently being, emotionally abused. If you suspect and are unsure if you're being emotionally abused, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence breaks down what emotional abuse is, how to spot it and provides some interesting stats on emotional abuse in their facts sheet: Facts about Domestic Violence and Psychological Abuse.

Emotional violence within intimate partner relationships is a pervasive public health issue and so is the toll taken on those who are abused. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence:

  • It is important to note that domestic violence does not always manifest as physical abuse. Emotional and psychological abuse can often be just as extreme as physical violence. Lack of physical violence does not mean the abuser is any less dangerous to the victim, nor does it mean the victim is any less trapped by the abuse.

Regarding her Twitter post, Zahira Kelly said,

"The initial tweets were about me and people close to me. Abuse culture is something most women experience, and at higher rates for women of color like me. But we get very little support for it and are rarely equipped to suss it out."

The tweet and its hashtag struck a major nerve, and it has since sparked a far-reaching discussion on Twitter — hundreds of women have used the hashtag to share their own experiences and educate one another about the many ways abuse can manifest.

Here are some of the most powerful #MaybeHeDoesntHitYou tweets:

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h/t Huffingtonpost.com

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