Table 2.

Categories of abuse

TYPE OF ABUSIVE ENCOUNTER	DEFINITION
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

Data from Miedema et al.⁸