Some of the effects of abuse for women and children:

Some of the effects of physical and sexual violence for women and children are:

• Think you're going crazy

• Living in constant fear

• Feeling worthless/useless

• Low self-esteem

• Feeling depressed

• Feeling out of control

• Distorted reality

• Feeling suicidal/committing suicide

• Violent thoughts or actions

• Alcohol and drug abuse

• Mental illness

• Anxiety and worry

• Feeling whakamaa, shame, guilt, or embarrassment

• Withdrawing from family and friends

• Bad relationships between you and your children

• Eating and sleeping problems

• Post traumatic stress disorder

• Loss of energy, feeling apathetic

• Loss of community and culture

• Self-blame and self-harm

• Hurting others that are close

• Copying controlling and violent behaviour

• Death

• Permanent disability (blindness, deafness, epilepsy, loss of mobility)

• Hospitalisation for broken bones, concussion, head and spinal injuries, gynaecological problems

• Losing an unborn baby, or birth defects

• Infertility

• Treatment for broken teeth, cuts, headaches, concussion

• Bruises, pain, trauma

• Isolation (staying home so people don't see the bruises; being avoided by others)

• Sexually transmitted diseases

• Unwanted pregnancies

• Sexual promiscuity

• Eating and sleeping disorders

• Hating or being ashamed of your body

• Not being able to have healthy sexual relationships

• As an adult, not being able to enjoy sex