The ABC’s of DV: Actions, Behaviors & Red Flags
Because spotting the signs can save your crown from tilting!
A
- Aggression: When they go from 0 to Hulk in seconds.
- Alienation: Slowly erasing your crew like it’s part of their evil genius plan.
- Accusations: You just went to Target, but somehow you’re in an episode of Cheaters.
B
- Belittling: Their “jokes” aren’t funny when the punchline is always you.
- Blaming: “You made me do it” is NOT an apology—it’s manipulation, sis.
- Boundary Bulldozing: Your “no” is a full sentence; don’t let them steamroll it.
C
- Control: When they wanna be your boss, your stylist, AND your GPS.
- Coercion: “If you loved me, you’d do it” is not romance—it’s a red flag.
- Chaos Creator: Stirring up drama like they’re auditioning for a soap opera.
D
- Deception: Lies on lies, and now you’re in a game of Two Truths and a Lie.
- Dependency Drama: Keeping you broke, stuck, or emotionally chained.
- Destruction: Breaking your stuff (or your spirit) isn’t just petty—it’s abuse.
E
- Exploitation: Treating your kindness like their personal ATM.
- Extreme Jealousy: Girl, they’re jealous of your shadow.
- Emotional Manipulation: Turning your feelings into their plaything.
F
- Financial Foolery: Locking up the coins while you hustle for loose change.
- Fear Factory: Using threats like they’re in a mob movie.
- Falsifying Reality: Gaslighting so strong you start doubting your own name.
G
- Guilt Trips: Turning everything into your fault like they’re writing the script.
- Gaslighting: “That didn’t happen” when it absolutely DID.
- Grudge Holding: Weaponizing yesterday’s drama to control today’s peace.
H
- Harassment: Blowing up your phone like they’ve got unlimited minutes.
- Humiliation: Shaming you in public like they forgot you’re the queen.
- Hostility: Bringing anger to the party when you didn’t even send an invite.
I
- Intimidation: Standing too close, yelling too loud—trying to shrink your power.
- Isolation: Cutting you off from your squad like it’s their full-time job.
- Invasion of Privacy: Snooping through your phone like it’s their diary.
J
- Judgment: Criticizing everything from your career to your favorite fries.
- Justifying Abuse: “It’s not that bad” isn’t a reason—it’s denial.
K
- Keeping Secrets: Hiding shady moves like they’re in witness protection.
- Knowledge Hoarding: Keeping you clueless to keep you powerless.
L
- Lying: Boldface lies about things you saw with your own eyes.
- Love-Bombing: Turning on the charm to distract you from the chaos.
M
- Manipulation: Pulling puppet strings when you’re NOT their marionette.
- Minimizing: Making you feel like you’re “overreacting” when you’re not.
- Monitoring: Stalking your socials like they’re your biggest hater.
N
- Name-Calling: Turning their words into weapons.
- Neglect: Ignoring your needs but demanding all your attention.
- Non-Consent: Crossing boundaries like they don’t exist.
O
- Obsession: Acting like they own you instead of love you.
- Overreacting: Flipping out over the tiniest things to keep you on edge.
P
- Physical Violence: A raised hand? That’s a raised alarm.
- Possessiveness: Acting like they put a trademark on you.
- Public Embarrassment: Airing dirty laundry to bring you down.
Q
- Quarreling: Picking fights over nothing because peace isn’t on their playlist.
- Questioning Loyalty: Turning your every move into a loyalty test.
R
- Restricting Freedom: Your life isn’t a prison, but they’re acting like a warden.
- Ridicule: Mocking your dreams, goals, or even your playlist.
- Revenge Threats: Holding “what ifs” over your head like a dark cloud.
S
- Sexual Coercion: Your body, your rules—period.
- Silent Treatment: Weaponizing their silence to punish you.
- Stalking: Showing up uninvited like it’s normal.
T
- Threats: “If you leave…” doesn’t end well—so get support and go anyway.
- Tearing You Down: Piece by piece, trying to break the masterpiece that is YOU.
- Toxic Apologies: “I’m sorry, but…” isn’t an apology, it’s an excuse.
U
- Undermining: Subtly sabotaging your confidence and success.
- Unpredictability: Turning your life into a rollercoaster you didn’t ask for.
V
- Verbal Abuse: Words can cut deeper than knives.
- Victim-Blaming: Twisting the narrative to make you the villain.
- Violence: Any kind—it’s all unacceptable.
W
- Withholding: Affection, money, or support—used as a weapon.
- Word Traps: Twisting your words to make you look bad.
X
- Xenophobia: Using race, culture, or ethnicity as an excuse to demean you.
- Extreme Control: Micromanaging your every move like a puppet master.
Y
- Yelling: Louder doesn’t make them right.
- Yearning for Power: Always trying to one-up you instead of lifting you.
Z
- Zero Accountability: Refusing to own their mess and blaming it on you.
- Zoning In: Finding your weak spots just to exploit them.
Take the crown back, sis. Your dignity is non-negotiable.
If any of these hit home, don’t ignore it—reach out for help and remember, Dignified Paths is here to guide you!