Stages of Abuse
The Honeymoon Phase:
- In this phase, the abuser might apologize or promise to get better. They make it seem like they will change and the abuse will stop. This phase is intended to make the survivor stay. It is not always included in every abusive relationship.
Tension Building Phase:
- Still no abusive incident, but the person can feel it coming and waits for the abuse
Abusive Incident:
- The abuse occurs and the tension breaks
It’s important to note that these phases can last for a very long time or minutes. This is also a cycle so the phases occur one after another. Additionally, the honeymoon phase does not always occur and can be removed from the cycle.