Infidelity is sometimes seen as a type of domestic violence because it can be just as demoralising and harmful as a physical assault. Adultery or betrayal of one’s spouse has long-term consequences. Furthermore, the unfaithful spouse can be routinely and negligently choosing to risk their partner’s sexual health by potentially exposing them to sexually transmitted infections, with long-term physical consequences, e.g, giving sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, or HIV, affecting their physical/mental health and emotional well-being. The spouse eventually starts to feel humiliated, hurt, and helpless.
Remember, Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater?
Below are a few ways in which cheaters victimize and abuse their partners:
Verbal abuse and blame shifting – Verbal abuse, or the inappropriate use of words and body language to criticise another person, frequently entails insults meant to make them feel unlovable and unworthy of respect. For instance, disparaging a partner’s appearance, personality, or skills intentionally humiliating or shaming a partner; telling a partner they have put on too much weight and are no longer attractive, and giving that as a reason why they cheated on them.
Physical abuse: Any forceful or violent physical action intended to frighten another person or force them to do (or accept) something against their will is considered physical abuse. For example, using any object or weapon against the partner, such as punching, slapping, choking, or kicking.
Sexual abuse: A few examples of sexual assault include forcing sex while the other person refuses, asleep, drunk, etc.
Emotional abuse: Emotional abuse includes – Blaming the spouse for one’s own mistakes, not taking responsibility for your actions, having justifications for your unfaithfulness when things go wrong, considering the spouse as a servant or sex object with no rights, excluding them from making decisions, acting as if they are your property, spending money carelessly while putting the partner on a limited budget, etc. Gaslighting – the unfaithful partner may deny cheating and accuse the faithful partner of making things up or being paranoid.
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