When most people are asked to think about domestic abuse, they typically focus on the physical and emotional mistreatment in most unhealthy relationships.
This is understandable, given statistics show these two forms of abuse are most common between dysfunctional couples and in many cases are more visible to people outside the affected family. It is also why most government and community programs aimed at helping domestic abuse survivors focus on the physical and emotional aspects of abuse. But as important as the goal of eliminating physical and domestic abuse is, the focus on these two elements of the problem can sometimes lead us to ignore a third sign that is causing just as much concern in our community.