Pre-battering violence: verbal abuse, hitting objects, throwing objects, breaking objects, and making threats. When abusers hit or break objects or make threats, almost 100% resort to battering.
Beginning levels: pushing, grabbing, restraining.
Moderate levels: slapping, pinching, kicking, pulling out clumps of hair.
Severe levels: choking, beating with objects (sticks, ball bats, bed slats, etc...), use of weapons, and rape.
One in three women in a battering relationship are raped. There are two kinds of rape in domestic violence -- one, with weapons; and two, she submits out of fear that if she were to say “NO” he would get angry and beat her.
(Source: Metro Nashville Police Dept., Nashville TN )