What is the difference between violence and abuse?

Violence refers to physical acts causing bodily harm. Abuse is broader — a pattern of behavior used to control or harm another person — and can be physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, or financial. All violence is abuse, but not all abuse involves physical violence. Emotional and psychological abuse can be equally damaging and are often harder to recognize. Lovon provides a private, non-judgmental space to talk through your experiences and begin to understand them with greater clarity.