"Abusers could now use new laws, or confusion about those laws, to harass and threaten their partners,” the National Domestic Violence Hotline writes in a new report about how abusive partners are using abortion bans to keep their victims trapped.offers a disturbing glimpse into how abortion bans—and rampant confusion about the language of these laws and who they punish—have given abusers more control than ever.
About a quarter of respondents said their current or former partner pressured them into becoming pregnant while 13% said their current or former partner used or threatened violence while they were pregnant. Almost 10% of respondents said abusive partners used or threatened violence if they expressed that they wanted an abortion.
“Abusers could now use new laws, or confusion about those laws, to harass and threaten their partners. And the stigma of abortion bans creates a culture where abusers feel even more entitled to control and punish their intimate partners for their reproductive decisions,” the Hotline’s report states, noting that attacks on reproductive rights “put survivor’s lives and safety at risk,” and “ harm by revictimizing survivors and emboldening abusive partners.