Does it count as abuse if he makes me watch him hurt someone else in the family, like our child?
Last updated: 2026-08-10 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
Yes — RA 9262 §3(C) names this specifically as a form of psychological violence. It includes causing or allowing you to witness the physical, sexual, or psychological abuse of a member of the family you belong to, so being made to watch him abuse another family member — not only abuse directed at you — is itself covered.
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Frequently asked
Does the family member have to be a child, or does this cover any relative?
§3(C) says "a member of the family to which the victim belongs" without limiting it to a child — it isn't restricted to a parent-child scenario specifically.
What if I only heard it happen but didn't see it?
§3(C) uses the word "witness" without further defining whether hearing without seeing qualifies — this register doesn't resolve that distinction.
Is this treated differently from abuse directed straight at me?
No — RA 9262 §3(C) lists it within the same definition of psychological violence as intimidation, harassment, and public humiliation directed at you. Being made to witness it is one of several named acts, not a separate, lesser category.
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Whether what's happening even counts as abuse under RA 9262 — psychological violence without a hand ever being raised, economic control, threats, and the reach of the law beyond marriage and beyond your front door.