Are you in an Abusive Relationship?
Abuse? That may seem like such a strong word when dealing with your girlfriend/boyfriend in high school. You may even think abuse or violence is not happening in you or your friend’s relationships. National statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on teen dating violence tell a different story:
The Facts: (Source: U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
-One in five teens admits to being emotionally abused in the past year.
-Among 11- to 14-year-olds who have been in relationships, 62% of them know friends who have been verbally abused by a boyfriend or girlfriend.
-One in five teens admits to being emotionally abused in the past year.
-One in five teens admits to being emotionally abused in the past year.
-One in 10 teen girls and one in 11 teen boys admits to having experienced physical violence in a dating relationship in the past year.
The Signs: Ask Yourself… Am I in an abusive relationship? (Source: The Safe Space, Relationships 101, 2007.)
Control? Does your girlfriend or boyfriend use words of anger, intimidation, and jealousy to control your behavior? Does he/she try to control how you dress, what you eat, and who you talk to? Make you afraid to disagree because you fear what may happen if you do?
Isolation? Does your girlfriend or boyfriend force you to drop activities you enjoy because he/she is not a part of them? Prevent you from having contact with your friends and family? Forbid you from talking to other guys/girls? Try to control where you go? Do you feel as if you can no longer have your own life?
Physical Abuse. Does your girlfriend or girlfriend or boyfriend use threats to harm you to control your behavior? Throw things at you, pull your hair when he/she is angry? Hit, punch, or choke you? Purposely destroy your property to punish you? Force you to drink or do drugs? Force you into sexual behavior you don’t want to do?
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