What about teenagers?
Teen dating violence is a growing problem in the US; nearly one third of teen relationships are characterized as unhealthy of violent.
It is not always easy to tell if a relationship is unhealthy or abusive, especially if you are the person in the relationship. However, there are some warning signs that teens can watch out for in their relationships.
In an unhealthy relationship a partner might:
- Check your cell phone or social media accounts without your permission or demand your passwords
- Get upset when you want to spend time with friends or make new friends
- Want you to spend less time, or no time, with your family
- Accuse you of flirting or cheating
- Call you names or say things to you to make you feel bad about yourself
- Pressure you to have sex when you do not want to
- Pressure you to have sex in ways that you do not want to
- Physically hurt you or threaten to hurt you
- Control aspects of your life that you want to be in control of (how you dress, what you eat, how you spend your money)
- Explode in fits of anger and then apologize for the behavior, but then repeat the behavior again and again
There are other signs that a relationship might be unhealthy. If you feel that there is something unhealthy or wrong with the relationship, trust yourself. It is normal for people in unhealthy relationships to feel very unsure about what they want to do. Talking with an advocate is a good first step in figuring out how you feel and what your options might be. CADA's services are free and confidential to all victims and survivors.
Check out the following resources for a lot more information about intimate partner violence and how you can either give or get help with relationships.
