What is dating abuse ?

Teen Dating Abuse
Possessiveness and Jealousy Do Not Equal Love


There are several forms of abuse: physical, emotional, sexual and verbal.

Approximately 12% of all high school students will become involved in at least one violent relationship before graduation.
In most violent dating relationships, each partner has been both the victim and the abuser. Since females are the more physically vulnerable, they sustain the most severe injuries.

Alcohol is present in 40-50% of incidents of dating violence.
Alcohol lowers inhibitions when expressing anger that is already there.

Abusers are often described as playful, attentive, sensitive, exciting and affectionate when they are not being abusive.
Often abusers and victims of abuse have similar backgrounds. They include:

* Growing up in a violent family
* Learning as a child to respond to stress/conflict violently
* Growing up in an environment in which sex roles were exaggerated
* Poor self-image

Some characteristics to be aware of at the beginning of a relationship with a potentially abusive partner are:

* Possessiveness which surfaces and gets out of control
* Possessiveness may be expressed by showering the other with gifts, surprise visits, many phone calls - in general, the abuser may be overattentive.
* After awhile, the abuser may demand to know the exact details of the other's whereabouts. Possessiveness and jealousy begin to dominate the relationship.

What To Do
Stay Safe! Ask friends and family to assist you in making a safety plan. Have friends and family help to protect you. Stay Safe!

* Break it off! Really break it off. Refuse phone calls. Don't argue. Stay Away!
* If you are not ready to break it off, figure out a way to stay safe in the relationship.