FOR PARENTS: WARNING SIGNS
You or someone you care about may be in an abusive or potentially abusive relationship if:
- » Her/his relationship becomes very serious very quickly.
- » S/he is often apologetic about the behavior of his/her dating partner, makes excuses for them, or claim that other “just don’t understand him/her.”
- » S/he seems to lose interest in activities s/he used to enjoy and/or stops spending time with family or friends.
- » Her/his dating partner makes all of the decisions in the relationship, controls his/her behavior, checks up on his/her whereabouts, calls more frequently than normal, demands to know how every minute apart is spent, etc.
- » Her/his dating partner is extremely jealous.
- » Her/his dating partner does not take her/his opinions seriously.
- » Her/his dating partner insults, humiliates, or puts her/him down in front of others.
- » S/he has unexplained injuries – or the explanations s/he offers don’t make sense.
- » Her/his dating partner often loses her/his temper – throwing, striking, or breaking objects.
- » Her/his dating partner pressures her/him for sex or to move the physical relationship more quickly than s/he is comfortable with.
- » Her/his dating partner is not thought of highly by her/his friends, family, teachers, etc.
- » S/he is ever genuinely frightened or physically harmed by her/his partner.
- » Her/his dating partner ever threatens to harm her/him.
If you or someone you care about is involved in an abusive relationship, please seek the help you need. Reach out to someone you trust or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE for more information.
Adapted from “A Parent’s Handbook: How to talk to your Children about Developing Healthy Relationships.” www.loveisnotabuse.org.
