If you or someone you know is in a abusive relationship and needs someone to talk to, you can reach the National Dating Abuse Helpline at 1-866-331-9474 or 1-866-331-8453. You can also reach out for help by texting “loveis” to 22522.
Happy February 1st! Since we can now offically say it’s February, it’s also that time of year that people either love or hate – Valentine’s Day. Personally, I’m not one to participate in Valentine’s day festives, but I’m also not one to dislike when other people do. If you wanna spoil your partner, go for it. And if you don’t have a partner, then TREAT YO SELF. Valentine’s day doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be with someone – it’s more about showing your love for someone – and hey, that someone can be you.
Keeping in mind the spirit of love, I want to share some information on a topic that is very near and dear to my heart (<3); teen dating violence.
According to MCADSV, teen dating violence is a pattern of behavior that includes physical, emotional, verbal or sexual abuse used by one person in an intimate relationship to exert power and control over another. Teen dating violence (TDV) is generally defined as occurring among individuals between the ages of 13-19 years old.
Statistically speaking, teen dating violence is a lot more common than we think. In fact, nearly 1.5 million high school students nationwide experience physical abuse from a dating partner in a single year. And it’s reported that one (1) in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Now being a university student myself, this specific statistic scared me; College students are not equipped to deal with dating abuse – 57% say it is difficult to identify and 58% say they don’t know how to help someone who’s experiencing it. Why is it that there are more than 50% of students that say they can’t even IDENTIFY an abusve relationship with their partner.
So … how can you identify an abusive relationship? Here are some warning signs to look for:
- Explosive temper
- Erractic mood swings
- Physically inflicting pain or hurt in any way
- Possessiveness
- Extreme jealousy or insecurity
- Constant belitting or put-downs
- Making false accusations
- Telling someone what to do
- Repeatedly pressuring someone to have sex
Here are some links to some webpages to read up on some more TDV (teen dating violence) information:
If there’s anything I want you to take away from this post, it’s that every relationship, whether it’d be romantic or not, deserves to be healthy. No matter what.
Alex Newton is a nursing student and mental health advocate. She grew up in a small town and plans on moving to London, England one day and open up her own health practice. She has a cat named Maya who she adopted whilst going through some difficulties. She’s a daughter, sister, and warrior who enjoys a nice cuppa tea.
Defying Shadows 