Pikeville Safe Place - Teen Violence

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Teen Violence

Dating and being in a relationship feels good when people treat each other with respect. But dating relationships can become abusive.

Jealousy does not equal love.

It may feel good to know someone cares enough about you to feel jealous. And everyone gets a little jealous on occasion however, jealousy is not a sign of love. It is a sign of insecurity. When a person is jealous all the time or tries to control your behavior because of jealousy they have a problem.

How do you know if you are in an abusive relationship?

If your partner:

Acts very jealous or possessive.
Tries to keep you from having other friends.
Tells you what you can and can’t wear.
Puts you down or says things to purposefully hurt your feelings?
Pressures you for sex.
Pressures you to use alcohol or other drugs.
Makes you call and check in constantly or checks to see who calls you.
Hits, pushes, kicks or otherwise physically hurts you.

If your partner does any of these things or if you are afraid of him and try to avoid his anger, you may be in an abusive relationship. Sometimes when you are being abused, it’s hard to see or acknowledge the abuse.

Abuse is never your fault.

People stay in abusive relationships for many reasons. They may be afraid to leave. They may feel pressure from friends or family. They may even think the person will change.

You deserve a healthy relationship!

Dating and being in a relationship shouldn’t hurt or feel bad. Everyone deserves to be loved and cared about without being hurt.

Healthy relationships include:

Respecting each other.
Valuing your differences.
Encouraging each other to have interests and friends outside of the relationship.
Each of you getting your way some of the time.