Teen Dating Violence:
What is teen dating violence?
Teen dating violence is a pattern of destructive behaviors used to exert power and control over a dating partner. Dating violence occurs when a person in a current or past dating relationship uses physical, sexual, verbal, or emotional abuse to harm, threaten, intimidate, or control the other person in the relationship
Signs of abuse
- Checking your cell phone or email without permission
- Constantly putting you down
- Extreme jealousy or insecurity
- Explosive temper
- Isolating you from family or friends
- Making false accusations
- Mood swings
- Physically hurting you in any way
- Possessiveness
- Telling you what to do
How to help:
- Believe your friend’s story
- Make sure they are safe
- Let them know they don’t deserve to be abused
- Ask them lots of questions to get them to think about the problem.
- Ask them what their options are and what they can do. (Stay, leave, talk to partner, get advice)
- Let them know that abuse almost always gets worse in a relationship if ignored. If the abuse is to stop, the person being abused has to be willing to take actions to end it.
- Encourage them to get help
Community Resources:
- Call 911 in an emergency
- Counselors, Nurses or other school personnel
- Women in Need – (972) 772-3000
- National Teen Dating Hotline – 1-800-799-7233