What Might Dating Abuse Look Like?
In unhealthy relationships, partners who are being abused may:
- Stop participating in things they used to enjoy
- Worry about making their partners angry
- Withdraw and become isolated
- Have unexplained injuries
- Lose a lot of weight
- Start to do poorly in school
In unhealthy relationships, abusive partners may:
- Insult, belittle or humiliate their partners in public
- Tell their partners how to dress
- Require their partners to constantly check in
- Keep their partners from participating in hobbies or other activities
- Coerce or force their partners to be with them all the time
- Coerce or force their partners into sexual activity
- Physically harm their partners
Remember, dating abuse is a pattern of coercive behaviors designed to establish control over a dating partner. If you see a sign of abuse in one of your friends' relationships, it DOES NOT mean it is an abusive relationship--but it could be headed in that direction.
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