Teen Dating Violence And Abuse
Author: Connie Limon
Violent and abusive relationships can happen in any age group;
however, teens face a unique set of challenges. Young teens may
not know who to turn to get help or may think their mate's
jealousy and possessiveness are just more signs of "true love."
Teenage dating is not always an innocent phase of life just
before adulthood. It can even turn deadly. Many times violence
is after a break up in a relationship that was not previously
violent. It is estimated that more 10 percent of teens
nationwide are in a dating violence situation.
What should a teen do if he or she feels they are in an abusive
relationship or is thinking of leaving a violent mate? You
should seek help from a trusted adult or a domestic-violence
group.
Each case is different. In some cases you may need to get an
order of protection. In other cases it may be enough to just
break up the relationship. Because of a teen's age and
inexperience it may be harder than adults to recognize the
warning signs of abuse. Teens often also misinterpret warning
signs of dating violence which includes jealousy,
possessiveness, and sexual pressure as signs of love rather than
warnings signs of abuse. A little bit of jealousy especially in
the beginning of relationships is usually normal. If that
jealousy turns into attempts to control and manipulate person
violence, it can get very dangerous.
Abusive jealousy may start with little things such as a mate
forbidding you to see friends alone or becoming angry at certain
kinds of clothing you wear, hiding car keys so you cannot leave.
All these things are warning signs that does not mean the other
person loves you, but the other person is not reacting normally
toward you in the relationship and you probably should just move
onto someone else or just out of that particular relationship.
Messages can be confusing for teens especially. A mate may
surprise you with flowers and beautifully written love notes,
while at the same time, if he or she is upset at you for
visiting friends alone or is hiding your car keys so you cannot
leave, stop accepting the flowers and the notes, the
relationship is not worth continuing on with.
It is common for teenage victims of dating violence and abuse
to keep the problem from their parents. They fear if they tell
the parents, the parents will demand a separation. Most teenage
victims of dating abuse do not want this to happen. They keep
hoping for the magical "something" to get back to when the
relationship was good and continue to endure the abuse,
sometimes until it too late.
More and more high schools are giving frequent presentations to
teens. This has helped teens to see the warning signs of dating
violence and abuse. Many teens will then come forth with their
own stories, which can result in referrals to school counselors
for further advice and instructions about their situations.
It is not always the girls who are being abused in teen dating
relationships. Females are more likely to be the victims of teen
dating violence, but they also can be the perpetrators. Anyone
can be controlling and manipulative to the point of violence.
If you are a victim of teen dating violence and abuse and
cannot tell your parents or do not want to tell your parents, at
least talk to another trusted adult or school counselors about
your problem. There are also hotlines set up in every locality
for domestic violence that anyone can call and get help. These
lines are usually 24-hour hotlines, which mean if you find
yourself in a violent situation in the middle of the night, you
can find help through these lines. If you find yourself in an
emergency, do not hesitate to call local 911 emergency services.
It could save your life. Once you are clear of the situation,
you can look back and see how unproductive the relationship
really was and keep moving until you find a mate who does not
live his or her life just to control and manipulate your life.
This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.
About The Author: Connie Limon Visit us at
http://smalldogs2.com/DatingArticles for an extensive list of
FREE reprint articles all about dating.
however, teens face a unique set of challenges. Young teens may
not know who to turn to get help or may think their mate's
jealousy and possessiveness are just more signs of "true love."
Teenage dating is not always an innocent phase of life just
before adulthood. It can even turn deadly. Many times violence
is after a break up in a relationship that was not previously
violent. It is estimated that more 10 percent of teens
nationwide are in a dating violence situation.
What should a teen do if he or she feels they are in an abusive
relationship or is thinking of leaving a violent mate? You
should seek help from a trusted adult or a domestic-violence
group.
Each case is different. In some cases you may need to get an
order of protection. In other cases it may be enough to just
break up the relationship. Because of a teen's age and
inexperience it may be harder than adults to recognize the
warning signs of abuse. Teens often also misinterpret warning
signs of dating violence which includes jealousy,
possessiveness, and sexual pressure as signs of love rather than
warnings signs of abuse. A little bit of jealousy especially in
the beginning of relationships is usually normal. If that
jealousy turns into attempts to control and manipulate person
violence, it can get very dangerous.
Abusive jealousy may start with little things such as a mate
forbidding you to see friends alone or becoming angry at certain
kinds of clothing you wear, hiding car keys so you cannot leave.
All these things are warning signs that does not mean the other
person loves you, but the other person is not reacting normally
toward you in the relationship and you probably should just move
onto someone else or just out of that particular relationship.
Messages can be confusing for teens especially. A mate may
surprise you with flowers and beautifully written love notes,
while at the same time, if he or she is upset at you for
visiting friends alone or is hiding your car keys so you cannot
leave, stop accepting the flowers and the notes, the
relationship is not worth continuing on with.
It is common for teenage victims of dating violence and abuse
to keep the problem from their parents. They fear if they tell
the parents, the parents will demand a separation. Most teenage
victims of dating abuse do not want this to happen. They keep
hoping for the magical "something" to get back to when the
relationship was good and continue to endure the abuse,
sometimes until it too late.
More and more high schools are giving frequent presentations to
teens. This has helped teens to see the warning signs of dating
violence and abuse. Many teens will then come forth with their
own stories, which can result in referrals to school counselors
for further advice and instructions about their situations.
It is not always the girls who are being abused in teen dating
relationships. Females are more likely to be the victims of teen
dating violence, but they also can be the perpetrators. Anyone
can be controlling and manipulative to the point of violence.
If you are a victim of teen dating violence and abuse and
cannot tell your parents or do not want to tell your parents, at
least talk to another trusted adult or school counselors about
your problem. There are also hotlines set up in every locality
for domestic violence that anyone can call and get help. These
lines are usually 24-hour hotlines, which mean if you find
yourself in a violent situation in the middle of the night, you
can find help through these lines. If you find yourself in an
emergency, do not hesitate to call local 911 emergency services.
It could save your life. Once you are clear of the situation,
you can look back and see how unproductive the relationship
really was and keep moving until you find a mate who does not
live his or her life just to control and manipulate your life.
This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.
About The Author: Connie Limon Visit us at
http://smalldogs2.com/DatingArticles for an extensive list of
FREE reprint articles all about dating.
