Know the Laws:
UPDATED June 21, 2012
Dating violence (or relationship abuse) is a pattern of controlling behavior that someone uses against a girlfriend or boyfriend. Please visit www.loveisrespect.org or www.thatsnotcool.com for more information.
- General info for teens
- I think I am being abused. What should I do?
- Helping a friend
- Legal information on teen dating violence
- Finding help
Helping a friend
back to topHow can I tell if my friend is in an abusive relationship?
Answer the questions below. If you answer "yes" to any of them, your friend might be in an abusive relationship.
- Does your friend show physical signs of injury?
- Is she doing worse in school, or has dropped out completely?
- Has she changed her clothing or makeup style?
- Has she lost confidence and does she have difficulty making decisions?
- Has she quit her normal after-school activities?
- Has she started using drugs or alcohol?
- Does she have mood swings or emotional outbursts?
- Has she isolated herself from friends and family?
- Has she become pregnant?
- Does she apologize for her boyfriend's abusive behavior?
- Does she seem overly worried about upsetting or angering her boyfriend?
back to topHow can I find help on talking to my friend who may be in an abusive relationship?
If you suspect a friend is in an abusive relationship, you might want to try talking to them to find out for sure. The loveisrespect.org website has a list of things to keep in mind when you're talking to a friend who may be experiencing dating violence. You might want to check out that site before talking to your friend. Here is the direct link: http://www.loveisrespect.org/get-help/support-for-a-friend/
back to topHow do I find help on talking to my friend who may be the abuser in a relationship?
It's hard to know how to talk to a friend when you think his behavior is out of control. For ideas on how to talk to your friend about his behavior go to the loveisrespect.org website: http://www.loveisrespect.org/get-help/talk-to-an-abusive-friend/. They have a list of things to keep in mind when you're talking to a friend who may be the abuser in a dating relationship.