Dating Violence

Dating and Violence

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

How can you tell if a relationship is abusive?

Abuse can take many forms, including:

• Physical abuse such as hitting.
• Sexual abuse such as forcing someone to have sex.
• Emotional abuse such as putting the person down or trying to control the person's actions.
• Any abuse is bad. There is no such thing as "deserving it" or "asking for it".
• Both women and men can be the victims of violent relationships.

If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, there is help available.

How do you know if your relationship is abusive?

Does your partner:

• Act very jealous or possessive?
• Try to keep you from having other friends?
• Tell you what you can and can't wear?
• Put you down or say things to purposefully hurt your feelings?
• Pressure you for sex?
• Pressure you to use alcohol or other drugs?
• Make you call and check in constantly or check to see who called you?
• Hit, push, kick or otherwise physically hurt you?

If your partner does any of these things, you may be in an abusive relationship.

Call us, we can help.

It's free, confidential and we are here to help 24/7.

Call us, we can help.

It's free and confidential.

Teen Advocate

County-Wide (360) 376-5979

24 Hour Crisis Line

Orcas Island (360) 376-1234

San Juan Island (360) 378-2345

Lopez Island (360) 468-4567

To learn more about what makes a healthy relationship, or to get a copy of a sample "relationship contract" give us a call at any of the numbers above, or e-mail us at:

> info@dvsas4teens.org

Everyone deserves a healthy relationship!

• Respect each other.
• Value your differences.
• Encourage each other to have interests and friends outside of your relationship.
• Dating and being in a relationship shouldn't hurt or feel bad.

Everyone deserves to be loved and cared about without being hurt.