Dating Violence
Dating violence is controlling, abusive, and aggressive behavior in a romantic relationship. It occurs across all communities, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, cultural heritage and social or economic status.
Dating violence isn’t only about hitting. It’s about:
Excessive jealousy
Threats
Accusations
Verbal and psychological abuse
Forced sex or being humiliated into performing sexual acts
Constantly calling/texting
Control of family possessions
Possessiveness
Telling you what to wear, who you can talk to and who you can have as a friend
Isolating you from friends and family
It can occur in person or electronically and might occur with a current or former dating partner. It can include verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, or a combination.
Dating violence is a public health issue that affects people from all ages, backgrounds and identities, however young people ages 16-24 experience violence more than any other age group. In fact, 1 in 3 young people experience some form of dating or sexual violence.
Abusive relationships can start just like healthy ones – full of love, excitement and romance. As times goes on, what once felt loving or flattering starts to feel controlling and even frightening.
Some of the effects of the abuse can be:
Guilt, shame and blame – that you couldn’t stop the abuse or because you experienced extreme fear or arousal
Low self-esteem – that you've begun to believe the emotional abuse and feel defective, worthless, or empty
Intimacy and relationship issues – perhaps you find yourself in one abusive relationship after another, have difficulty communicating/expressing yourself or managing your emotion