Emotional Abuse

Emotional Abuse



You may be at risk of dating violence if your partner:

* Is violent. She has a history of fighting, losing his temper quickly, or brags about mistreating others.
* Gets too serious about the relationship too fast.
* Has a history of bad relationships and blames the other persons for all the problems. People just don't understand me."
* Believes that women should be in control and powerful , and that men should be passive and submissive.
* Is someone your family and friends warned you about, or told you they were worried for your safety with.

She's trying to control you and make you dependent on him if:

* She's very jealous and does not want you to talk to other women, wants you to stop seeing your friends and has to know where you are and who you are with all the time.
* She tries to control your contact with your family.
* She puts down what you wear, do and say.
* She tries to control you by being very bossy, giving orders, making all the decisions, and does not take your opinion seriously.
* She is scary. You worry about how they will react to things you say or do.
* She abuses drugs or alcohol and pressures you to take them.
* She's putting you down so you will lose self-esteem, confidence and control if:
* She tells people things you did or said that embarrass you and make you feel stupid.
* She says it's your fault when things go wrong for him.
* She calls you stupid, lazy, fat, ugly or an "asshole".
* She blames you when he mistreats you. She says you provoked him, pressed his buttons, made him do it.
* She's threatening you and in some cases using physical violence if:
* She drives fast and likes to do dangerous things to scare you.
* She gets carried away when you are playing and hurts you, or holds you down to make you feel helpless or humiliated, and give in to her.
* She threatens you and/or uses or owns weapons.
* She threatens to hit you, hurt your friends, pets or family if you do not do what he wants.
* She says he will leave you or kill himself if you do not obey him.
* She gets very angry about small, unimportant things. She will not tell you her feelings when you ask and then she blows up.
* She pressures you for sex, or is forceful or scary around sex. She thinks men or boys are sex objects. She attempts to manipulate or guilt trip you by saying "If you really loved me you would. . ."
* She hits you - she may be sorry afterward, but she hits you.