Are You in an Abusive Relationship?
Pay attention to dating violence signs.
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Pay Attention to the Signs - Would you know if your partner was abusive? Remember, domestic abuse goes beyond physical harm. Read more about the signs that you may be in an unhealthy relationship. By Kellee Terrell(Photo:GettyImages)
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Your Partner Physically Harms You - Physical harm is one of the most obvious signs of an abusive relationship. This can be hitting, spitting, slapping, shoving or anything non-consensual that causes pain. Remember, if someone loves you, they don’t hit you. (Photo: drbimages/GettyImages)
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Emotional Mind Games - Abusers are very good at emotionally manipulating their victims. This behavior, which uses words to hurt you, can range from putting you down to threatening to kill himself if you leave. An abuser knows what triggers you so they can get their way.(Photo:GettyImages)
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Jealousy Isn’t Love, Either - Jealousy isn’t a sign of love, it’s a sign of insecurity. So pay attention to things such as him not wanting you to roll out with certain friends, making comments on how much makeup you have on or what you are wearing before going out, or who you talk to.(Photo: Izabela Habur/GettyImages)
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He/She Constantly Pops Up - Otherwise known as stalking, this can be extremely scary for victims. Stalking behavior also includes constant phone calls, texts, social media messages and even being videotaped without your knowledge. (Photo: Image Source/GettyImages)
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Plays With Your Coins - One way to keep you dependent is by messing with your money and jeopardizing your career. An abuser might call your job a lot, make you miss work and/or show up at your job acting out in hopes that you will get fired and embarrass you. (Photo:GettyImages)
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Limits Your Access to Important Things - Does your partner limit your access to your clothes, car, birth control, condoms, shelter, money, credit cards or anything else that you may need in order to control you? If so, this is a serious form of abuse. (Photo: Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
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Doesn’t Let You Hang With Family and Friends - In order for an abuser to be successful, he has to isolate you away from the people who love you and might call him out on his behavior. He might tell you things like, “You only need me” or “Why do you have to spend so much time with them?” (Photo: DreamPictures/VStock/GettyImages)
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Forces You to Have Sex - Just because you have slept with him before, doesn’t mean you cannot say “no.” But one way an abuser might show his power over is you by forcing you to have sex and/or not allowing you to use contraception during sex.(Photo: isitsharp/Getty Images)
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Expects You to be Perfect - Does your man have very unrealistic expectations for how you are supposed to be: always dressed up, always made up, always perfect and/or always meeting his every need? Does he blow up if you don’t meet all of these expectations? This is a warning sign.(Photo: Hill Street Studios/GettyImages)
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Won’t Take “No” for an Answer - Abusers live on always getting their way. When you tell him that you can’t meet him tonight or would rather see a different movie, does he pressure you, sulk, start a fight or begs to get his way? This behavior can creep up in other aspects of your relationship, too.(Photo: Thinkstock Images/Getty Images)
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Blames Others for His Mistakes - An abuser won’t take responsibility for why he snaps off and acts out-of-pocket. It’s always someone’s fault: you, his boss, his parents, the man on the street, etc. You name it, he will blame them.(Photo: GettyImages)
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Pressures You to Move Fast - If you’ve been dating casually and he is telling you, “I love you,” or “You belong to me,” this is a clear sign that something is off. Especially when you are feeling pressured to move at a speed that you are not ready for. Real love takes time to develop.(Photo: Jupiterimages/GettyImages)
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You Are Afraid of Him - You can love him to death, but if you are afraid of him and what he is capable of and you modify behavior because of your fear, you have a serious problem.(Photo: laflor/GettyImages)