Early Warning Signs of Teen Dating Violence

Does one partner:

* act jealously and possessively toward the other partner: not letting the other partner have friends, checking up on them constantly, and not accepting breaking up.

* try to control the other by being very bossy, giving orders and making all the decisions.

* not take the opinions of the other partner seriously.

* act scary and violent. Threaten their partner, own, display or use weapons.

* act violent; have a history of fighting, lose their temper quickly, brag about mistreating others.

* pressure the other partner for sex; attempt to guilt trip the other partner. (i.e. “If you really loved me you would….”)

* get really serious about the relationship too fast.

* blame the other partner when they mistreat them; say they provoked them, pressed their buttons, made them do it or led them on.

* demand attention at inappropriate times, such as during class.

* have a history of bad relationships and blame the ex’s for all of the problems.

Remember these are signs that a partner may be violent or may have the tendency to be violent. Some of these signs don’t necessarily mean a partner will be violent if they are happening independently of the other signs. If any of these things are happening however, it would be important to look for other signs (like bruises, depression, isolation, etc. on the part of the victim). If you have a good relationship with the victim’s friends you may talk to them about what they see and if they are worried.

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