Sadly, nearly 1.5 million high school students across the nation experience physical abuse from a dating partner. Donna Gibbs from Your Safe Haven in Bedford shares some of the red flags.
Red Flags of Dating Abuse
- Being physically hurt
- Feeling afraid of your dating partner
- Feeling isolated from friends or family
- Changing your behavior because of your dating partners jealousy
- Feeling embarrassed, put down, ashamed or guilty
- Being threatened
- Feeling manipulated or controlled
- Being afraid to express your own feelings of anger
- Feeling a nervous or sick feeling in your stomach when your dating partner is irritated, frustrated, or angry
- Feeling a pounding or fluttering in your chest when your dating partner isn’t happy
- Not being allowed to, or being afraid to, make decisions for yourself
- Noticing that your dating partner’s beliefs about the position of men and women in society are different from your own
- Feeling as if your dating partner gets too personal or touches you in an unwanted way
- Not having your thoughts or wishes for personal space respected
If you or someone you know has been a victim of a crime, help is available at Your Safe Haven. Call (814) 623-7664 or visit Your Safe Haven’s website or Facebook page.