Warning Signs of Abusive Relationships
Domestic violence and abusive partners are not as uncommon as we would like to believe. Coercion, lies, dishonesty, and verbal remarks are all forms of abuse in a relationship. It is no secret that many abusers are the survivors of abuse. As you can see, this is a very vicious cycle. While abusers may not want to be that way, by staying in a relationship with one, you are enabling their behavior.
As someone who has been in a relationship with someone who was verbally, sexually, and physically abusive, I feel that women and men alike should be educated about this. For me, the combination of being mistreated by boyfriends, seeing my own father die, and other major life events led to a suicide attempt. Abuse of any sort is not only unacceptable, but lethal. It is very hard to trust someone, no matter how much they mean to you, if you have been mistreated the way I am sure many of us have. Our partners rarely understand that and these emotions can manifest into outbursts of rage, feeling abandoned, and problems with intimacy in a relationship.
So, what can we do to present this? The easiest answer, in my eyes, is to be educated about abusive relationships. Here are the main signs of domestic violence:
- Coercion to do sexual activities you are not comfortable with (ex. unprotected sex)
- Threatening to find a new partner if you don't cooperate.
- Jealousy
- Possessive towards you
- Physically pushes or strikes you in any way, shape, or form.
- Blames you when they mistreat you.
- Your friends and family are concerned
- They falsely accuse you of being unfaithful or flirting
- Punish or threaten children or pets
- Damage your property
- They "can't bear" to be apart for any amount of time
- Doesn't think that family or friends value you enough
- They want to settle down as soon as you meet or within the first week.
- They always keep you up at night
- They stalk you
- They have had a violent relationship in the past
- They try to control different aspects of your life: such as how you dress.
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