During February, we often talk about love and happy, healthy relationships. What we don’t talk about are relationships that are toxic and unhealthy. One in five people will be abused in a relationship, although women have a higher chance of being abused in their relationships. Spotting the signs of an abusive relationship can be difficult if you are in the relationship, and if you think a friend is in a potentially harmful relationship, it is important that you are able to spot the signs so that you can help them!
If your partner does any of the following things, your relationship could be abusive.
-
Gets jealous when you spend time without them
-
Gets upset if you don’t respond to their texts/calls right away
-
Spreads rumors about you or destroys something that belongs to you
-
Reads your texts and wants to know who you’re talking to all the time
-
Isolates you from your friends or family, tells you not to spend time with them, or tries to ruin your relationships
-
Threatens to hurt themselves or others if you leave them
It can sometimes be hard to tell if your relationship is loving or controlling, and the line between healthy and unhealthy relationships can sometimes be blurry.
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship and needs to talk, text CHAT to 741741 to receive free crisis support 24/7.
This article was written in partnership with DoSomething.org’s 1 in 5 campaign.