Dating violence

Dating violence is controlling, abusive, and/or aggressive behavior in a romantic relationship.

 

It can happen in straight or gay relationships.  It can include verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, or a combination.

 

controlling behavior may include:

       ·         Not letting you hang out with your friends

       ·         Calling, paging, or texting you frequently to find out where you are, whom you’re with, and what you’re doing

       ·         Telling you what to wear

       ·         Having to be with you all the time

 

verbal and emotional abuse may include:

       ·         Calling you names

       ·         Jealousy

       ·         Belittling you (cutting you down)

       ·         Threatening to hurt you, someone in your family, or himself or herself if you don’t do what he/she wants

 

physical abuse may include:

       ·         Shoving

       ·         Punching

       ·         Slapping

       ·         Pinching

       ·         Hitting

       ·         Kicking

       ·         Hair Pulling

       ·         Strangling

 

Sexual abuse may include:

       ·         Unwanted touching and kissing

       ·         Forcing you to have sex

       ·         Not letting you use birth control

       ·         Forcing you to do other sexual things

Dater's bill of rights

       ·         You have the right to refuse a date without feeling guilty

       ·         You can ask for a date without feeling rejected or inadequate if the answer is no

       ·         You may choose not to act seductively

       ·         If you don’t want physical closeness, you have the right to say no

        ·         You have the right to be yourself without changing to suit others

       ·         You have the right to change a relationship when your feelings change

       ·         You can say, “We used to be close, but now I want something else”

       ·         If you are told a relationship is changing, you have the right not to blame or change yourself to keep it going

       ·         You have the right to an equal relationship

       ·         You have the right not to dominate or be dominated

       ·         You have the right to act one way with one person and a different way with someone else

       ·         You have the right to change your goals whenever you want to

       ·         You have the right to stop physical intimacy whenever you feel ready to stop

       ·         You have the right to want physical affection without choosing to have sexual intercourse