Are you in danger of being abused?
EARLY WARNING SIGNS that your relationship might turn abusive
A romantic relationship should be a positive experience. Everyone wants to be loved and cared for. Sometimes, though, relationships can be unhealthy when one of the people is hurtful. Read this section to see if you are in an unhealthy relationship.
Types of Abuse
There are several ways a woman can be hurt by someone she cares about:
Physical abuse is physical force against you – your partner slaps, kicks, pushes, punches, holds you down, blocks doorways, prevents you from using the phone or drives fast to scare you, for example.
Emotional abuse is when your partner uses ways to hurt your feelings, such as calling you names, teasing you or telling you what to do.
Sexual abuse is when a partner forces you to do sexual things you do not want to do.
Someone who is abusive might also:
- Make you do sexual things that you do not want to do
- Have bad attitudes about women
- Say they will get sex somewhere else
- Use alcohol, drugs or bad words
- Use scary gestures like smacking their hand on furniture or clenching their fist
- Say they will hurt you
- Be violent towards your pets or other animals
- Break things you or someone else owns
- Scare you or others
How do you know if your relationship is wrong and abusive?
The following quiz takes you through some "early warning signs" that women who have been in abusive relationships said they experienced.
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