Dating Violence

You wouldn’t date some violent. Would you?

Violence affects millions of people every year. Would you recognize it if it happened to you?

According to Family Shelter Services in Wheaton, IL, approximately one out of every three teens is affected by relationship violence. Another study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that 24% of teen girls and 10% of teen boys experience some type of dating violence. But you wouldn’t date someone who is violent, right?

Dating violence refers to an escalation of abuse that can happen within a relationship, starting with emotional and verbal abuse and moving to physical or sexual abuse. Initially, behavior that is abusive might not seem that bad. You or I might shrug it off and say, “Sometimes people have a bad day. I’m not going make a big deal out of it!” But when abuse isn’t caught early on, it can become a big deal!

To help you recognize what should and should not be part of a healthy dating relationship, review this Relationship Bill of Rights from Family Shelter Services. No matter who you are, you deserve to be treated right. You have:

  1. The right to emotional support
  2. The right to be heard and to be responded to with courtesy
  3. The right to have your feelings and experiences acknowledged as real and valid
  4. The right to clear and informative answers to questions that concern you
  5. The right to live free from criticism and judgment
  6. The right to live free from accusation and blame
  7. The right to encouragement
  8. The right to live free from emotional and physical threat
  9. The right to be respectfully asked, rather than ordered
  10. The right to goodwill from your partner
  11. The right to live free from angry outbursts and rage

If you think you or anyone you know might be in an unhealthy relationship, please ask about what you can do. For any reason at any time you can call the hotline at Family Shelter Services: 630-469-5650. They can help.