Abusive relationships, dating and abuse

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Relationships

Relationships are supposed to be fun and meaningful and based on trust without any insecurities with one another. However, sometimes in life it’s just not that simple. It's important to be free and safe in a relationship but some relationships are abusive. Find out about the various types of abusive relationships below.

What does a healthy relationship look like?

When someone really likes or loves you, they treat you with respect and you're free to say no to things you don't want to do. You feel like you can truly be yourself - even if you are different to the other person. The most important thing is that you're free and safe to do as you like.

Abuse

Abuse in relationships can comes in many different forms, but it’s mainly about when someone tries to control, intimidate or hurt their loved ones.

It can happen to anyone, females and males. Don’t be a victim and suffer in silence.

Over two women per week are killed by current or ex-partners and one in four women in the UK experience at least one physical assault by their partner throughout adulthood.

Different types of abuse and what they mean

Physical Abuse - hitting, punching, or kicking you, pushing you around, blocking your way, or locking you inside their house.

Emotional Abuse - putting you down all the time, criticising you, calling you nasty names, controlling what you should wear, making you feel small about yourself, playing mind games, humiliating you in front of family or friends.

Sex Abuse – forcing or pressuring to have sex with them, or do sexual things that you don’t want to do.

Financial Abuse - making you feel guilty, or feel like you owe them for things that they had bought you, stopping you from finding work, making you rely on them for money all the time, or taking your money.

Intimidation – sending nasty vile phone calls or text messages, making you afraid of them by using certain body language, looks, actions and gestures, or using their physical presence to scare you.

Isolation – controlling what you do, who you talk to on the phone, and where you go, trying to stop you from seeing friends and family.

Blaming, Denying and Minimising – denying any abuse or problems, pretending nothing happened, blaming you for the abuse, or blaming use of drugs, or alcohol for their abuse.

Using threats

Warning signs to watch Out for abuse in your relationship

Your partner is overly jealous, paranoid and becomes possessive.

Your partner mocks you or calls you horrible names and is verbally threatening.

You partner isolates you from your friends and family.

Your partner suffers different severe mood changes, charming and nice one minute, violent the next.

Your partner threatens or attempts to kill themselves by committing suicide if you don’t listen to them, or follow their rules.

Your partner embarrasses you in front of others, checks your phone, accompanies you everywhere.

Your partner threatens to hurt you or loved ones, or spreads lies to your family and friends about you.

Your partner forces you to have sex with them.