• on a first date or in an established relationship
• to boys or girls
• in gay or straight relationships
• to people of all races, cultures, ages, incomes and education levels

Many teens believe that some behaviors, like name-calling or shoving, are part of “normal” relationships. They’re not.  And if your partner continues to act in this way, his/her behavior will likely become more violent over time.

Dating violence includes:

• physical abuse: hitting, punching, biting, kicking, slapping, shoving, pulling hair, strangling, pinching
• emotional abuse: name-calling, threatening, screaming, embarrassing, insulting, intimidating, isolating, stalking
• sexual abuse: forcing sex or unwanted sexual contact; not letting you use birth control; using drugs or alcohol to take advantage of you sexually
• electronic abuse: using technology or social media to stalk, harass, embarrass, threaten or control you; demanding passwords; sexting; checking cell phones