By Katie Glaubius

Teen Dating Violence and Awareness Month is for informing people about teen dating abuse, how serious is it, and what the consequences of it can be. Have a heart campaign states, “One in three teens experience some form of abuse and 2/3 of those who do, never report it.”

If your boyfriend or girlfriend is abusing you, you should talk to someone that you trust, such as a friend or parent. You can also call 1-866-331-9474, which is a national teen dating abuse helpline. If you are in an abusive relationship, you should research about it. There are many websites that can help you determine if you partner is abusive, help you find information on how to break-up with them, or even to file a civil domestic violence protection order. “The most important thing to remember is, if you the one being abused, no matter what, it’s not your fault,” said Leah Droge of Friendship Home.

When braking up with an abusive partner, you should meet in a busy place or be with friends. Tell your friends and family that you broke up and why. In school, stay with friends, change your school schedule if necessary, change up your routine, and have code words. If you are feeling in danger or uncomfortable you can say this word and your friend will know that you need help.

Often when people think of abuse, they only think of physical violence, but there are actually three kinds of abuse. There is physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse. Physical abuse is using force to hurt or scare someone. Emotional abuse includes things like insults, always needing to know where you are and what you are doing, and threats. Sexual abuse is unwanted sexual contact of any kind. All of these forms of abuse are very serious, and none of these things will be present in a healthy, non-abusive relationship.

If you are not sure if your relationship is abusive, you can go to www.loveisrespect.org and take a quiz to see if your relationship is a healthy one. Some things that may be clues to an abusive relationship include jealousy, such as not wanting you to spend time with friends or family, being angry if you talk to other people, or looking through your e-mail or phone to see who you’ve been talking to. Anger is another thing to look for, such as being angry a lot, or over small, unimportant issues, especially if this anger is directed towards you.