PASADENA, Texas – Dating violence and abuse is more common than you think, especially among teens and young adults.
While February is known for Valentine’s Day and romance, it’s also a time for agencies to raise awareness for Teen Dating Violence.
According to the CDC, one in 12 high school students has experienced physical dating or sexual dating violence.
KPRC 2 Reporter ReChelle Turner sat down with the non-profit organization The Bridge Over Troubled Water to discuss some signs that will help you recognize if your kid is in an unhealthy relationship.
“And not to just pounce on your kid. (Ask the question, what’s going on?” Explained Octavia Taulton, Housing and Intervention Director for The Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Having those tough conversations with your children, especially teenagers who are dating, is something Taulton stresses to parents.
“Just sitting down... more talking versus getting really upset because you are concerned and scared. We react versus pausing and connecting,” she said.
Olivia Rivers, the CEO of The Bridge Over Troubled Water in Pasadena, said her organization offers several helpful outlets.
“The Bridge is a domestic violence and rape crisis center that exists simply to offer support and services to those that are fleeing abusive situations, including stalking, human trafficking and child abuse,” Rivers explained.
The Bridge serves over 20,000 survivors every year with about 50% being youth, children and teens.
Tips on getting out of an unhealthy relationship:
1.) Look for changes in behavior and how they dress and talk
“What we notice with our young people is when we think they may be in an abusive relationship, they spend a lot of time trying to stay in communication and stay connected with their abuser and sometimes we see things in the media such as, ‘Oh, my boyfriend or my partner picks out my clothing in the morning.’ Sometimes teenagers think that’s cute when in reality, that shows compulsion, power and control,” Rivers said.
2.) Make sure no one has control over your teen’s phone or social media accounts
“Sometimes our youth use the phone for good, but sometimes they are used to manipulate them. A partner is asking their boyfriend or girlfriend to turn on their tracking location to let them know where they are or just using social media as a tool to stay in touch with them and communicate 24 hours a day can be something that causes harm in that relationship and makes a teen feel like they always have to check in with their partner,” Rivers said.
3.) Abuse isn’t always physical, sometimes it’s mental
“With our young ladies, we see a lot of eating disorders, especially in the media, with their partners telling them to lose weight or to look like this type of model, and so, there’s definitely a lot of signs but one thing we always encourage our parents to do is to just check their phones know where they are and some safety devices implemented so that they can be aware and monitor their children’s activities,” Rivers said.
The Bridge offers help to parents who think their child may be in an abusive or unhealthy relationship. If you need immediate help, parents can visit one of the non-profit domestic violence shelters or give their office a call at (713) 472-0753.