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February is #TDVAM, the perfect time to talk to your teen about relationship abuse if you are concerned about them. Talking to teens and young adults about relationship abuse can be especially difficult, especially if that person is a child you care about.
Important points to keep in mind when offering support to your teen include:
Accept what they are telling you. Listen & be supportive even when you don’t understand or agree. Being judgmental will make them feel worse & less likely to reach out to you for help.
Accept what they are telling you. Listen & be supportive even when you don’t understand or agree. Being judgmental will make them feel worse & less likely to reach out to you for help.
Allow them to make up their own mind. Leaving an unhealthy or abusive relationship is difficult and may even be dangerous. While you may have more years of experience with relationships than they do, they know the circumstances of their own relationship far better than you do.
Don’t prevent them from seeing their partner. Controlling their actions will make them more likely to keep secrets from you. Avoid taking their decision-making away from them – as this is a tactic they may already be experiencing in their abusive relationship.
Don’t post information about them on social media. Never use social media platforms to reveal your child’s location or where they spend time. A partner who is abusing them may be able to use your posts to find them.
Don’t give up. Your instinct is probably to remove your child from harm’s way immediately, but abusive situations aren’t that simple. Even though helping them can be frustrating when you don’t understand, they need to know that they can trust you and depend on you for support.
Our project @loveisrespect is here to support 24/7 if you have any questions. Text "LOVEIS" to 22522 any time, call 1-866-331-9474, or chat at http://loveisrespect.org
#TDVAM #KnowYourWorth
#TDVAM #KnowYourWorth
