The following article is part two of a four-week series focusing on raising awareness about dating violence. February is Dating Violence Awareness month, and we hope to educate our community on this very important issue. One-in-three young people will experience dating violence in their lifetime. Locally, the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center has been serving victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and child abuse since 1978. Last year, HCWC served 2,055 victims of abuse (face-to-face) primarily from Hays and Caldwell Counties.
A new relationship can bring intense feelings of romance, excitement, and hope for the future. Signs that your partner is potentially abusive can be undetectable in these early stages. Abuse may appear weeks or months later. Understanding boundaries is important in having a healthy relationship. It is also important to ask yourself if the attention you are receiving from your partner is overwhelming or making you uncomfortable.
Abuse may be physical or non-physical, and it is not always obvious. Abuse is typically repetitive and follows a pattern of calm periods which lead up to tense periods. The abuser will often blame their partner for the abuse (“look what you made me do”) and not take responsibility for themselves.
