The following article is the final part 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.
Being in an abusive relationship can have a significant impact on various parts of your life such as mental health, safety, relationships with others, and more. You may struggle with understanding your partners behaviors, especially when they treat you with love and kindness one day then anger and violence the next. Many people hope that things will get better and then blame themselves when they don’t. It can be difficult to cope while in an abusive relationship but listed below are a few ways to help, until you are able to safely leave the relationship.
• Learn about the cycle of violence — The Cycle of Violence explains the different phases that are present in abusive relationships and illustrates how abuse often is followed by an apology and make up phase before tension builds and the abuse begins again. Understand that you are not at fault if your partner continues to hurt you and you cannot “fix” someone who is abusive.
