Dating abuse

Dating abuse is when someone in a romantic relationship is mean or hurtful to their partner on purpose. Imagine if you and your friend were playing together, and your friend kept pulling your hair, pushing you, or hitting you. That would be mean and it would hurt your feelings, right?

Well, sometimes when people start dating, they can get mean or hurtful to their boyfriend or girlfriend, just like your friend was mean to you. Sometimes this happens because they are angry or sad about something else, and they take it out on their partner. Other times, it happens because they want to control or be the boss of the relationship.

This can happen to people of any age, from young kids up to grown-ups. It's not okay for anyone to be mean or hurtful to someone else, even if they are in a relationship. If someone is being mean to you or hurting you, it's important to tell a trusted adult, like a parent or teacher, so they can help you.