Last year in Europe alone, hundreds of women were murdered. A large amount being killed by their partner or ex-partner. In many cases, the crimes were attributed to jealousy and possessiveness.
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For those of us who possess any resemblance of a moral compass we already know that violence against women and violence, in general, is unacceptable. However, there are… and as sad as it is to say, most likely always will be inherently violent and abusive people out there.
So, another angle is to help people recognize when they may be in an abusive relationship so that they can be empowered to do something about it, especially before it’s too late.
We thought it might be a good idea to remind people that there are certain signs we can look for in order to tell if we might be getting into or are in an abusive or unhealthy relationship. With this knowledge, we aim to empower people who may be in this situation to do something about it in order to ensure they are being treated the way that they deserve to be.
What to look for...
Jealousy is something to keep in mind when you’re in a relationship. Sometimes it’s hard not to get jealous if you see your partner talking with an attractive co-worker or acquaintance and usually, these feelings are harmless and need little to no reassurance to remind you or your partner that you’re with them because you want to be and that’s all that should matter.
When jealousy hits a point where you’re partner is constantly accusing you of cheating or flirting it’s a sign that their jealousy is stronger than their trust for you. If your partner is unable to control their jealousy it can put a lot of strain on the relationship.
Another sign could be that they are constantly putting you down. Whether it be in public or in private, your partner, the person you are choosing to be with, should be the one person you can count on to lift you up when you need it most. That being said they shouldn’t be afraid of calling you out on your bulls**t. But when you’re partner is constantly telling you how crappy you look or how dumb you are, it’s not a healthy relationship and no one deserves to be treated that way, from their partner or anybody.
These are just a couple of telltale signs of an abusive relationship, however, they are a couple of the most common, and often a starting point that leads to worse or even violent behaviour.
Remember that...
It may be hard for someone to realize that they’re in an abusive relationship or they may even straight up deny that they are. As people who may have friends that are in abusive relationships but may not recognize it or even as victims ourselves, we need to acknowledge that the people who love you are supposed to treat you with the utmost respect, dignity and kindness and that anyone that gives you less than that may not be worth sacrificing your own happiness for, you deserve better.
