What Is Emotional Abuse?

Teen dating violence is a growing problem in the United States. Today, approximately one-third of all teens involved in romantic relationships will experience abuse of some kind. However, teen dating violence can actually involve so much more than that. In fact, emotional abuse can be just as devastating and traumatic for young victims. Did you know that emotional abuse is the most common type of abusive conduct in teenage relationships?

When we hear the term “abuse,” we tend to think about physical violence and/or sexual abuse. However, teen dating violence can actually.

Content warning: This page contains information about relationship and sexual violence. It can take many forms, including physical violence, coercion, threats, intimidation, isolation, and emotional, sexual or economic abuse. Abusive relationships may include sexual violence, which is a form of physical violence. No matter what kind of relationship you have, if you are forced to have sex, it is rape. If you are humiliated or forced to be sexual in any way, that is sexual abuse.

Relationship violence is a set of behaviors that are commonly misunderstood in our society. They suggest that the survivor is doing something wrong, rather than that the perpetrator of the violence is at fault. Violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim.