The Women's Center

Warning Signs of an abusive relationship

If any of these warning signs describe you, your situation, or your relationship, then you could already be in an abusive relationship or in one that is at risk for becoming abusive. Remember, abuse escalates! For help, please call The Women's Center hotline at 1-800-334-2094, anytime, day or night.

• Do you feel nervous around your partner?
• You try to avoid his/her anger: you are afraid to disagree with him/ her; you have to be careful to control what you do or say; you have to justify everything you do, everywhere you go, every person you see.
• Your partner criticizes or humiliates you in front of others or in private. He/she puts you down (calls you fat, ugly, stupid, etc.),
• Your partner always checks up or questions you about what you have been doing. He/she looks through your belongings.
• Your partner tells you how to dress.
• Your partner wrongfully accuses you of cheating.
• Your partner prevents you from seeing your family and friends.
• Your partner has scared you with violent behavior, like throwing things, punching the wall, physically restraining you.
• You often do things to please your partner rather than doing what you think is right.
• Your partner act like "Prince/cess Charming" one minute then a monster the next.
• You are afraid to break up with your partner because he/she has threatened to hurt you, the children, the family pet, or himself/herself.
• Your partner makes excuses for his/her abusive behavior by blaming it on his/her childhood, because of alcohol or drugs, or because he/she can't control his/her temper.
• Your partner pressures you into having sex or performing unwanted sexual acts.
• Your partner tells you that if you changed he/she wouldn't abuse you.

If you associated yourself or your relationship with any of these warning signs you could be in an abusive relationship, or the relationship is at risk of becoming abusive in the future.

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