| Myth: |
It can’t happen to me. |
| Fact: |
It can happen to you - more than 1 in 10 teens experience physical violence in their dating relationships. That doesn’t even take into account those relationships that contain emotional abuse! |
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| Myth: |
Jealousy and possessiveness are a sign of true love. |
| Fact: |
Wrong - jealousy and possessiveness are a sign that a person sees you as a possession. They are insecure with themselves, and they don’t trust you. It is the most common early warning sign of abuse. |
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| Myth: |
Teen dating violence isn’t really that serious. |
| Fact: |
Actually, 30% of all women murdered in this country are killed by their husband or boyfriend. That same high percentage can be applied to teens, aged 15-19. In addition, 60% of all rapes reported to crisis centers are aged 16-24 and are committed by acquaintances. |
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| Myth: |
Men are battered by women just as often as women are battered by men. |
| Fact: |
95% of the reported incidents of assaults in relationships are committed by males, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics. |
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| Myth: |
Alcohol causes people to become violent and to batter. |
| Fact: |
Many people who batter do not drink heavily, and many alcoholics do not beat their partners. Further, batterers who drink don’t necessarily give up battering when they give up alcohol. While some abusers do beat their partners while they are drunk, the alcohol is just used as their excuse. |
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| Myth: |
Victims bring on the abuse themselves. They ask for it. |
| Fact: |
Perpetrators believe they have the right to use abuse to control their partners, and they see the victim as less than equal to themselves. The victim has no control over the abuser. |
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| Myth: |
If a person stays in an abusive relationship, it must not really be that bad. |
| Fact: |
People stay in abusive relationships for a number of reasons: fear, economic dependence, confusion, loss of self-confidence, not recognizing that what’s happening is abusive, and the belief that the abuser needs their help or will change. |
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| Myth: |
Most batterers are bums or crazy people. |
| Fact: |
Batterers can be: rich, poor, professional, unemployed, any race or ethnicity, urban, and rural. They are found in all types of people. |
Dating Violence