Speak Up. Stand Tall.

Technology is a great thing, but it can also be a doorway for methods of abuse that weren't around before it existed. Digital abuse is especially common among teenagers and young adults, along with cyberbullying. According to a study done in 2013 by Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center , over a quarter of teens in dating relationships suffered from digital abuse-- I can only imagine that number has risen over the years. According to the Institute's study on the topic, "One in four dating teens is abused or harassed online or through texts by their partners, according to the largest survey to date on the subject. Social networking sites, texts, cell phones, and e-mails haven't pushed abuse rates up, but they have given abusers another way to control, degrade, and frighten their partners, even when apart." Some other facts that Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center had on digital abuse of dating are as follows: 84 percent of digital abuse victims said t...

For those of you who follow me on social media, you might already know that last week was a big step for my program! Thanks to the Clarksville Department of Parks and Recreation, I was able to impact a lot of lives by spreading awareness of teen dating abuse. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I spent about an hour with groups in three different locations across the city. The turnout varied from location to location, but they were all fairly large in my opinion. Moreover, they all seemed very engaged, which is always something I try to promote. Losing interest can be incredibly easy when all you are doing is talking-- it doesn't really matter what age group. That is part of the reason why I have started beginning my talk to teens with myths and facts about dating abuse. The way it works is that I tell the group a statement (a myth or fact) and ask the teens to respond by raising their hand if they think the statement is a myth or leaving it down if they think it's a fact. T...

The definition of the word 'gaslighting' is the following: to manipulate (someone) by psychological means into questioning their own sanity. This is a cruel and often undetected form of mental and emotional abuse that I did not have a name for until I began counseling, where I was given the definition for the first time. Gaslighting was one of my abuser's most used tactics, and it is a tactic that can wear it's victim down. Confusion causes doubt in one's self and exhaustion, which often leaves the victim further weakened for the abuser to further take advantage of. Using articles from TheHotline.org and PsychologyToday.com , I will help explain what gaslighting is. Gaslighting is not something that suddenly happens. It is a tactic that grows in severity over time, usually starting very small in the relationship. It can be seen as a misunderstanding the first few times, but slowly it turns into an outright denial of words spoken and actions done by the abuser whe...

While it is easy to see similarities between violence/abuse in adult relationships and that within younger teen relationships, there are notable differences between the two which can be expected. Teenagers and adults live vastly different lives with different expectations, environments, and ways of thinking through situations. There is also the fact that the complexity of teen relationships often differs from extremely casual to extremely serious. In my own case, the relationship was extremely serious very quickly starting the summer after eighth grade when I began wearing a promise ring to show my commitment to my abuser, who I had been dating for six months at the time. Ours was considered an odd relationship, given the length and amount of commitment that seemed to be put in it despite the signs of infidelity on my abuser's part. A more serious commitment can make it easier to pinpoint signs of abuse within a relationship, however, most of the time relationships at this age are ...