I was astonished to read in the Princeton, Illinois, Bureau County Republican newspaper that one in five teens in a serious relationship report they have been hit, slapped or pushed by a partner. Puppy love seems so cute, doesn't it? Yet there it is again, the staggering statistics of one person hurting another, beginning at very young ages.
I believe many of these budding victimizers are showing early signs of Borderline Personality Disorder. As a culture, we're color blind to the behaviors of Borderlines and thus excuse it. Check out the Red Flags section of my web site -- http://www.boomeranglove.com/asp/redflags-20.asp -- for over 70 behaviors linked to a person suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder.
When we see the abusive behavior, most of us don't know how to recognize it for what it really is. Nor do we know that there is now effective mental health treatment for people suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder.
To read more about how to recognize the behaviors and warning signs of teens being abused, read the book titled but I love him -- Protecting Your Teen Daughter from Controlling, Abusive Dating Relationships by Dr. Jill Murray. Dr. Murray is a licensed psychotherapist who speaks to thousands of students and parents around the country each year on the topic of abusive teen relationships. She has a private practice in Laguna Niguel, California.
Has your teenager been the victim of date violence? How did you handle it? Were you a victim of abuse as a teenager? Click on the Comments link below to share your journey with us. Let's start talking about this.
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