For Teens
You have the right to be safe in your home, school, and community. You also have the right to safety and respect in relationships. But when our boundaries and sense of trust are being violated, it can be a scary time. The Center is here to help.
Abuse in the Home Between Parents/Caregivers
If your parents/caregivers are in an abusive relationship, we can help provide support for you. Our staff is always here to listen, offer advice, and answer questions about whatever is bothering you.
Will You Contact My Parents/Caregiver?
Our top priority is keeping you safe. If you want to receive longer term services here, we will need to contact your parents or guardian to get permission at some point. But whatever protection you need, we will make sure you have it before doing anything else.
You can call us 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. That means if you are worried about something after school, or while you can’t sleep in the middle of the night, we’ll be here. You can talk confidentially and anonymously with a counselor about domestic violence in your home, teen dating violence, sexual assault, or rape. Our staff is always here to listen, offer advice, and answer questions.
Abuse in Your Dating Relationship
Everyone deserves to have healthy relationships. If you are in an abusive relationship or think you might be, The Center can help. We offer education, support, and advocacy and all of our services are free of charge.
Do you think you might be in an abusive relationship? Look at the statements below and see if you notice any abusive behaviors.
Is very supportive of things that I do.
Encourages me to try new things.
Likes to listen when I have something on my mind.
Understands that I have my own life too.
Is not liked very well by my friends.
Says I’m too involved in different activities.
Texts me or calls me all the time.
Thinks I spend too much time trying to look nice.
Gets extremely jealous or possessive.
Accuses me of flirting or cheating.
Constantly checks up on me or makes me check in.
Controls what I wear, how I look, or what I do.
Tries to keep me from seeing or talking to my family and friends.
Makes me feel nervous or like I’m “walking on eggshells.”
Puts me down, calls me names, or criticizes me.
Makes me feel like I can’t do anything right; blames me for problems.
Makes me feel like no one else would want me.
Threatens to hurt me, my friends, or family.
Threatens to hurt him or herself because of me.
Threatens to destroy my things. Grabs, pushes, shoves, chokes, punches, slaps, holds me down.
Breaks or throws things to intimidate or hurt me.
Yells, screams, or humiliates me in front of other people.
Pressures or forces me into having sex or going farther than I want to.
Did you agree with mostly green statements and fewer of the yellow, orange and red? Awesome. Those are signs of a healthy relationship.
If you agreed with more orange and red statements, you’re seeing some warning signs of an abusive relationship. Statements in red are the most severe warning signs.
No relationship is perfect, but in a healthy relationship, you shouldn’t see abusive behaviors. The most important thing is your safety.
Make a safety plan, talk to someone, or just learn more by calling The Center or checking out our resource section at the bottom of the page.
Your Rights
Whether you are in a relationship or just thinking about dating, remember your rights:
- You have the right to privacy, both online and off
- You have the right to feel safe and respected
- You have the right to decide who you want to date or not date
- You have the right to choose when/if you have sex and who you have sex with
- You have the right to say no at any time (to sex, to drugs/alcohol, to a relationship), even if you’ve said yes before
- You have the right to hang out with your friends and family and do the things that you enjoy, without your partner getting jealous or controlling
- You have the right to leave a relationship that isn’t right or healthy for you
- You have the right to live free from violence and abuse
(From Love is respect.org)
Under Kentucky law, you have the right to receive a Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE) where you can get medical help after rape and parents do not need to be informed. You also have the right to deny a SAFE exam – you get to choose whether you want one or not. You can learn more about SAFE exams on our website here.
How to Prevent Violence in Your Community:
Green Dot is a program that teaches people what to do if they witness something unsafe happening or about to happen. Click here to learn some really useful and life-saving tips for violence prevention.
Show People You Don’t Tolerate Violence:
By following positive groups on social media and spreading awareness about how violence affects people in your community, you can make a huge difference. The first step to creating change is by firmly speaking up for people who need help. Share supportive messages for survivors of sexual assault and violent relationships.
Follow any of The Center’s social media channels to help spread awareness and take a stand against violence.
Facebook:
The Center for Women and Families
Twitter:
The Center for Women and Families
Instagram:
The Center for Women and Families
Resources
The Survivor Project is an organization that works out of Portland, OR, advocating for transgender and intersex people who have experienced sexual violence. Their page of resources can be beneficial to members of these communities seeking support. http://www.survivorproject.org/reading.html
The Northwest Network serves members of the LGTBQ+ community. Although they operate out of the Northwest region of the United States, they are committed to a national movement against intimate partner violence and sexual assault. They have great resources. They are also available to call or e-mail with questions and/or for support. http://www.nwnetwork.org/
