What does a bad relationship look like?

Being in a relationship with someone you really like can be brilliant! It’s fun and makes you feel happy and loved. But if the person you’re with makes you feel scared, lonely, ashamed, upset or unhappy, all or a lot of the time, or if they force you to do things you’re not comfortable with, it can make you miserable.

This is relationship abuse. You can be abused in a relationship in many different ways – physically, sexually, emotionally, verbally, or by someone trying to control you.

You need to get help if your boyfriend or girlfriend:

• calls you names, or tells you you're ugly, or that no one else would want you
• gets angry if you don’t do what they want or drop everything for them
• tries to control what you wear, spend your money on or where you go
• tries to stop you seeing your friends or spending time with your family
• wants to check your phone or emails
• tries to make you give up something you enjoy, like a hobby or going out
• hits you, or looks as if they’re about to hit you
• forces you to go further sexually than you want to.

Find out more about bad relationships

Visit Brook’s website to read more about the different types of abuse.

Childline Deaf Zone has advice for deaf young people on bullying, including videos in BSL with subtitles.

Read more on the Buzz about what to do and how to get help if you're in a bad relationship. You can also read about sexual abuse, grooming, and bullying.

You can use the relationship checklist on Disrespect Nobody to see if your partner treats you with the respect you deserve

Remember!

If someone forces you to have sex or take part in any sexual activity when you don’t want to, this is rape or sexual assault. It doesn’t matter if that person is your boyfriend or girlfriend. It’s still wrong. Watch Emma Blackery’s video (with subtitles) from Rise Above on sexual consent and relationships.