Being aware of teen dating violence in February

MARQUETTE COUNTY — The Michigan State Police has been trying to get teens, parents and the community to start having conversations about healthy relationships.

A key message that the MSP has pushed out is that violence has no place in relationships, and that no relationship is worth putting your life in danger for. The MSP is also looking to help students understand what to look for when it comes to relationship violence and the abuse that some may over look on a day-to-day basis.

“We also want to make sure that they understand that there are warning signs when as student starts dating,” said Michigan State Trooper Stacey Rasanen. “Some of those warning signs included being controlled by somebody, and so we need to be making sure that person is able to see other friends and family members. Another sign would include seeing if these individuals are involved with drug or alcohol abuse that would start to show there is a problem in the relationship. We also want to make sure that students are involved in healthy dating relationships, both male and female.”

A few other warning signs include extreme jealousy, mood swings, isolation, hypersensitivity, verbal abuse, as well as being cruel to others and animals.

For anyone who maybe experiencing abuse in a relationship, a good resource would be the women’s center in Marquette County. To find more information or learn how you can get access to resources please read the following:

National Teen Dating Abuse Hotline – (866) 331-9474