She told him, cried, and promised not to make long phone calls again. Only then did he break into the smile that she's come to crave and put his arm around her as if he never wanted to let go. More likely, say experts in dating violence, this scenario is the budding of an abusive relationship. The young man is controlling her, isolating her from her friends and family, keeping tabs on her, and violating her privacy. Indeed, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that women ages 16 to 24 suffer the highest per capita rates of violence in intimate relationships.
Males can be victims, too, though abusive females are less likely to become physically assaultive.
Instead, they might be extremely jealous or manipulative, or lead the young man into doing things, such as using drugs or alcohol, against his better judgment. Abuse also happens in same-sex relationships. It can be putdowns masquerading as friendly advice, monitoring and harassment that suggest intense interest, jealousy and possessiveness that seem like love. The abuser might insist on walking his girlfriend to and from school. He might want to know what's in her purse or in her locker.