When I was in high school one of my classmates was strangled by her boyfriend. I didn’t know the victim very well, but we had several classes together and I was shocked when I discovered what happened.
    The girl was 17, but was dating an older man. He snatched her off the sidewalk and proceeded to strangle her while he drove erratically through the city. After they pulled her lifeless body from the car several witnesses claimed to have seen the car barreling by with the victim screaming for help inside.
    My classmate was the victim of an abusive relationship and family and friends either didn’t see the signs she was in danger or they didn’t believe her boyfriend would actually made good on his threats to end her life.
    Sadly they were wrong, and her life was tragically snuffed out before it even got started.
    The first week in February was National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week. Dating someone who is either physically or verbally abusive is never the victim’s fault. Many young women who get involved in abusive relationships feel like it’s their fault their partner is abusing them.
    Abusers work hard to mentally break down their partner. Signs a friend or family member may be involved in an abusive relationship include nervous behavior, spending all of her time with her boyfriend, isolating herself from her family and friends and other changes in behavior.
    My best friend while I was a teenager was also involved in an abusive relationship. Her abuser, who was one grade above us, spent the first couple of months courting her and showering her with attention. Soon he began to change, and he became mean and sinister. He pitted her against other girls in our school in an attempt to cause fights between the girls.
    He insulted her in one breath then told her he loved her in the next, and he continuously hit her and belittled her. Unfortunately her family didn’t intervene and this went on for years, making it increasingly more difficult for her to break away from her abuser.
    Steering clear of an abusive relationship begins with the knowledge of what being abused entails. Many people don’t recognize the smaller forms abuse can take. In this week’s Register we have a story (page 1) that details the signs of an abusive relationship, what to do if you or a loved one is involved in an abusive relationship and information on where to get help.
    Abuse is never the victim’s fault and education is key to breaking the cycle. — Brandi Neal