If you feel you are in immediate physical danger, do not hesitate to call 911 immediately. Or, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY).

Your partner says they love you. Your partner might say they do things because they love you so much. But if your partner is abusive towards you, this is not part of love or loving behaviors. It’s common for abusers to combine love with abusive behaviors in order to support hurting the people around them. Most of all, physically hurting the people around you has nothing to do with love. Often, physical abuse does not arise right away in the relationship,[1] but there are other tell-tale, unhealthy behaviors that are apparent in the beginning. These behaviors do not always lead to physical abuse, but they can help you understand the nature of your relationship. These will help you figure out your love is real and healthy, or if it is used as a weapon to control you. Most importantly, you can use this information to ensure your own personal safety.