15 early red flags that predict your partner can be abusive, study suggests

While we all seek love and validation, people often tend to fall for partners who aren’t suitable for them.

And instead of moving away from such toxic intimate partners, they end up investing more in their relationship which not only turns stale but also abusive over time.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is quite prevalent in the society. However, unfortunately, it is the victim who is often blamed for staying with such a partner in the relationship.

From investing a lot of time and effort in the relationship, to not having economic or social support, to having children to raise together– the reason for staying in an abusive relationship could be any.

So, in order to help people identify early on in a relationship if their romantics partner could turn abusive, researchers recently conducted a study to find out indicators that predict physical, psychological, or sexual violence. The study was done by Nicolyn Charlot, Samantha Joel, and Lorne Campbell from the University of Western Ontario, Canada.

“It’s one of the very first studies to identify behaviors which are predicting abuse but are not themselves abusive… Violence doesn’t typically appear super early on. It’s rare that you go on a first date and experience intimate partner violence. By the time that violence is happening, people are often invested in their relationships… Leaving can be difficult. So, my idea with this study was that if people were able to see red flags, warning signs, in advance of becoming invested, of moving in, of whatever — that might let them kind of take a minute to reevaluate the relationship, to proceed more cautiously, before that violence occurs,” said Dr. Nicolyn Charlot, lead author of the study, reported CNN.

The 16 early signs of an abusive or violent relationship based on what the participants shared are mentioned below, as per the study. Most of the participants often said the following:

1. My partner and I had sex, even though you’re not in the mood.
2. I felt like I couldn’t say no to my partner.
3. My partner didn’t admit when they were wrong.
4. My partner compared me to other people.
5. My partner reacted negatively when I said no to something they wanted.
6. My partner disregarded my reasoning or logic because it did not agree with theirs.
7. I found it difficult to concentrate on work because thoughts of my partner were occupying my mind.
8. My partner created an uncomfortable situation in public.
9. My partner acted arrogant or entitled.
10. My partner tried to change me.
11. My partner was unsupportive of me.
12. My partner criticized me.
13. My partner has unrealistic expectations for our relationship.
14. My partner avoided me.
15. My partner did something I asked them not to.
16. My partner threatened to leave me.

If you agree with one or more of the above statements that happen repeatedly in your relationship, then beware– you could be in an abusive relationship. If things go out of hand, don’t hesitate to seek a professional’s or trusted family member or friend’s help.