Crossing the line - what does this mean?
Crossing the line - what does this mean?
South Australian laws make it clear: you have the right to be safe and treated with respect. You also have the right to say no, especially to sexual activity. So if anyone abuses you, tries to control you or is violent, they're crossing the line. To find out what is and isn't OK in relationships, read on. To find out more about what the law says click here.
What is a Healthy Relationship?
Your Rights in a Relationship
What is Abusive Behaviour?
Anger and Abuse - What's the Difference?
Who Gets Abused?
The Cycle of Abuse
What is a healthy relationship?
In a healthy relationship, both partners should feel free to express themselves and respect each other's opinions, feelings and friends. This doesn't mean you'll never get angry or upset, but you should solve problems together without any abuse or violence.
Your Rights in a Relationship
When someone loves you, you feel valued, respected and free to be yourself. You shouldn't be made to feel intimidated or controlled. If you are in a relationship, you must be treated with respect, which means your boyfriend or girlfriend:
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Think about your relationship - do you feel respected?
What is Abusive Behaviour?
Whenever anyone does something to dominate and control their partner, it's abuse. They might hit, push, or threaten. But abuse isn't only physical; constant put-downs, pressuring for sex, controlling money, and limiting a partner's social contacts are also forms of abuse. So is preventing cultural or religious practices.
Do you think you know when the line has been crossed? Have a go at our interactive animation to find out where you would draw the line.
Anger and Abuse - What's the Difference?
Anger is an emotion. Abuse or violence is behaviour to control a situation or a person. People can get angry without getting abusive. In a healthy relationship, you can disagree, argue and raise your voices, but a level of respect and equality between partners remains.
While there may be a whole range of things that people disagree about, differences must be resolved without violence or abuse and without either partner feeling unsafe or fearful.
Types of Abuse
Abuse isn't just physical and sexual. Putting someone down and making hurtful comments about them around others; using threatening language; keeping someone financially dependent and making them ask for money; pressuring someone into doing things they don't want to do; not allowing them to follow their own religious beliefs; and controlling what they do, who they talk to and see, are all types of abuse.
So is isolating someone by not allowing them to have contact with family and friends and checking up on them all the time to see what they are doing and who they are with. Pets can also be harmed as a way of intimidating and threatening someone.
Who Gets Abused?
There's no single type of person who uses violence or abuse to dominate a relationship. Unfortunately, violence and abuse occurs in every country, culture and age group. And it happens in same-sex relationships as well as heterosexual relationships. So basically, anyone could be a victim of abuse.
The Cycle of Abuse
Last updated: Friday, July 02, 2010
