By Essence Talley

Have you ever known somebody that been in an abusive relationship? If you think you don’t know somebody that suffers from abuse, you might just not know about it. There are different types of abuse such as physical, sexual, and verbal/emotional abuse.

Many people stay in abusive relationships for a variety of reasons. Ms. Menetrez, a social worker from Patterson High School, says, “People don’t realize that they deserve better treatment and don’t have a strong sense of their own self worth. Also, there is the fear of being alone.”

If you are in an abusive relationship, you should talk to a therapist or get help from family members. Ms. Menetrez’s advice is to “encourage them to think about what is the relationship is doing for them, if the relationship is making the significant other happy.”

If you are in an abusive relationship or know somebody that is being abused, go to room 113 to talk to a social worker.