Abusive Boys
Your daughter may dream of holding hands with a cute boy her age, but instead she may end up with a bruise. Why? Because some boys — having no positive role models at home — may grow up to be controlling and abusive in their relationships.
Frequently your daughter's friendship with a boy does not start out being violent. It may begin with a little jealousy, then go on to too many texts that are demanding and controlling. While at first she might be pleased to get so many messages from a boy, soon the over-texting may take on a threatening tone, such as in: Rmbr Ur Mine 4eva. Next may come threats and physical blows, and worse.
Alert
Warn your daughter about the possibility of dating violence and teach her text warning signs of a potentially violent relationship. They are: receiving too many texts per hour from one person, texts with a demanding, bossy, controlling, and demeaning tone, texts with an overriding isolating content, trying to keep the girl from having other friends or participating in other activities.
Be sure to clue her in to the types of bad boys she may meet, including:
A boy who is insecure, immature, and uninterested in school, clubs, and sports
A boy who is unreliable, sleazy, dishonest, and egotistical
A belittler who always criticizes your girl
A control freak who tries to run her life
An angry guy who hates the whole world and may turn delinquent
Fortunately in most middle and high schools, the undesirable boys make up only 25 percent or less. The rest of the male population in your daughter's world is nice, goal oriented, and definitely worthy of her attention.
