Abuse - When Romance Is Not a Requirement

At times when we think or hear about relationship abuse, we think about domestic

violence. However, not all abusive relationships are romantic ones. These kinds of relationships include college roommate abuse. Just like in romantic relationships, these types of abuse can be physical, emotional, and verbal. There are times when these kinds of situations don’t get talked about as much as they should be. We should all come together to get the word out about these situations.

What is Roommate Abuse?

Roommate abuse can mainly happen on college campuses when you’re sharing a dorm room with someone. College students living on campus are usually assigned roommates during their freshman year. Just because you get assigned a roommate, doesn’t mean that you will stick with them for the whole year. Sometimes people switch rooms due to problems. Roommate abuse occurs when your roommate makes you feel scared to go back to their dorm room at the end of the day. No student should be afraid to go back to their dorm room

Signs Someone Is Experiencing Roommate Abuse:

• They become silent

• They hide bruises

• They try to avoid going back to their dorm room

• They make excuses for their roommate’s behavior

• They act scared around their roommate

• What to Do

• Report to an RA

• Tell a professor

• Talk to a counselor

• Talk to campus security

• Call the police – If you fear for your life

• If you see it happening say something

• Call your parents

My Personal Story: