By Cassie Munoz/reporter

NE students were made aware of the “red flags” or warning signs of abusive relationships in a workshop April 2.

John Asbill, a community education specialist with the Women’s Center of Tarrant County, addressed some issues related to dating violence he said people are not always comfortable talking about.

The workshop covered physical dating abuse and how to help someone going through it. Asbill also talked about emotional abuse and financial abuse and the effects it can have on the people who suffer from them.

“[Financial abuse] is a real thing,” Asbill said. “Abuse doesn’t only look like physical abuse.”

Students were also provided with a series of scenarios and asked to vote on whether the relationship was abusive, unhealthy or healthy.

Asbill offered tips to students who may know someone who is facing an abusive situation.

“Don’t try to force anybody to break up,” he said. “That is just going to push them away.”

Asbill said when someone is ready to get out of an abusive relationship, the way that person chooses to leave becomes vitally important.

“This is your moment. You are taking power back,” he said. “Make a plan, stick to the plan and then like a Band-Aid, make it quick and walk away.”

Everyone deserves to be in a healthy relationship and everyone deserves to be with somebody healthy, Asbill said.

“You have to bring healthy relationship skills to the relationship, and you also need to expect that the person you are with brings those skills as well,” he said.