Women's Aid has launched a new awareness campaign to coincide with Valentine's Day.
It will run for three weeks from today until International Women's Day on March 8th.
New laws introduced at the start of the year under the Domestic Violence Act 2018 mean that women experiencing abuse in dating relationships can now apply for Safety and Protection orders.
But Women’s Aid believes that many young women are still unaware of the change or how to go about getting the protection they need.
The organisation has a new free online “Guide to Safety Orders in Dating Relationships” as part of the 'Too Into You' campaign.
According to EU research, 39 per cent of women in Ireland between the ages of 18 and 29 have experienced emotional abuse by a boyfriend or partner.
While 1 in 2 women, aged between 18-25, killed in Ireland since 1996, were murdered by their boyfriends or exes.
Margaret Martin, Director of Women’s Aid says; “Dating abuse is a significant issue for our frontline support services and research has shown that while young women can be at even higher risk of abuse in a relationship than their older counterparts, it can be difficult for young women to see what is happening to them as abuse."
She went on to say; "We are highlighting the hidden reality of many young women's relationships at a time traditionally associated with love, romance and celebration. In contrast to typically 'softer' Valentine's messages our hope is that in calling attention to the darker side of relationships at this time that the campaign will have a high impact."
