Photo from mtv.com, Tyler at Catelynn from a previous episode
A recent episode of Teen Mom showed a family experiencing domestic violence. Teen parents Catelynn and Tyler have a unique situation. Catelynn?s mom April and Tyler?s dad Butch got married after Catelynn and Tyler started dating in middle school. Butch has been physically and emotionally abusive to April prior to this incident.
In the episode, April called Tyler to alert him to an incident that involved Butch assaulting her after suspecting that she was talking? to another man. Butch was arrested, and April told Tyler that she was unsure of their future together. Tyler and Catelynn were immediately concerned and rushed over to April to find out what happened.
As the episode progressed, it became clear that the evening was incredibly violent, leaving April with bruises and pain. Butch had violated a ?no contact? order in coming over to April?s home.
Despite the horrible details of the assault, April didn?t place all of the blame on Butch. She was quick to mention that Butch wasn?t himself because of drugs and alcohol. She told Tyler, ?I really can?t say that I?m gonna leave him or anything like that because I really don?t know. He wasn?t there, dude, it wasn?t your dad.?
She also maintained hope that he will change, saying, ?I honestly think if he?ll do his time, the drinking and the drugging is going to stop.?
Sadly, at The Hotline, we know that experiences like April?s are all too common.?It?s not unusual for abusive partners to be extremely jealous, and accuse their partners of cheating, even when that is so far from the truth.?We know that children and teens are dealing with the aftermath of abuse every day in their homes, just like Tyler and Catelynn.
April had a hard time deciding what to do in her relationship. An issue that complicated April?s decision-making process is Butch?s substance abuse. Again, this is an issue that is all too common in abusive relationships, and it makes it challenging to understand why someone becomes violent.
A common misconception is that using alcohol and drugs can make someone ?lose control? and hurt those around them.?Even if Butch was able to get clean and sober, it?s likely that he would still be controlling and abusive.?Alcohol and drug use can make abusive situations worse, but it doesn?t cause a non-abusive, non-controlling person to become violent.
Just as April said, it?s very likely that when Butch attacked her, he looked like a different person than the person she fell in love with.?But, despite his drug use, Butch was still responsible for how he hurt April.?Naturally, April wants to see Butch get the help that he needs so that she can be in a healthy, safe relationship with him, but he would need to accept responsibility for his substance abuse and his controlling and abusive behavior and be committed to getting help for both in order to change. Getting help for substance abuse and domestic violence would require a lot of personal accountability and determination.
When an abusive partner is using drugs or alcohol, there is an increased risk of severe physical violence. It?s really important to be aware of how the substance use affects their behavior.?Do they become more aggressive or violent when they?re using or when they?re in withdrawal??This can help survivors know the risks of a situation and take steps to become safer in the moment.
If you have some concerns about similar issues happening in your relationship, you can always call The Hotline to talk. An advocate at The Hotline can help you think about what?s going on in your relationship, what the risks are to your safety and your children?s safety, and what you can do to stay safe.
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This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 31st, 2012 am31 10:30 am
Categories: Hotline News, share your voice
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Source: http://www.thehotline.org/2012/07/teen-mom-features-the-hotline/
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