Woman who was victim of teen dating violence shares message to help others

Source: https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/domestic-abuse-survivor-shares-message-to-help-others/696716291/

Trey Gibson spoke with Channel 9 reporter Stephanie Tinoco about the warning signs parents need to know, and wants to share her message to help others who are struggling.

"I was choked. I was pushed, I had my hair pulled. I was spit on, and that's not mentioning the emotional abuse as well,” Gibson said.

"There were a couple of times where he threatened to kill me."

Gibson said she was a 19-year-old college student when she met the man she thought she was going to marry.

"It was like a fairy-tale type of relationship,” Gibson said.

The fairy tale faded and she said she became a victim of teen dating violence.

"It became violent,” Gibson said. “He just slapped me in the middle of the fight. I just couldn't believe that this person that I thought I'd known would do that to me."

Gibson was gripping onto the relationship in hopes that he would change.

"With each incident, he would say he was sorry and say he wouldn't do it again,” Gibson said. “I wanted to believe him, so I did."

Gibson said she lost friends and her grades suffered, and at one point, she dropped out of college.

A crucial conversation with her boyfriend's mother set her up for breakthrough.

"I just remember his mom talking to me and saying that, unless I wanted to end up like her, that I should really leave,” Gibson said.

Alex Pyun, a social worker with Mecklenburg County said that a growing number of teens are in abusive relationships, but there are red flags that may expose a teenager needing help.

"Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department are fielding about 100 phone calls every day related to domestic violence and we know a lot of these relationships started in their teenage years, Pyun said. “If the teen's dating partner is excessively controlling or excessively jealous, those are behaviors that are warning signs.”

Gibson’s purpose is to spread the word about abusive relationships and help prevent others from experiencing the same.

"I do forgive him and I hope that he gets the help that he needs,” Gibson said.