By Dan Schlachter
Student Blogger

Note: Today’s post was written by a freshman at the University of Kentucky with help from GreenHouse17 staff as part of a service learning project.

Oftentimes we don’t consciously think about many of our everyday habits. We get so caught up in the endless distractions and stresses of life that we rarely examine our own behaviors.

An examination of our behaviors allows us to look deeper into daily actions that can have big effects on other people’s lives, and not just intimate partners. Our behavior in family relationships, at the workplace, and in friendships should be free from emotional, verbal, and physical aggression.

Honestly ask yourself:

• Do I ever make threats to get my way at work or at home?
• Am I more interested in being right than finding comprises?
• Do I really listen to other points of view during conflicts at work, home, and play?
• Have I ever verbally or emotionally manipulated someone to get even or gain power?

Becoming violence free takes discipline because conflicts happen in almost every relationship. When we feel angry, we must practice healthy conflict resolution. We should always be demonstrating our care for others instead of demanding to receive something from them. Many times people forget this first priority.

The only way to break a habit is to constantly work at it, and working at it requires self-awareness. By practicing healthier relationship habits and modeling them for others, you are helping to end intimate partner abuse.

So go out and do your part in making our world a better place.

This post is part of our 17 Days/17 Ways Campaign to end intimate partner abuse.