CENTRAL TEXAS – With Valentine’s Day just days away, love is in the air – but it’s important to realize there’s a thin line between love and abuse.

The month of February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and Aware Central Texas is raising awareness.

“Just because it’s an intense relationship doesn’t mean it’s a healthy relationship,” said Misty Biddick, Executive Director for Aware Central Texas.

One in three teens in the U.S. will experience physical, sexual and emotional abuse from someone they are in a relationship with before they become adults. In Central Texas, numbers have doubled from last year.

“To have that number double in one year is really, really scary,” said Biddick.

Biddick says there are clear signs you should be looking out for.

“One of the biggest warning signs is these immensely intense relationships, that some of these teens are having, isolation from friends, withdrawing from extracurricular activities, maybe a drop in school performance,” said Biddick.

Social media and technology are not playing big roles in abusive relationships.

“We’re seeing a lot of teen couples utilizing location on their phones to be able to see where they are at, and that’s a huge warning sign. That’s a huge red flag that something is really amiss in that relationship,” said Biddick.

This is why it’s so important for not only the teens in the relationship to know the signs, but also their classmates.

“We’re really trying to get out there and educate in schools so other teens can see, if they see something that’s going on with their friends, they can talk to a trusted adult to a parent,” said Biddick.

Seeking help starts with a conversation.

“They need to reach out to a trusted adult. There’s information online. If they are kind of in a place where they’re not ready to talk to somebody openly, we do have a 24-hour hotline,” said Biddick.

This is all to stop dating abuse before it starts.

“What we are trying to do is really just keep teens safe,” said Biddick.

If you believe you are in an abusive relationship, there is help and there are resources for you. Click HERE to learn more.

You can also call the Aware Central Texas hotline and remain anonymous at (254) 813-0968.