Physical abuse is any action done to a woman with the intention of harming or endangering her. It can also include forcing her to physically act in any way that is against her will. Physical abuse can include:  Punching, kicking, hitting, or attacking a woman physically. Using a weapon to physically injure a woman. Using physical strength to make a woman do something, act submissive, or give up control. Physical abuse often results in injuries like cuts and bruises. The person doing the abusing may force the woman to cover up these injuries. If you see a woman with the following, she may be in an abusive physical relationship:  Marks of injury like burns, bruises, open wounds, and unexplained fractures. She may avoid contact with everyone. You may notice she trembles a lot and is startled easily. Sexual abuse is when a woman is forced to engage in sexual acts against her consent. It can also include another person controlling her ability to choose what to do with her body, such as forcing her to go through with a pregnancy or have an abortion. Sexual abuse may also include:  Forcing the woman to have sex or engage in sexual activities, or forcing her to watch while someone else engages in sexual activities. Harming the woman during intercourse. There are certain signs that you can look out for if you are concerned that a woman you may know is being sexually abused. However, many of these signs are physical and can be covered up by clothing, which will make it hard to recognize. Signs include:  Bruises around her buttocks, breasts, and genitals. Difficulty walking, sitting or moving. Unexplained pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, or stomach and abdominal pain. Signs of exhaustion. A common sign of physical abuse is giving unbelievable excuses to account for reoccurring injuries. The woman may seem to have a new injury, and a new excuse, every day. The person abusing her may threaten her with more violence if she tells anyone what really happened to her, so she comes up with excuses for each injury. If you notice that a woman you know seems to have a new injury every day, you should consider confronting her about her situation. See Method 4 for more information. Some abusers may force the woman to remain isolated in order to hide the injuries that have been inflicted upon her. If you have attempted to see your friend on several occasions, and she has declined or given odd excuses, you may be right in becoming suspicious.

Summary: Understand what physical abuse is. Identify signs that a woman is being abused physically. Be aware of what sexual abuse is. Recognize signs that a woman is being sexually abused. Listen for excuses that don’t make sense. Take note if you are not allowed to see or interact with the woman for suspicious reasons.


Cook until the onions are soft. Saute for an additional 30 seconds. Let it boil uncovered for about 10 minutes. Let the lentils simmer for about 5 minutes until tender.  Allow it to simmer for about 12-15 minutes until it's tender. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Mash the avocados with the rest of the red onion, cherry tomatoes, lime juice, and cilantro leaves. Mash until fully combined. Stuff the tacos with the lentil mixture and top it off with avocado sauce. Enjoy!

Summary: Drizzle the oil over a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add only a half cup of the red onion and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, taco seasoning, and dried lentils. Pour in the broth and allow the mixture to boil over the medium heat. Turn down the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Bring the water to a boil and add the bulgur in a small saucepan. Turn down the heat to low and cover the saucepan. Pour the cooked bulgur into the lentils. Make the avocado sauce in a separate bowl. Serve.


Your friend may set some boundaries with you and let you know what she will and will not accept in a friendship. She may also have some ideas about how you can begin retraining her trust. You can say something like, "I know it's hard for you to trust me right now. Is there anything I can do to show you I really mean it? Is there something I can do to begin earning your trust back?" She may have some specific steps you need to take in order to feel you can be trusted again, depending on what happened. For instance, if you friend found out you were talking about her behind her back, she may want you to go speak with those people and tell them what you said was untrue, and that you were wrong to say those things to them. Show your friend you're capable of loyalty. If he lets you back into his life, work on being a good friend. You want to make sure you do not break his trust again.  Be sensitive to your friend's worries and fears. Ask your friend how he's doing if he is going through a rough time. Offer to listen if he needs to vent. Never judge your friend. If he expresses something, react with respect and interest. People are likely to trust those who do not tell them what to do. It's going to take time to reestablish trust. In the aftermath of an apology, do not be surprised if your friend is still mad. She may still be stung by what you did, and it make take some time for her to work through that. Continually put yourself in your friend's shoes. If you feel frustrated by her inability to forgive you, think about how hurt you would be in her position. Actions often speak louder than words. After apologizing, try to show your friend how you have changed. Work on being a more trustworthy person. Keep your promises, do not talk behind people's backs, and be there for your friend emotionally. You can rebuild broken trust over time. Be consistent and kind with your actions. Eventually, your friend should forgive you; however, do not expect this to happen overnight. It is difficult to trust people, and when trust is broken it can be tough to get it back. It may take many months before your friend completely forgives you.

Summary: Ask your friend what you can do. Be there for your friend. Allow your friend to be angry at times. Demonstrate you've changed through your actions. Have patience.


When you relinquish your parental rights, you are giving up the right to direct the child's upbringing, including any decisions related to medical care, education, and religious upbringing. You also give up the responsibility to monitor your child's behavior or provide food, clothing, or shelter for your child.  Once you give up parental rights, you are also giving up your right to have any contact with your child, including rights to visitation or telephone contact.  Sometimes, you can negotiate an arrangement where you are allowed to contact the child, but these arrangements are highly unusual and hard to enforce. They often occur only where the state has moved to terminate the parental rights, not where a parent has voluntarily sought termination.  Be aware that during the termination process, you will still be responsible for the child. This includes any child support payments due. In many states, you cannot relinquish your parental rights unless someone else is available to accept them. This will ensure that the child does not become a ward of the state.  Typically, if one parent wants to give up parental rights then both parents must agree. Furthermore, there should be another person waiting in the wings to adopt the child, otherwise a court is unlikely to approve of termination even where the other parent agrees. You cannot give up your parental rights simply to get out of child support payments. A court does not terminate parental rights unless it is in the best interests of the child. Family law is complicated. Many different factors will impact your case and how a judge will view it. Accordingly, you should try to secure the services of an experienced local attorney to help you with the relinquishment process.  You can find an experienced family law attorney by visiting your state's bar association website, which runs a referral program. If costs are a concern, be aware that many attorneys now offer “unbundled” legal services. With “unbundled” services, the attorney agrees only to do discrete tasks for a fee. You control what work the attorney performs. For example, you can have an attorney look at an adoption contract or represent you in court while you perform all other legal tasks yourself.
Summary: Learn about your parental rights. Understand the limitations on termination. Meet with an attorney.