TEENS: We've recently received many letters, mainly from young ladies, which have described actual ongoing dating violence, or perhaps dating violence that is in the brewing stage that has not yet boiled over. This list is written from the perspective of a woman being the potential victim of dating violence, but of course, there are cases in which the reverse is true.

Therefore, this is a good time to revisit our compiled list of the 10 top warning signs of dating violence.

Here they are:

No. 1: You've apologized for the bad behavior and made excuses for your partner.

No. 2: You lose interest in activities that you used to enjoy.

No. 3: You stop seeing friends and family members and become more and more isolated.

No. 4: When you and your boyfriend/girlfriend are together, he/she is disrespectful in front of other people in public.

No. 5: He/she acts extremely jealous of others who pay attention to the partner, especially other guys (in the case of men).

No. 6: He/she thinks and tells you, "Your parents don't like me."

No. 7: He/she controls your behavior, checking up on you constantly, calling and texting, demanding to know who you're with and what you're doing.

No. 8: You casually mention his/her violent behavior but laugh it off as a joke or assume he/she will grow out of it.

No. 9: You have seen him/her lose his/her temper or break objects in your presence during bouts of anger.

No. 10: A partner in a relationship has unexplained injuries or explanations that don't make logical sense.

YOU'RE NOT THAT INTO HIM

DR. WALLACE: I just kissed a guy I had started going out with a little while ago. I was expecting "fireworks," but there weren't any.

I was really disappointed in the kiss! Will there ever be a spark, or will I need to find a way to learn to get into him more? — Seeking a Spark, via email

SEEKING A SPARK: If he doesn't turn you on romantically, it's always best to default to remaining friends without the pressure of a relationship. Continue seeing him as a trusted friend until you meet your one and only. I'd advise cutting out any more kissing, as that will send him the opposite signal.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.