‘‘Abuse is not love” Women’s Aid launches national Too Into You campaign as new figures show high levels of concern among young people

  • Women’s Aid launches a three-week national Too Into You awareness campaign to teach young people about coercive control and the red flags of intimate relationship abuse.
  • In 2025, 22,250 people took the Relationship Quiz at toointoyou.ie to see if their relationship was healthy or not, highlighting growing concern among young people about abusive behaviours.
  • One in five young women in Ireland experiences abuse from a current or former male partner by the age of 25.
  • Warning that abuse in young relationships is still frequently dismissed as drama or jealousy, misconceptions that often mask the seriousness of what many young women are experiencing.

Thursday 12th February, 2026: More than 22,000 people in Ireland checked whether their relationship was abusive last year, new figures from Women’s Aid reveal, as the organisation launches its Valentine’s Day, Too Into You national public awareness campaign. 

Too Into You is aimed at helping young people recognise the difference between healthy relationships and intimate partner abuse, and to understand that abuse is not love. 

The project by Women’s Aid, a national organisation working to prevent and address the impact of domestic violence and abuse, is rooted in growing evidence that young people are questioning behaviours in their relationships that are often normalised as “romantic”. 

In 2025 alone, 22,250 people took the Too Into You Relationship Quiz on toointoyou.ie to check whether their relationship was healthy, underlining the demand for clear, youth-focused information and support. 

Too Into You is part of Women’s Aid’s wider prevention work, designed specifically for young people aged 18–25, with a particular focus on young women, who are disproportionately impacted by intimate relationship abuse. 

Despite the scale of this concern, Women’s Aid warns that abuse in young relationships is still frequently dismissed as drama or jealousy, misconceptions that often mask the seriousness of what many young women are experiencing.  

Controlling behaviours are often misinterpreted as signs of passion or care, allowing coercive control to take root long before it is recognised as abuse. 

“Too Into You is more than a campaign, it’s about changing the way young people understand love,” says Mary Hayes, Project Coordinator of Too Into You at Women’s Aid. 

 
 “Abuse in young relationships is often minimised or framed as jealousy, passion or care. But behaviours that create fear, shame or control are not romantic, they are red flags of abuse. This campaign is about helping young people trust their instincts and empowering them to understand that abuse is not love. We want all young people in Ireland to know that if you’re worried about your own or even a friend’s relationship, you can find free and confidential support at toointoyou.ie, Women’s Aid’s dedicated website for young people.” says Ms Hayes. 

Research shows that one in five young women in Ireland experience abuse from a current or former male partner before the age of 25, making early awareness and prevention critical. 

“This is a deeply gendered issue,” Ms Hayes continued. “Young women are navigating dating and relationships in a culture that often normalises controlling behaviours. The abuse they face can have devastating impacts on their health and wellbeing, their freedoms and choices. Too Into You exists to say clearly: love should feel safe, respectful and empowering, not frightening or restrictive.” 

One young woman, Sophie*, who was subjected to abuse by her ex-boyfriend at the age of 20, acts as an Ambassador for the Too Into You campaign, sharing her story to help others feel less alone. 

Sophie* says, “I believed he cared, that he loved me, he made me believe those things. I didn’t realise it was abuse at first, I thought it was just part of being in a relationship. He said he wanted to know my location out of concern, that he didn’t want me wearing certain things because it would attract attention he couldn’t protect me from. I really believed it was all out of love.”  

She continues, “I didn’t know what he was capable of, this person, who claimed to love me yet made me feel so broken and afraid. He would send me pictures of trees and tell me he was going to hang himself from there, and leave a note blaming me for everything if I left him. Then he would ignore me, as punishment. I really think if I stayed with him I wouldn’t be here today.”  

“Sometimes it can be hard to see the red flags when someone has twisted your mind. Campaigns like Too Into You are so important as they highlight red flags, they promote green flags, they offer you the support you may need, and they help you find your voice. Thanks to Too Into You I have felt understood, seen, and heard,” she concludes. 

The Too Into You campaign will run for three weeks, from 12th February to International Women’s Day on 8th March, across social media, digital platforms and public engagement. It aims to increase awareness of relationship red flags, challenge harmful myths about romance, and encourage young people to access support through toointoyou.ie. 

To mark the launch, Women’s Aid will host Too Into You’s Self-Love Club, a creative, youth-focused event celebrating self-love, friendship and healthy relationships. 

“Our earliest relationships shape how we see ourselves and others,” Ms Hayes concluded. “Every young person deserves a healthy, respectful start. It’s crucial that we equip young people with the tools to recognise warning signs of abuse early on and seek help when needed. With Too Into You, we want to help young people build relationships based on equality and care, not fear or control.” 

Women’s Aid encourages everyone to share the campaign widely and to start conversations with the young people in their lives about what healthy love really looks like. 

For more information, visit toointoyou.ie.

*Name changed to protect identity. 

ENDS

For more information, contact Martina Genockey on 086 206 7766 or email martina.genockey@womensaid.ie 

Notes for Producers/Researchers:

  • Mary Hayes, Too Into You Project Coordinator, is available for interview. 
  • Madeline Campbell, Too Into You Officer, is available for interview.
  • Photos will be emailed to by Paul Sharp, Sharppix (086 668 9087) by today, 12thFebruary at 1pm.
  • Too Into You Self Love Club will take place on Friday, 13th February, 6-8pm, Curveball, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. The event will include collage making, community and creativity to celebrate healthy love and the launch of the #TooIntoYou campaign. Registration essential: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/too-into-yous-self-love-club-tickets-1980995722533?aff=oddtdtcreator
  • Case studies from survivors of abuse available in text only: https://www.toointoyou.ie/stories-from-survivors/  
  • Support is available from Women’s Aid 24Hr National Freephone Helpline on 1800 341 900 or use the chat support service at toointoyou.ie.