EastEnders Amy faces alarming Craig red flags as his control grows
EastEnders’ Craig tightens his grip on Amy as worrying behaviour around her phone, friends and family raises serious grooming red flags.
Amy's relationship with Craig becomes increasingly disturbing in upcoming EastEnders scenes, as his behaviour begins showing several warning signs associated with grooming and unhealthy relationships.
While Amy believes she has found somebody who understands her, those around her are starting to notice that something is wrong. Jack discovers she has been missing classes, Penny becomes determined to learn more about her sister's mystery boyfriend, and Craig's jealousy over Denzel begins to intensify.
Craig wants access to Amy's phone
One particularly concerning moment comes when Craig discovers Denzel's ID before spotting a shirtless photograph of him on Amy's phone.
Craig demands an explanation and wants Amy to prove her loyalty to him, turning something as ordinary as her friendship with Denzel into another opportunity to exert pressure over her.
That behaviour matters because the NSPCC says an unhealthy relationship can involve somebody having their time or social media heavily monitored, becoming isolated from friends and family, or feeling pressured into doing things they are uncomfortable with.
The charity also explains that grooming can begin with attention, understanding and trust before developing into dependency, isolation and control. Crucially, a young person may still believe they are in a loving relationship and not recognise what is happening to them.
Amy's changing behaviour is another warning
Amy's behaviour around her family and education is changing too. She misses classes, keeps the relationship secret and increasingly finds herself caught between Craig and the people who care about her.
The frightening part for Amy is that Craig's behaviour may not look like control to her yet. As his jealousy grows, however, the difference between somebody caring about her and somebody trying to control her could become increasingly difficult for everyone else to ignore.
EastEnders airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer. Images: BBC.
Support is available
If this storyline has affected you, Childline supports under-19s on 0800 1111, while adults can contact Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111. Anyone worried about a child can contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000. In an emergency, call 999.
