Wondering whether a guy is protective of you? Being protective is a sign that someone has feelings for you, so it’s helpful to be able to identify this trait when you see it. Protective behavior is pretty easy to spot, but can sometimes be confused with possessive behavior. Here are nine signs he’s actually got your best interest at heart and means well.
- He regularly checks in with you. It makes sense that a guy who is protective of you will regularly text you to check in. He’ll want to make sure you’re okay and that you don’t need any help or support. If he’s protective of you in general, he’ll be likely to check in with you after certain events where you might have been under a lot of stress, such as a work presentation or an argument with somebody.
- He offers to walk you home or walk you to your car. In an ideal world, women will be able to walk home or to their cars late at night without worrying about their safety. But sadly, that’s not the reality of today. The world is particularly dangerous for women and it’s unfair. If he’s protective of you, he might offer to walk you home, drop you off somewhere safe, or walk you to your car. He’ll be uneasy about you doing anything that puts your safety in jeopardy.
- He wants you to message him when you get home safe. When a guy is protective of you, he might not be able to walk you home. But if not, he is likely to check up on you after you get home. This isn’t the same as a guy needing to know your whereabouts every minute of every day. Rather, it’s about him wanting to make sure you’re safe after you’ve done something potentially dangerous, such as walking home alone.
- He defends you against others. Defending you against physical harm is just one aspect of a guy being protective. He might also try to protect you from being verbally abused, disrespected, or publicly embarrassed by coming to your defense in social situations. It’s a good sign if he sticks up for you when you get into arguments. This proves that he has your back. Keep in mind that this is different from a guy who goes out looking for trouble and starts drama with people while using you as an excuse.
- He gets a little jealous when you’re around other guys. Jealousy is a controversial topic when it comes to relationships. Generally, a little jealousy is fine. If you’re not together and he seems jealous when you’re around other guys, it could be a sign that he’s protective of you because he wishes he was in a relationship with you.
- He points out when a certain person is bad for you. A protective guy—whether he’s your boyfriend or not—will probably point out when a certain person in your life is bad for you. This might be a fake friend or toxic family member. It might even be someone you’re dating, if you’re not exclusive with the guy who’s protective. He doesn’t want you to get hurt. So naturally, he wants to warn you against people who aren’t good for you.
- He always tells you to slow down. Sometimes, we are our own worst enemy. Not taking good care of ourselves can also lead to big problems, such as mental health issues. If a guy who’s protective over you sees that you’re not taking care of yourself, he might tell you to slow down. He’ll remind you to rest and look after yourself to avoid causing stress and other mental health issues.
- He doesn’t want to burden you with his own problems. If a guy feels protective of you, he’ll probably want to shield you from any unnecessary stress. He might do this by avoiding talking about his problems with you. While communication is key in healthy relationships, he might not want to burden you with more worries by letting you know about issues going on in his own life. In a healthy relationship, it’s not sustainable to hide things from your partner over the long term. But in the early stages of dating or a relationship, it’s a sign he’s protective of you.
- He can seem a little over the top sometimes. Protective guys can seem a little overbearing sometimes. It can be annoying to have someone constantly checking in with you, even if their intentions are in the right place. But don’t confuse a guy who’s protective with a guy who’s possessive. A possessive guy believes he owns you and will treat you like property. A protective guy, by contrast, will want the best for you. The more time you spend with someone, and the more attention you pay to their behavior and how it makes you feel, the easier it will be to tell the difference between the two.
