Relationships

Friendship There are different types of friends ◦ Acquaintances – people you have met but do not know well ◦ Casual friends – similar interests ◦ Close friends – share your deepest thoughts and feelings

Qualities of friendship Loyalty Care about each other Reliable Trustworthy

Making friends Finding friends – anywhere you go Becoming involved – common interests Introduce yourself ◦ Begin by being friendly, introduce yourself and let people know you are interested in becoming their friend. Invite your new acquaintance to hang out Be positive – no one wants to hang around an Eeyore.

Ending a friendship Sometimes people grow apart Interests change Personalities change Before ending a close relationship, talk to the other person

Peers and peer pressure Peers – people your age Peer pressure – the influence your peers have on you. Can influence the way you think or act Conformity – looking and behaving like the other members of your group. ◦ Good conformity = manners to be accepted in public ◦ Bad conformity = drugs

Peer pressure Negative peer pressure ◦ Causes you to behave in a way that brings harm to yourself or others ◦ Can cause you to feel uncomfortable about yourself Handling negative peer pressure ◦ Saying “no”  Say it like you mean it  Do not hesitate  Eye contact  Do not get angry  Do not give excuses  Leave as soon as you say no  Stick to what you believe

Peer pressure Positive peer pressure ◦ Affects your behavior in a positive way ◦ Special groups use positive peer pressure to offer support to their members ◦ Groups help members deal with their problems

Peer pressure Cliques ◦ A group that excludes other people ◦ Have their own way of thinking, dressing, and behaving ◦ May limit friendships, experiences or thoughts ◦ May criticize people with different viewpoints ◦ May make fun of people who are not in their clique

Mean Girls

Dating Participating in an activity with a friend of the opposite sex A person you date is someone you are attracted to No specific age for dating to begin Depends on maturity level and parental agreement

Dating Stages of dating ◦ Group dating ◦ Casual dating – one on one ◦ Random dating – dating several people on a regular basis ◦ Steady dating – exclusivity  Enjoy each other’s company  Be sure to have a date when you want one  Peer pressure

Teens are the number one group targeted by online predators

Cyber Safety Internet predator ◦ One who uses the Internet to seek out, exploit, and generally harm others ◦ Usually, but not always pretends to be a teenage boy/girl in popular chat rooms, instant messaging programs and social networks ◦ Their ultimate goal: face to face meeting

Staying safe online Never give out your last name Never put your age as part of your screen name (e.g. Kim_15) Never give away your address or phone number Never accept files from someone you don’t know Never give your picture to people you do not know Never agree to meet someone you’ve only talk to online Never give out your daily routine

Dateline NBC

First dates Be yourself Choose an activity you both will enjoy Before the date, think of things to talk about Laugh off anything embarrassing, like tripping Be positive Be ready at the agreed upon time Don’t kiss and tell

Love Strong feeling of affection between two people Grows stronger with time Based on the total person Not jealous or possessive Concerned more for the other than themselves

Ladder of Love Mature love for others Love for children Love for the opposite sex Love for same sex, but older Love for same sex friend First love outside of the family Love of other relatives Love for secondary caregiver Love for primary caregiver Self love

Infatuation An intense feeling of attraction that beings and ends quickly Many teens infatuated with actors / actresses / musicians Attraction based ion physical appearance or popularity “Crush”

Breaking up is hard to do Why break up? ◦ Being together is not fun anymore ◦ Communication is no longer pleasant ◦ Constant bickering ◦ Another potential love interest Tips ◦ Talk honestly ◦ Be considerate and respectful ◦ Try to remain friends ◦ Focus on yourself post-breakup ◦ Do not go for the “rebound”