1. Healthy Relationships

2. Communication Tips
Communication is a key part to building a healthy relationship. The first step is making sure you both want and expect the same things- being on the same page is very important. The following tips can help you create and maintain a healthy relationship:
Speak Up: If something is bothering you, it’s best to talk about it instead of holding it in.
Respect Your Partner: Your partner’s wishes and feelings have value, let them know you are making an effort to keep their ideas in mind. Mutual respect is essential.

3. Communication Tips Cont.
Compromise: Disagreements are normal, but its important you find a way to compromise when you disagree. Try to solve conflicts in a fair and rational way.
Be Supportive: Offer reassurance and encouragement to your partner. Also, let them know when you need support. Build each other up versus putting each other down.
Respect Each Other’s Privacy: Just because you’re in a relationship, doesn’t mean you have to share everything and constantly be together. Healthy relationships require space.

4. Healthy Boundaries
Creating boundaries is a good way to keep your relationship healthy and secure. By setting boundaries together, you can both have a deeper understanding of the type of relationship you and your partner way. Boundaries are not meant to make you feel trapped or like you’re “walking on eggshells.” They are not a sign of secrecy or distrust. They are an expression of what makes you feel comfortable and what you would like or not to happen within the relationship.

5. Healthy Boundaries Cont.
Healthy Boundaries shouldn’t restrict your ability to:
Go out with your friends without your partner
Participate in activities and hobbies you like
Not have to share passwords to your , social media accounts, or phone
Respect each other’s individual likes and needs

6. Healthy Relationship Boosters
Even healthy relationships can use a boost now and then. If so, fund a fun, simple activity you both enjoy, like going on a walk, and talk about the reasons why you want to be in the relationship. Then, keep using healthy behaviors as you continue dating.

7. Healthy Relationship Boosters (for singles!)
If you’re single, don’t worry if you need a boost too! Being single can be the best and worst feeling, but remember relationships don’t just include your significant other and you. Think about all the great times you’ve had with your parents, siblings, friends, etc.
Try going out with the people you love and care about the most- go out to eat, take a day off, watch movies together, and just enjoy being you!

8. Healthy Relationship Booster
The relationship you can always boost up is the one you have with yourself.

9. What Isn’t a Healthy Relationship?
Relationships that are not healthy are based on power and control, not equality and respect.

10. Abusive Relationships
In the early stages of an abusive relationship, you may not think the unhealthy behaviors are a big deal. However…
Possessiveness
Insults
Jealous Accusations
Yelling
Humiliation
Pulling Hair
Pushing
And other negative, abusive behaviors are- at their root- exertions of power and control

11. Abusive Relationships Cont.
Abuse is always a choice and you deserve to be respected.
There is no excuse for abuse of any kind.

12. Physical Abuse
Physical Abuse: Any intentional and unwanted contact with you or something close to your body.
Examples: Scratching, punching, biting, pulling, pushing, grabbing clothing, grabbing your face to make you look at them, preventing you from leaving or forcing you to go somewhere.

13. Escaping Physical Abuse
You are not alone.
More than one in ten high school students have already experienced some form of physical aggression from a dating partner. If you are in this situation:
Realize the behavior is wrong
Talk to someone you trust
Create a safety plan
Do not make excuses or accept the behavior
Remember that abuse is never your fault

14. Protecting Yourself
Unhealthy or abusive relationships usually get worse. It is important to recognize the warning signs to prevent more serious harm.

15. Emotional/Verbal Abuse
Emotional Abuse: Includes non-physical behaviors such as threats, insults, constant monitoring or “checking in”, humiliation, intimidation, isolation, or stalking.
Examples: Calling you names, put downs, yelling and screaming, intentionally embarrassing you, preventing you from seeing or talking to people, telling you what to do and wear, blaming you, accusing you of cheating, threatening to harm themselves if you break up with them, threatening to harm you, making you feel guilty when you don’t consent to sexual activity, starting rumors, etc.
Remember, emotional abuse is never your fault.

16. Sexual Abuse
Sexual Abuse: Any action that pressures or coerces someone to do something sexually they don’t want to do.
Just because the victim didn’t say no, doesn’t mean that they meant yes. When someone does not resist an unwanted sexual advance, it doesn’t mean that they consented. Sometimes physically resisting can put a victim at a bigger risk for further physical or sexual abuse.

17. What to Do
If you’ve been sexually assaulted, first get to a safe place away from the attacker. You may be scared, angry, and confused, but remember, the abuse was in no way your fault. You have options. You can:
Contact someone you trust
Report to the police
Go to an emergency room or health clinic

18. Digital Abuse
Digital Abuse: the use of technologies to bully, harass, stalk or intimidate a partner. Often, this is perpetuated online.
Examples: Telling you who you can and can’t be friends with online, sending you negative s, messages, tweets, DMs snaps, or other messages, uses social media to keep tabs on you, puts you down in their status updates, sends or pressures you to send explicit pictures or sexts, insists your passwords, looks through your phone frequently, constantly texts you and makes you feel like you cant be separated from your phone or you will be punished, tags you in unkindly pictures.
You never deserve to be mistreated. Remember, the abuse is never your fault.

19. Digital Predators
Count silently how many of the following things you do:
Post personal information online (real names, school, phone #, address, etc.)
Sending personal information in an /IM/DM
Trash talking, making rude comments about someone or something online
Harassing or embarrassing someone online
Meeting and chatting with people you don’t know
Have multiple friends who you’ve never met in person
Visiting X-Rated websites
Talking about sex with someone known only online
Downloading or sharing images

20. Here’s What it Means
If you engage in FOUR or more of these activities, there is a significant risk for you to be victimized online.

21. What Can You Do?
Never make plans to meet someone from online, or if you must go, never go alone and meet in a public place.
Never post anything you don’t want the whole world to see- consider everything is public.
Don’t say anything online you wouldn't’t say in person, nothing should be considered a secret because it often gets back to the person.

22. Other Types of Abuse
This list is not exhaustive, there are other types of abuse. It’s important you can recognize signs of abuse in order to prevent it from continuing and possibly worsening.
Financial Abuse
Stalking …

23. What to Do Next
If you are in an unhealthy relationship, figuring out what to do next can be very difficult. You may still have feelings of them and have developed a history with them. However, you should consider the future.
Whatever you decide, there are resources to support you.
Loveisrespect.org
Thehotline.org OR

24. Let’s Practice Identifying…

25. Healthy Relationship Project Examples