Staying Safe in a Teen Relationship

Safe and healthy relationships are usually accompanied by a sense of confidence and security. When your teen and either her boyfriend or other friends are honest and respectful to each other, you will likely not be subject to physical or emotional damage resulting from the relationship. Common activities include talking about each others feelings and participating in fun activities.

Danger Signs
Below are some of the most common warning signs of unhealthy relationships. If your child tells you about these or any other attributes that make your child uncomfortable in her relationship, act on them immediately:

• Obsessive, jealous or controlling behavior
• Quickness to anger
• Tendency towards violence and physical abuse
• Verbal abuse, such as swearing or calling hurtful names
• Emotional abuse, including embarrassing you or any other demeaning actions
• Sexual abuse, which is absolutely any unwanted sexual contact

You want to give your child the freedom to create her own relationships with friends and sometimes boyfriends, and it may be hard to keep up with all the people your child knows, but realize when it's time for you to step in and monitor the situation.

How to Get Out
Leaving an unhealthy relationship can be very difficult and you will probably benefit your child from some sound guidance and help. If your child doesn't want to talk to you about this, have her tell a trusted adult, whether it be your parents, a teacher, counselor, etc. Then you should have your child notify the other person in the unhealthy relationship that your child does not want to see them anymore. Only have her do so in an atmosphere that is safe. For situations that get out of control, be sure to have your child know to record all instances of illegal activity to give to authorities.

From here you will want your child to limit contact with the person, however difficult that may be. Have her go to safe places with other friends or family, and tell her to have a cell phone with her whenever she is alone. Have domestic violence hot-line numbers in your child's wallet in case of an emergency.

Important Resources

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
• The Youth Crisis Hotline: 1-800-HIT-HOME (448-4663)
• The National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)