February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Being in a relationship can be fun and exciting if you are with the right person. Too often, though, people of all ages end up getting into relationships or staying in bad relationships for all the wrong reasons. Dating violence can affect anyone at any age, but it is common among teens: “one in three teens is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse.” You can find more statistics about teen dating violence here.

This year, the theme for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month is: “Your Love is Unique… with Consent.” This is meant to serve as “a reminder that each relationship has its individual traits, and everyone deserves to have their boundaries respected.” You can read more about this theme by clicking here. This month serves as an important reminder to all of us that Teen Dating Violence impacts more people than we think, and that healthy relationships should be a priority for everyone.

We talk about forming healthy relationships a lot, but let’s start here: What is a healthy relationship? A healthy relationship is one where both people in the relationship feel supported and support each other, and respect the boundaries that the couple decides. You can find the answers to more frequently asked questions about dating by clicking here. This tool called The Relationship Spectrum will help you decide whether certain behaviors are healthy, unhealthy, or abusive.

If you’re in an unhealthy relationship, how do you know? Try taking this quiz from loveisrespect.org. Answering 20 basic questions will help you decide whether or not you are in a healthy relationship. You can also take this quiz to help you determine if your friend’s relationship is healthy or not.

If you suspect that you or someone you know is in an unhealthy or abusive relationship, you should reach out to someone you trust. You can read about how to end an unhealthy relationship by clicking here. Check out loveisrespect.org for more resources to help you get out of an unhealthy relationship. And of course, you can always reach out to a BeWell Health Coach if you need advice or help keeping you or someone you know safe.