Healthy relationships
and keeping safe
being healthy
Relationships
4 basic types of relationship
• Family- parents, siblings, grandparents, carers,
uncles and aunts.
• Friendship – Chosen relationships often built
on shared interests.
• Casual / common relationships – Teachers,
doctors or a someone you only know in
passing.
• Romantic relationships – Chosen partner.
Healthy Relationships
What all healthy relationships have in common
. they are based on:
is that
• Respect.
• Trust.
• Communication.
That’s true whether it’s your relationship with
your best friend, your teacher or your partner.
Unhealthy relationships
Pressure
Asked or
forced to do
something you
are not
comfortable
with.
Pressure can come from family,
friends,
partners and cyber friends.
Pressure
can be
influenced
by factors
such as
cultural,
financial
and as a
result of
jealously.
Abusive relationships
• Abuse in a relationship comes in different forms. It's mainly when
someone tries to control, intimidate or hurt another.
• This can happen in lots of different ways and can be caused by males and
females.
The abuse can be:
• Emotional –controlling your behaviour; saying nasty things to you;
humiliating you, putting you down; isolating you from your friends.
• Physical – including punching, kicking, hitting, slapping or pushing you
around.
• Sexual – forcing you or putting you under pressure to do sexual acts that
you don’t want to do.
• Whatever form the abuse takes it is NEVER OK and it is not your fault.
Is this relationship abuse?
• A young person calls another young person
names?
• Maybe, if it happens regularly between young
people then this is abuse.
• A boy sends his girlfriend a text to say he
loves her?
• NO, this is not abuse.
• A boy sends his girlfriend hundreds of texts
to find out where she is and who she’s with?
• YES, this is abuse. This kind of behaviour is
aimed at controlling the other person.
• A girl always threatens her girlfriend but
never actually hits her?
• YES, this is abuse. The constant threat of
violence is used to scare and control the other
person and is not ok. Relationship abuse can
happen in same-sex relationships too.
• A boy calls his ex-boyfriend all the time and
asks him to get back with him?
• Maybe, if the boyfriend does not want him to
be calling him and he does not respect his
wishes then this may be harassment which
can be part of abuse. Relationship abuse can
often continue after a relationship has ended.
• A boy gets jealous when his girlfriend speaks to
other boys?
• Maybe, everyone feels jealous sometimes and
that is ok if they take responsibility for those
feelings and don’t try to put them onto someone
else. If however, they try to stop the other person
doing things or make them feel bad because of
the jealous feelings then this can be abusive.
• A girl constantly telling her disabled
boyfriend that he is stupid and useless?
• YES, this is emotional abuse which is often
part of relationship abuse.
• A brother and sister argue about what to
watch on TV?
• NO, this is not abuse. All families argue
sometimes, but so long as they are equal and
no one gets hurt then that is ok.
• A young person often pushes, kicks or hits
another young person?
• YES, this is abuse. The use of physical violence
within a relationship is never acceptable.
warning signs
•
•
•
•
Feeling unsure/pressured/frightened.
Walking on egg shells – feeling controlled.
Hard to make things ok/good.
Feeling worse about yourself when your with
them.
• Becoming isolated from friends and family.
• Feeling pressured and unable to say no.
Risks
•
•
•
•
•
Online / phone chat – sexting.
Illegal sharing of indecent images.
Virtual relationships.
CSE and intentions of others.
Abuse.
Staying Safe
• Abuse in relationships is not acceptable and
never your fault.
• It is not just physical, if you are threatened;
being constantly criticised, have no say over
who you talk to or see – this can still be abuse.
• You should never have to do something you
don’t feel comfortable with – consent.
• Help is always available.
Staying safe
• Talk to someone you trust – family, friends,
teachers.
• Report it if its unhealthy/abusive. (you will
never be in trouble)
• Trust yourself to know when something is
wrong.
• Know where to get help.
(keep the contacts of those who can help you)
Support in school:
Teachers
Pastoral Leaders
Welfare Managers
School Health Nurse