There is a very fine line between a loving and healthy relationship and a controlling and abusive relationship. One in five young people will experience dating abuse, with young women having a higher likelihood. DoSomething.org is currently running a campaign to spread awareness of the one in five statistic and to promote healthy relationships in young people, because sometimes it’s hard to tell which side of the line you fall on.
How do you know what the signs are? My significant other has a tendency to be super jealous, is that a sign? I feel the need to hide things from my significant other because I think they’d react negatively if I told them the truth, is that a sign?
If you know the signs of a healthy relationship and the signs of an unhealthy relationship, then you can identify harmful situations you or your friends might find yourselves in.
Here are some signs of a healthy relationship:
- You can be the best version of yourself
- You can control your anger even when the other person makes you mad
- You make decisions together
- You can talk about what’s on your mind
- You respect each other- and it shows!
Here are some signs of an unhealthy relationship:
- Your significant other gets angry when you hang out with other people
- Your SO gets upset when you don’t text back right away
- Your SO makes fun of you, spreads rumors about you, destroys something you love on purpose
- Your SO reads your texts and always wants to know who you’ve been talking to/who you’ve been with
- Your SO isolates you from your support system, such as your friends and family
- Your SO threatens to hurt themselves if you leave.
Check out DoSomething.org’s full Spot The Signs Guide here. You can also sign up to win a $3,000 scholarship here.
Knowing the signs is a crucial part in protecting yourself and the ones you love the most. Remember, if you see the signs- DO SOMETHING!