If you are a teen, you may feel a lot of pressure to be in a romantic relationship. While many experience this pressure, the reality is that only 35% of teens have ever had a romantic relationship, and only 10% are currently in one. Whether you are in a current relationship or want to be in one, make sure it is healthy. You can use the acronym THREE to help you judge the health of a relationship.
Let the T stand for trust as it is essential that you totally trust the other person. You must be able to believe that they are honest and sincere. There should be no need to get a group of your friends together to go spy on them to see what they are doing.
Let the H stand for honesty. You should always be able to be straightforward and authentic with the other person in your relationship. While lying is never the right thing to do, honesty goes beyond that to include being able to tell the other person things they know will upset them without the fear of ramifications.
Let the R stand for respect, which means that you accept somebody for their core values. It takes time to identify those values in a person. In many cases, especially teens, are still working out what they honestly believe. Therefore, it is essential that you both feel comfortable working out values together as doing so will strengthen your relationship. Respect also requires a willingness to be vulnerable enough to listen to what the other person says.
Let the first E stand for equality, which means there is a balance of power in the relationship. Both people are having their needs met and feel that they are being honored. It is the willingness to put the other person first and work until a solution that both parties can live with is reached. It is the willingness to let the other person have the last word at times.
Let the final E stand for entrust, which can be defined as your willingness to give your heart to the other person with the expectation that they will guard it. You can get money and processions back, but giving your emotional wellbeing to someone and having them destroy it hurts tremendously, and ruins a relationship. Therefore, both parties must be willing to protect the other one with everything in their heart, soul, and mind.
Teens who can master these five concepts will have a healthy relationship, perhaps one that lasts for the rest of their lives.
Unfortunately, about 9% of females and 6% of males in their teens report having suffered physical abuse in a relationship. Additionally, 29% say that they were verbally or psychologically abused in a relationship. If you are in an unhealthy relationship, get out of the relationship today. If you are having difficulty forming healthy relationships, talk with a parent or loved one. If needed, reach out to American Behavioral Clinics. We are ready to help you build healthy relationships.
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