At Beartooth Mt Ascent We Teach Young Men About Healthy Relationships

Healthy relationships are about trust, honesty, communication, boundries and compromise. Sounds simple enough, but sometimes struggling young adult don't see relationships in such black-and-white terms. Between "I just called to say hi," and "Why aren't you texting me back?" lie many shades of gray that adults can help kids and teens understand.

Life Skills at Beartooth MT Ascent

Being an young adult can be tough. Adulthood is a time when young men learn how to make decisions about relationships with their friends, family, and girlfriends. What they learn now, about how to treat others, will affect relationships throughout their lifetime. But troubled young men can't do this by themselves. They need adults — parents, teachers, mentors, coaches, and others — to help them understand and choose healthy respectful, relationships.

Did you know that one in 10 teens report being hit or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend at least once in the past 12 months? Even something like putting someone down or trying to change how they dress can be a sign of an unhealthy relationship. That's why adults, especially parents, need to talk to young men and struggling teens now about the importance of developing healthy, respectful relationships.

Unfortunately, when healthy relationship skills aren't formed, some young people find themselves in abusive relationships that are marked by frustration, anger, low self-esteem, and even physical injury. And it's more than just physical harm. Young adults who report being physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year are more likely to report unhealthy behaviors like binge drinking, drug use, suicide attempts, and physical fighting.

What Makes a Relationship Healthy?

People in healthy relationships respect each other. They can talk honestly and freely to each other and share decisions. They trust and support each other and respect each other's independence. In contrast, an unhealthy relationship is unbalanced. One person may try to control another or manipulate another to get his or her way; use verbal insults, mean language, or nasty putdowns; and even resort to physical violence.

What Do We Mean When We Talk about "Dating Violence"?

Dating violence isn't an argument every once in a while, or a bad mood after a bad day. Dating violence is a pattern of controlling behavior that someone uses against a girlfriend or boyfriend.

Dating violence can cause injury and even death, but it doesn't have to be physical. It can include verbal and emotional abuse - constant insults, isolation from family and friends, intimidation or threats, name calling, controlling what someone wears - and it can also include sexual violence.