Healthy Relationships
Most relationships are healthy and safe, and our parents or carers, extended family, boyfriends, girlfriends and friends want the best for us and treat us well. However sometimes this isn’t the case.
There’s a person attached to every body, respect both. Healthy relationships are all about respecting each other. You should feel loved, safe and free to be yourself. Relationships can be confusing and it can be difficult to understand what is and isn’t normal behaviour. But disrespectful and unacceptable behaviour can come in many forms. It isn’t limited to just physical behaviour; it can also go way beyond that. For example, it’s not OK for someone to try and pressure you into sending a nude pic, or to expect the same things to happen that they’ve seen in a porn film. If someone makes you do something you don’t want to, makes you feel scared, intimidated or tries controlling you, it’s not acceptable and is never OK. The Disrespect Nobody website includes information about sexting, relationship abuse, consent, rape and porn, as well as information about organisations you can approach for help.
If you want confidential information about contraception and sexual health please visit the let’s talk about it website.
Relationship Abuse
Relationship (domestic) abuse is when someone hurts, threatens or makes you feel scared or uncomfortable. It isn’t just physical violence but any type of controlling, bullying, threatening or violent behaviour between people in a relationship and includes emotional, physical, sexual, financial or psychological abuse. Abuse is not normal and never ok regardless of how old you are. If you are in a relationship with someone, you should feel loved, safe, respected and free to be yourself.
Remember it’s not your fault and it is important to talk about it with someone you trust. If you’re experiencing abuse, or have done in the past, please remember that you’re not to blame and there are people who can help you. How do you feel when you’re at home with your family? Are there any warning signs to show that things aren’t quite right?
If you are aged 13 and above and think you might be in a relationship where there is domestic abuse contact the Portsmouth Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) Project (PIP) for support on: 023 92688472
Has anyone given you money, drugs, alcohol or gifts and somewhere to stay and then forced you to…
- have sex with them?
- do something sexual to them?
- be touched inappropriately, in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable?
- look at sexual images?
- watch them do something sexual?
Go to our page on Child Sexual Exploitation to find out more.