Dating Relationships
What is health and responsible dating?
Dating can be a lot of fun. It can be a chance to get to know someone else's interests and to learn a lot about oneself. Through dating, some people discover new ideas and values, and some start to think of the type of person they may develop a long-term partnership with.
Does everyone date? Do I have to date?Not all adolescents date, and no one should ever feel pressured to date. Being yourself, developing your interests, and enjoying friends are incredibly enriching ways to experience adolescence. If you eventually develop the interest to date, there is plenty of time after high school.
Dating Responsibly
What is healthy and responsible dating? What does it look like?
What healthy dating is:
- Safe and enjoyable for both people
- A mutually respectful, equal relationship
- A chance to communicate with respect and affection
- An opportunity to share interests with another person
- Free of any pressure to have sex or behave dangerously
- Sometimes it is going on group dates to avoid awkwardness and to stay safe
- A way to see what long-term relationships might be like
- Using good judgment about safety, sex, and your individual rights
- About being yourself
What healthy dating is not:
- Healthy dating is not coercive or forced.
- Healthy dating is not about being pressured into having sex.
- Healthy dating is not about taking dangerous risks.
- Healthy dating is not about going along with the popular crowd.
- Healthy dating is not about using drugs and alcohol.
- Healthy dating is not about rape or violence.
