It's okay to know your boundaries and to speak up about what you want and what you
do not want.
Know your limits. How far do you want to go with a date?
Communicate your limits clearly.
Back up your words with a strong voice and body language.
Respect yourself. Know that what you want counts.
Healthy and Unhealthy and/or Abusive Relationships
Healthy Relationships
A relationship is healthy if each involved is supported in being the person he/she
wants to be.
A relationship that limits, manipulates, or damages a person’s sense of self is unhealthy
and can be harmful or abusive. Be honest when assessing your relationship on the following
factors—you owe it to yourself!
Mutual respect: Value your partner for who she or he is, not who you want them to
be or become. You should expect the same in return. Does your partner say, do, and
believe things that you can support?
Trust: Share your thoughts and feelings with another person without fear of being
hurt physically, spiritually, cognitively, or emotionally. Can you be yourself without
fear of criticism or judgment? Can your partner trust you in the same way?
Honesty: Be truthful in your words. Do you tell the truth? Do you believe what your
partner tells you?
Support: Help your partner in being his or her best; you should get the same in return.
Fairness and equity: You and your partner are giving equally to the relationship.
Do you feel like you almost always give, or give in? Or do you expect your partner
to do it your way? Healthy relationships involve give and take, compromise, and negotiation—by
all parties.
Separate identities: Relationships are healthy when each individual shares their true
self with their partner. Do you feel like you are losing yourself or your unique identity?
Effective communication: Do not get caught in the trap of believing your partner should
know what you want, need, mean, or feel. Humans are rarely good mind-readers, especially
in intimate relationships. Do you and your partner take time to communicate? Does
your partner really listen and work to understand you? Do you do this for your partner?
Here are some guidelines for maintaining a healthy sexual relationship:
It is the responsibility of the person initiating sexual contact to ask for and clearly
receive affirmative consent before acting.
If someone is incapacitated by alcohol or another substance, that person is considered
unable to make clear decisions about affirmative consent. Initiating sexual contact
with someone incapacitated by substances is a form of abuse
If your partner expresses uncertainty or says no, it is your responsibility to STOP.
Healthy sexual relationships are based on continuous communication about affirmative
consent.
Unhealthy and/or Abusive Relationships
Harmful and abusive behaviors may come in many forms, and may include the following:
Sexual Violence: Proceeding with sexual activity without affirmative consent.
Intimidation: Actions, gestures, or facial expressions used to make another fearful.
Emotional abuse: Name calling or humiliation causing the other to feel unworthy.
Isolation: Limiting interactions and information in order to establish control.
Minimizing, Denying, or Blaming: Making light of the abusive behaviors causing the
other to doubt their own feelings or perceptions.
Dominance: Treating another as a lesser being and controlling all decisions.
Economic abuse: Limiting another’s access to work, money, food, or other resources
to exert control.
Coercion or Threats: Making threats to harm someone in order to control another’s
behaviors.