Healthy Relationships
This blog was written by Anisha Sapre and Neha Pattanaik, Public Relations Associates, with information from the following sources: Reachma, ChildHelp, and The Youth Violence Prevention.
A healthy relationship is one where there is a mutual connection of trust, respect, and honesty. There are different types of relationships, including familial, platonic, and romantic. No matter what relationship it is, a key part of maintaining it is communication. With communication, all point of views are expressed and it calls for minimum clashing. You should feel safe in any type of relationship in order for it to be healthy.
A familial relationship is one that you have with members of your family. It can be parent-children relationship, or cousins, or siblings. A friendly relationship is one between friends, as described by the name. A romantic relationship is one with a significant other, such as a boy/girlfriend or husband/wife. All of these should contain the traits mentioned above about a healthy relationship, no matter what.
On the other hand, unhealthy relationships also exist, and in many forms. They are classified as the lack of safety or trust in one and other, and the most prevalent reason is due to abuse. While it is mostly known as being in romantic relationships, it’s highly seen in familial relationships as well.
Unfortunately, children are often times the victims of unhealthy relationships. Child abuse reports involve over 7 million children in the US alone. In 2015 around 1,580 children died due to abuse and neglect. There are 6 types of abuse: physical, sexual, verbal/emotional, mental/psychological, financial/economic, and cultural/identity. Children most often suffer as a result of neglect, with 75.3% of reports. This is followed by physical and sexual abuse at 17.2% and 8.4%, respectively. Aside from the obvious physical harm this has detrimental psychological effects including on a child’s sense of self worth.
The adverse effects of this long term abuse can be seen in the child’s future, including their mental, sexual, and reproductive health. Children who suffered from abuse are at higher risk for depression, post traumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse. Nearly 80% of the time the perpetrator of the abuse is a parent. It is important to recognize signs of abuse early on in order to take proper action. These signs include stunted growth, poor hygiene, and poor school attendance.
The formation of healthy relationships, whether they be familial, friendly, or romantic, is essential to the development of children. These relationships largely influence the present wellbeing and future state of children.
