Relationship advice for young people

Relationships of all types are important for young people’s emotional and physical wellbeing.

A relationship doesn’t just mean what happens in your love life.  There are lots of different types of relationships with different people such as family and friends.  Healthy relationships are all about respecting each other.  Relationships can be confusing.  At times it can be difficult to understand what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour. 

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Healthy relationships for young people

Relationships should be:

  • fun
  • enjoyable
  • equal
  • supportive
  • free from pressure or violence
  • safe  

Where to go for help

Childline

This service is provided by NSPCC to support every child or young person in the UK.

Childline’s website includes helpful sections on friends, relationships and sex and “what to do if…?”  There is also advice on topics such as:

You can contact them via:

Family Lives

This organisation provides a range of support to families on any aspect of parenting and family life.

The Family Lives website has some useful content for parents of teenagers.  The healthy relationship checklist helps teenagers to identify acceptable behaviour in a relationship.  You can contact them via:

Brook

Brook is a national wellbeing and sexual health charity.  It is not always easy to know when a relationship is healthy or unhealthy and, sometimes, people do not enjoy or feel safe in their relationships.  

If you are in a relationship that is making you feel unhappy or unsafe it can be hard to know what to do or how to do it.  Brook has an excellent relationship section on their website based on findings from a two-year Open University research study called Enduring Love. You can find advice on:

What to do if you are concerned about your own or someone else's relationship

If a relationship is not healthy, staying in the relationship could increase the risk of you experiencing emotional, psychological, physical or sexual abuse.

If you feel that you are in an unhealthy relationship, it is important to get advice about what to do.  It is also important to have someone to talk to about what is happening, this could be someone on the phone such as:

Or it could be someone in person such as talking to:

  • your school health nurse
  • learning mentor
  • youth worker
  • teacher
  • social worker
  • parent or guardian if appropriate

What to do in an emergency

If you, or someone you know, are being threatened or are in danger, you should immediately phone:

  • The Police (999) or
  •  ART (Access and Response team)

These are the people who will help to keep you safe.

What to do if you have experienced sexual assault or rape

If you have experienced sexual assault or rape there are people who can provide support, advice and a safe place to go. You can find an extensive list of places to go to for help on our Domestic Abuse webpage.

Useful information

South Gloucestershire Council’s Mind You website provides useful information for young people on a range of issues, including healthy relationships.