Healthy Relationships

	Healthy Relationships

What is a Healthy Relationship?

A safe relationship where you can express your feelings.
You can have fun together and enjoy each others company.
You can communicate openly.
An honest and trusting relationship.
You can share your concerns about your relationship.
You can be yourself and feel good about who you are.
Equality is the foundation of any healthy relationship.
Based on mutual respect.

How healthy is your relationship?
Click the boxes as Yes or No answers. You will find a summary of your relationship at the end of the quiz.

Does your partner:

1.   Treat you with respect?

Yes No

2.   Allow you to express yourself?

Yes No

3.   Communicate fairly with you?

Yes No

4.   Accept NO for an answer?

Yes No

5.   Share bills and expenses?

Yes No

6.   Consider your plans for the future?

Yes No

7.   Make you feel like you are equal?

Yes No

8. Respect your friendships with others?

Yes No

9.   Respect your choices?

Yes No

10. Allow you to have time alone?

Yes No

If you have clicked yes to one or more of these boxes you may be in a healthy relationship. A healthy relationship is based on equality and respect. In a healthy relationship, things like being respectful, communicating fairly and sharing bills, is an ongoing process that means that it is not a one-off thing. Both partners work towards being fair and equal throughout the relationship.

Does your partner:

1.   Put you down or call you
      names? Yes No

2.   Control what you wear? Yes No

3. Isolate you from your
      friends? Yes No

4.   Make threats? Yes No

5.   Use emotional blackmail? Yes No

6. Control all the money? Yes No

7. Throw things at you? Yes No

8. Shove or push you around? Yes No

9. Coerce you into having sex? Yes No

10. Check where you are and
       who you are with? Yes No

11. Make you feel bad? Yes No

If you have clicked yes to one or more of these boxes you may be in an abusive relationship Abusive relationships don’t always mean physical violence, but include emotional, social, financial and sexual abuse. These forms of abuse are just as harmful. Experiencing abuse in a relationship is not acceptable and is a violation of your rights.

*For more information about abusive relationships click onto the Domestic Violence information section on the menu bar.

Healthy Relationship squiggle

                               Ups

                                 Downs

In a healthy relationship you have your good times and your bad times. No relationship is perfect. You may argue sometimes or feel that there are some pressing issues to sort out.

A healthy relationship requires a commitment towards communicating and sharing issues that either of you may have. Listening to the other person and understanding that they might see things differently is very important.
In a healthy relationship you are not trapped in a cycle of violence or abuse so you can choose to leave the relationship at any time if you want to.

Cycle of Violence

Helpful Tips for a Healthy Relationship

Be yourself

Be genuine

Don’t criticise

Be dependable

Say I love you

Look after yourself

Don’t hold grudges

Don’t assume things

Say sorry if you are wrong

Seek out help if it is needed

Negotiate time and space to talk

Spend quality time on your relationship

Take responsibility for your own actions

Tell the person how you feel about them

Be open to learning new relationship skills

Fight fair – analyse the problem not the person

Express what your needs are in the relationship

Listen attentively with your ears and your heart

Commit to working on relationship issues together

Open your heart to sharing bad times as well as the good

Don’t set up unrealistic expectations for yourself or your partner

For more information on Healthy Relationships click here:
http://www.reachout.asn.au/default.aspti=297
http://www.dvirc.org.au/whenlove/healthyrelationships.htm
http://www.thesafespace.org/the-basics-relationships-101.html