Introduction
Developing responsible relationships and remaining abstinent is crucial for adolescents and young adults, especially for their mental well-being. Many people in youth do not have the information regarding how to build healthy relationships, which might lead to a number of issues, which are usually psychological, though sometimes they can even be physical. Therefore, sexual and social behaviors in youth are an important topic to be discussed with teens. The two aspects are strongly related to each other, and often building responsible relationships includes abstinence.
Main body
Responsible relationships consist of many factors based on the concise approach of an individual to the social bonds they are developing. At a young age, people start getting attracted to each other and develop romantic relationships because of this. How they are developed varies, yet commonly potential partners initially communicate within groups. This includes different activities where there is an opportunity to get acquainted with someone, or if the person is already familiar – to get to know each other better. This step might be avoided, as going out as a couple is much more crucial for developing a romantic connection (Romantic Relationships in Adolescence, n.d.). At last, it comes to steady dating, where individuals have an obligation not to engage in romantic relationships with others. This might be an issue in cases where one of the partners does not wish to engage in sexual intimacy or is not ready for it at the moment.
Nevertheless, the main problem that can occur in a relationship is violence. Violence does not necessarily mean physical aggression, as it can be emotional and sexual abuse as well. Often, such behaviors from one of the individuals are hard to predict, as the initial stage of relationships is usually calm. It fills the future victim with hope, whereas the abuser has an opportunity to let their partner connect to them more. Eventually, in the following stages, the abuse manifests in different forms of violence. Such actions can be predicted by many characteristics of a partner, such as jealousy, aggressive behavior, troubled relationships in past experiences, etc.
When discussing the dangers that can take place in relationships, it is necessary to mention sexual intimacy. It is not free of risks, as both physical and emotional harm might be a consequence of such connections. Sexual relationships, especially unsafe ones, can possibly lead to unwanted pregnancy, and the other risk is sexually transmitted infections (Health & Fitness, n.d.). Nevertheless, it is significant to note that the emotional harm that can be caused is not the thing to be neglected when discussing the risks. Sexual intimacy at a young age might not comply with the person’s own beliefs and the principles of their culture and religion. This might cause negative emotional experiences related to the feeling that the actions conducted were not compatible with their personality. Such emotions bring a person down and cause low self-esteem.
Conclusion
In conclusion, responsible relationships and abstinence are the issues that should be addressed by young people. Ending up in abusive relationships, having an unwanted pregnancy or a partner having it, as well as getting a sexually transmitted infection, are much worse when faced at a young age. Emotional traumas and their negative effects on mental well-being can be crucial. Therefore, teens and young adults should be educated on these topics and have a clear understanding of the consequences of their actions.
References
Health and Fitness. (n.d.). Web.
Romantic Relationships in Adolescence. (n.d.). Web.