Addressing Teen Dating and Unhealthy Relationships on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day, typically associated with love and happiness, can be a challenging time for many, especially teenagers in various kinds of unhealthy relationships. This holiday, on which romance is king, can exacerbate chronic and serious problems among young couples. Here’s what parents and teens should know about toxic partnerships, especially on a day that pressures people everywhere to celebrate often-idealized concepts of love.

Unhealthy romantic partnerships can be incredibly difficult for teens to manage at any time of year. However, the advent of February 14th can make them worse in a variety of ways:

• Heightened emphasis on relationship status. Couples are expected to showcase their affection on this holiday, often publicly. This pressure for pageantry amid ongoing self-comparisons with peers can drive individuals or couples to hide serious problems behind a facade of happiness. The occasion can also generally bring the stress and anxiety of strained teen relationships to a breaking point in harmful ways.

• Lack of awareness about healthy vs. unhealthy relationships. Many teens might not recognize the signs of a toxic or abusive relationship, especially when societal narratives often glorify intense and passionate relationships. Valentine’s Day, with its emphasis on grand gestures and deep-seated emotional revelations, can further blur these lines, making it harder for teens to distinguish between ardor and abuse.

• Timing. February is also National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. However, any public focus on helping teens avoid or escape abusive partnerships can easily be lost in the commercialized flurry of Valentine’s Day shopping and planning. This sends mixed messages to teens who may be struggling to come to terms with dating abuse or violence, and it can intensify their sense of isolation.

What We Can Do for Teens in Unhealthy Relationships

It is crucial for teens to have access to open channels of communication where they can discuss relationship concerns, understand the elements of a healthy relationship, and get the support they need. Parents, teachers, older peers, and school counselors can offer these lifelines in person. However, given that teens in toxic or abusive relationships may have an increased need for privacy, offering online resources can make support for young people far more accessible, making affected individuals more likely to take advantage of it.

If you’re a parent or teen with insights on unhealthy relationships from your own journey with them, you can help countless others by sharing your own tips and strategies online as well as reviews of mental health facilities and providers. 

Show Teens Some Love This Valentine’s Day With ReGroup Foundation

ReGroup Foundation is a non-profit that helps pre-teens, teens, and their families anonymously share and benefit from mental health success stories. Too often, the best resources and practices in teen mental health care remain under the radar. We want all families to benefit from the triumphs of those who have been there, done that where unhealthy relationships and other issues are concerned. We make this possible by collecting family reviews of local mental health caregivers and facilities as well as personal strategies for helping teens recover from wellness challenges.

In only 15 minutes, you can begin making a world of difference in the lives of other teens and their families — just by anonymously sharing your successes. Register today and start sharing your reviews and mental health insights!