October is
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. No parent wants to see their child in an abusive relationship. Though
this happens all too often, adolescents are secretive and inappropriate
relationships may fly under the radar.
According to
Loveisrespect.org, a subset of the
National Domestic Abuse Hotline, “One in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical,
sexual, emotional, or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that
far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence.”
Here are some tips to help your child set healthy boundaries to avoid such
situations:
- Saying “no” without guilt
- Asking for what you want or need
- Taking care of yourself
- Saying “yes” because you want to, not out of obligation or
to please others
- Behaving according to your own values and beliefs
- Feeling safe to express difficult emotions and have disagreements
- Feeling supported to pursue your own goals
- Being treated as an equal
- Taking responsibility for your own happiness and not feeling responsible
for some else’s happiness
- Being in tune with your own feelings
- Knowing who you are, what you believe, and what you like
Establishing healthy boundaries helps relationships stay healthy. If somebody
is not accepting of boundaries set this is a warning sign for unhealthy
relationships.
Lexie Hoffmann, PCSW, is a counselor at the Campbell County Medical Group
Kid Clinic, a school-based pediatric clinic offering medical care and counseling
services for Campbell County students in pre-kindergarten through 12th
grade and their siblings ages 2 weeks and up. It is located at 800 Butler
Spaeth Rd., across from St. Matthew’s Catholic Church. The Kid Clinic
is open Monday-Friday from 8 am-5 pm. For more information, call 307-688-8700 or visit
www.cchwyo.org/kidclinic. The Kid Clinic is a collaborative effort between Campbell County Health and
Campbell County School District.