Healthy Relationships

I. Foundations

Relationships are an important part of our lives. Relationships can take many forms including family relationships, friendships, and romantic relationships. All relationships take work to build, maintain, and sometimes end. Below are some foundations for building healthy relationships.

  1. Communication: Talking honestly and respectfully about all partners’ likes, dislikes, wishes, hopes, dreams, etc.
  2. Compromise: Partners must have the willingness to compromise because of their commitment to the relationship. Compromise means working together to find an outcome that all partners can be comfortable with.
  3. Acceptance: Accepting who your partner is, not who you would like them to be.
  4. Commitment: Commitment is not synonymous with monogamous fidelity; it can mean a commitment to the agreements partners decide are fundamental to their way of being together. The decision to be in a relationship must come from all partners.
  5. Agreement: Agreeing on the fundamental rules of the relationship from the beginning is very important. The decision about what kind of relationship configuration to enter into must be mutually agreed upon by all parties.

Source: The Male Couple Guide by Eric Marcus

II. Types of Abuse

Abuse is a pattern of behavior used to gain and maintain power and control, and it can come in many forms. Click on each type of abuse to learn more.

  1. Physical
  2. Emotional/Verbal Abuse
  3. Sexual Abuse
  4. Financial Abuse
  5. Digital Abuse
  6. Stalking

Source: loveisrespect.org

If you would like to talk to someone or would like more information please contact the Victim Advocate Program at 644.7161 or stop by Suite 4100 University Center Building A.

III. How to Get Involved

  1. Join the kNOw MORE student advisory board and provide a student voice on power based personal violence prevention, response, and policy initiatives on campus. The goal of this board is to create programs and events that contribute to ending violence in our campus community. The board will collaborate with other student groups and campus departments to make a sustainable change at FSU. Contact Jose Carval  for more information.
  2. Facilitate a healthy relationships conversation with your student group. Go to http://healthycampus.fsu.edu/for-students/request-a-presentation to request a presentation. Also register for a Green Dot training! Contact Nell Robinson  to learn about upcoming trainings.

IV. Resources

The following resources come from Love is Respect:

  1. The Relationship Spectrum
    All relationships exist on a spectrum from healthy to abusive with unhealthy somewhere in the middle. Check out the Relationship Spectrum to see where your relationship falls.
  2. Setting Boundaries
    Talking about your boundaries with your partner is a great way to make sure that each person’s needs are being met and you feel safe in your relationship. Here are some things to think about when setting boundaries in your relationship.
  3. Communication
    Open, honest communication should be part of every healthy relationship. Use these guidelines to open up the channels of communication between you and your partner.
  4. Relationships Quizzes
    Test your knowledge of healthy relationships and dating abuse with quizzes