By now I hope everyone has settled in safely to another school year and the counselling service is as busy as ever!

I thought I would share some recent research on teenage relationships with you in an effort to raise awareness around abuse and safe reporting procedures.

Being a teenager isn‘t easy:
it‘s a time when you are learning to evaluate and establish relationships with your friends and family. You are exploring new relationships with girlfriends or boyfriends so what you learn about how to treat others and how others will treat you will affect relationships throughout your lifetime and influence who you become as an adult.

Relationships are about trust, honesty and respect. Sounds simple enough but sometimes teenagers find it difficult to view relationships in such black and white terms. Unfortunately when healthy relationship skills aren‘t formed some young people find themselves in abusive relationships that are marked by frustration, anger, low self-esteem and even physical injury.

’Many girls abused by boyfriends‘
A recent survey by the NSPCC involving 1400 girls between 13-17 highlights that many girls are in abusive relationships.

· 1/3 of teenage girls suffered sexual abuse in a relationship
· 1/4 experienced violence at the hands of their boyfriends.
· 90% had been in intimate relationships.

” Pressure“
Teenage girls often feel under immense pressure to behave in certain ways and this can lead to disrespectful and violent relationships.

” Feeling scared“
Many girls say they would put up with abuse because they felt scared, guilty or feared they would loose their boyfriends.

Parents and teachers can play a vital role of helping to educate teenagers about loving and safe relationships.

If you feel you are a teenager in an abusive relationship counselling support is always available.

I would also like to highlight our new web link to Report Abuse. This is available to everyone if you need to report any inappropriate behaviour or potentially illegal activity with or towards a child online.

Share your concerns and STOP ABUSE

'I COULDN'T GET AWAY FROM HIM'
Samantha, not her real name, was just 14 when her boyfriend of 15 tried to control her life.

· Things were fine to start with but then he became very possessive and wouldn't leave me alone.
· I would get bombarded with phone calls and texts from him demanding to know where I was, what I was doing and who I was with.
· It just became too much. I couldn't get away from him. After five months I ended the relationship and he just couldn't accept it.
· He started hanging around near our house and following me wherever I went. Then he got really nasty and began telling people we had had sex, which wasn't true.
· Finally there was a confrontation one day at school and he hit me in the face. It started a big fight because some of my friends were with me but fortunately staff broke it up.
· Then I didn't see him for a while and eventually things quietened down.
· Some of my friends have experienced the same sort of thing but not all boys are like that.