TEEN DATING VIOLENCE; PART ONE

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Dating Violence - Part One

Positive Benefits of Dating

By Terry Bailey

August 22, 2016

The teenage years is that wonderful agonizing time period when young people begin to learn about their selves and others. Up until that time their world consists of family members, church members, fellow classmates and others involved in the same club such as 4-H. Their interaction is as part of a group with lots of people interacting with one another at the same time.

Then comes the dating years. It is hard to speak about a common date because there is much difference in dating expectations from family to family. Some young people start dating at earlier ages and some start at an older age. Some dates are quite restrictive, other are more open. Some youth have curfews when they must be home and some are open ended.

However it is structured, the end result is a young man and a young woman will spend a period of time together, just the two of them interacting with one another.

There are many positive aspects to teen dating. Good dating experiences can help young people learn a great deal about themselves and one other. Dating helps to foster trust and respect for one another. Dating helps to establish relationships that can be fair, honest, and open. Good dating relationships encourage sharing thoughts and ideas. Young people can also learn that even healthy relationships, sadly, do not always work out.

Dating can lead to increased maturity in teenagers and can build a foundation for strong adult relationships. Dating allows teens to discover what they want and need out of close personal relationships. They develop an understanding of how affection and intimacy function within relationships. By pursuing dating relationships teens learn to discern between lust and intimacy.

Another benefit of dating is that it helps to develop boundary setting. Boundaries help to determine acceptable behavior and treatment between one another. Creating and negotiating boundaries helps greatly in the maturation process.

The development of communication skills is a strong component of dating. Before they start dating, most youth talk in groups, with their families, classmates and other club members. On a date it is one boy and one girl together and one to one communication and interaction is required. Communication must exist or the date comes to an end in a hurry. Communications skill is a bedrock component of dating. Teens learn how to talk and they learn how to listen. They learn how to compromise and how to cooperate. They learn how to resolve conflict without resorting to hostility. They develop the fine art of active listening and reading nonverbal messages.

Dating relationships can lead to fulfilling and caring adult relationships. Teens learn how to manage intimate relationships. They learn what factors contribute to strong relationships and what one detract. Importantly, they learn what they, and others, need and desire from intimate relationships. However, dating relationships often fail to live up to their initial hopes of happily ever after.

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Beloit, KS 67420, USA