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Dating Tips for Teens

Tips for having healthy and safe relationships:

Get to know a person by talking on the phone or at school before you go out for the first time.
Go out with a group of friends to a public place the first few times you spend time together.
Plan fun activities like going to the movies, a picnic, the mall, or for a walk.
Be clear with the other person about what you feel comfortable doing and what time your parents/guardian want you to be home.
Tell at least one friend and your parents/guardians who you are going out with and where you are going. Be sure to also tell them how to reach you.

Teens and Peer Pressure

So, just what high-risk behaviors might your adolescent feel pressured to engage in? Plenty, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which periodically conducts surveys on health-risk behaviors among youth. The latest survey results indicate that teen peer pressure is real. Many adolescents are engaging in behaviors that place their health at risk -- including cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, illegal drug use and sexual activity. And in all likelihood, their peers are pushing them to try these behaviors.

Here are some of the survey's findings.

To read more, click here

Related to parenting teens

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Communication, trust and respect are key to healthy relationships. Healthy relationships are also about feeling good about who YOU are and feeling SAFE with another person. You have the power to create healthy relationships all around you just by paying attention to who you are inside and what makes you happy. By getting to know yourself and feeling good about yourself, it will get easier to see the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships.

WebMD Public Information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Reviewed on April 01, 2006