# data[].attributes.headline
An adult you trust could include the following:

# data[].attributes.subject
An adult you trust could include the following:

# data[].attributes.body
A parent or guardian

A favorite teacher or a school counselor

A health professional

A religious leader or counselor

An adult from a community agency, like Social Services or a student assistance program

A family counseling center or support group

# data[].attributes.body
Although we'd all like to think that good times won't change or bad things can't happen, they sometimes do. Some stressful situations that families may experience include divorce, separation (family members who are away a lot of the time; for example, in the military, at work, or even in jail), unemployment, drug or alcohol dependence, and even death.

It is important that you get help when you need it, whether they are family based, friend based, or date based, relationship problems can adversely affect your health. For example, you may experience headaches or stomachaches, sleeplessness, physical injuries from abuse, anxiety or stress, guilt, lack of self-confidence, and low self-esteem. If you experience any of these symptoms, reach out to someone for help.

If you need to talk to someone about a relationship problem, there are many people and places where you can seek help. Your siblings or friends might provide you with some good advice, but, if your health is at stake, the important thing is to talk with an adult you trust.

# data[].attributes.body
Okay, we've discussed who should be involved in making the rules about dating. We've listed topics that are good points of discussion between you and your parents or guardians. Now we ask, who should enforce the rules?

You should. Setting up these rules is all about you and your safety and comfort. If you help set these rules up, believe they are fair, and understand their purpose, then there is no one better to own them and enforce them than you.

One last recommendation about dating rules: Share your rules with your prospective dates. That way, everyone is clear about everything. If your date isn't comfortable, teases you, or tries to pressure you to break the rules, it might be the first clue that he or she really isn't the right person to date after all.

# data[].attributes.body
Age. At what age can you start dating? What's the rule about the age of your prospective date?

Transportation. Who will be driving when you go on dates? A parent or guardian? You? Your date? A friend? If it's not your parent or guardian, how much driving experience is required?

Destination. You and your parents or guardians need to know where you will be and what you should do if you change your plans while out on a date.

Time. What is your curfew? Work with your parents or guardian to set one you both agree on.

Schedule. Can you date on a school night?  What about study dates? How often can you go out during the weekend?

Smoking, drugs, alcohol. Everything you’ve learned earlier in this course about smoking, drugs, and alcohol applies here. Know where you stand on these issues and know how to say "no."

Sex. This topic may be really difficult to talk about, but the adults who love you will want to help you think about questions you may have regarding sex and prepare for the answers.

Contact information. How can you and your parents or guardians reach each other when you are on a date?

Emergency procedures. How do you get in touch with someone if there's an accident, disaster, or other type of emergency while you are on a date?

"Bail-me-out-for-free" card. This rule entitles you to call to your parents or guardians when you are on a date and simply say "Come and get me," no questions asked. Most adults are more than willing to agree to this rule if they know that it can help guarantee your safety in any situation.

# data[].attributes.body
Arguably the most common answer to the question of who sets the rules about dating is parents or responsible guardians; it might be religious or community leaders as well.

You should have a say in these rules as well. You are the one who has to follow them, after all, so they should make sense to you. This point brings us back to the importance of cooperation and compromise,  two great skills to have in mind when you sit down for this conversation.

Commit to the conversation about dating rules. Think compromise. Know that your parents or guardians do have the last word. Now, what's the conversation about?

# data[].attributes.body
It's a good idea to have some dating rules,  guidelines that reduce everyone's worries about your safety and the safety of your friends.

But who gets to set dating rules? What should these rules govern? Who should enforce them?

# data[].attributes.body
At some point in your teen years, you probably have begun (or you will begin) to look at people and friends in a different way.

You'll begin to wonder about what it would be like to be a "couple" with someone. This is the stuff of daydreams; it's what that faraway look on your face is all about—until someone calls you back down to earth.

What do you do about such feelings? There are several choices: Spend as much time as you can in your dream world; ignore these encroaching feelings for now; or blush, stutter, hem and haw, and then say hello to that special someone and ask him or her to spend some time with you.

The term dating applies to social engagements between two persons that often have a romantic character. It could mean going to a movie, taking a walk in the park, watching television, or just hanging out. It might also mean getting physical: touching, kissing, or more.

Getting physical is where the questions about age and maturity become important and where crucial questions about potential negative consequences, including risks, come into the picture.

# data[].attributes.body
There may come a time when an existing friendship has changed; it may no longer meet your definition of friendship.

If that time comes and you decide to end the friendship, you'll need to handle it in a respectful and caring way. What does this mean? It means talking with the person, sharing your feelings, and telling the person why you feel you can no longer be friends. Your interpersonal communication skills will come in handy here, too.

# data[].attributes.body
Compromise is critical in helping you to maintain friendships and relationships.

Imagine this situation: You are at the movie theater with your younger brother. He wants to see an animated movie, but you want to watch a horror film. You can only watch one movie today. It's clear that neither of you, at first, is willing to budge. How might you resolve this situation?

It’s time for a compromise. Compromise means that each party has to give up something to reach an outcome that pleases both parties. In this situation, you might tell your little brother that you will see the animated movie today, but next week, when you return to the theater, you get to choose the movie that you both will watch. Problem solved; compromise requires cooperation.

# data[].attributes.body
Done well, these communication skills can strengthen your ability to cooperate with others and gain cooperation from them. Without cooperation, almost any relationship probably would not be successful. Cooperation is all about trust, doing your part responsibly, and finding agreement on goals. A vivid way to think about cooperation is to imagine a three-legged race. Unless you and your friend are in tune, agree on the direction to go, and work together to get there, you can be a real flop as a team. It is difficult to imagine friendship without cooperation.

# data[].attributes.body
As you learned earlier, interpersonal communication is defined as thoughts or feelings shared between two or more people.

You also learned that to ensure effective interpersonal communication, you need to become skilled in several communication components:

Verbal and nonverbal communication

Active listening skills

Refusal skills, and

Conflict resolution skills.

# data[].attributes.body
Once you've established a friendship, you want to maintain the friendship, right? To do that, you have to be a good friend. What does that mean?

For starters, remember the three important characteristics of friendships: respect, trustworthiness, and caring.

Being mindful of these attributes of friendship is a good start, but you can learn additional skills that also may help you to maintain your friendships. Those skills are interpersonal communication, cooperation, and compromise.

# data[].attributes.body
You never know where you'll meet your next friend.

Initiating a new friendship can be as easy as starting a conversation with someone. Begin by finding out a bit about that person. People like to be asked about themselves, which makes this getting-to-know-you step very easy. It's even easier if you are ready with a mental list of simple questions. Here are some examples:

Do you like movies? Who's your favorite actor?

I like your clothes. Where do you shop?

Do you watch sports on TV? What's your favorite? Did you see the game last week?

I liked what you said in class today. Where do you get the courage to speak up?

These kinds of questions let a person know that you are interested in finding out more about him or her.

You also could ask the person to do something with you, like go for a bike ride or go shopping at a mall. If you find common interests, you stand a better chance of becoming friends.

# data[].attributes.body
Simply put, friendship is an important relationship that you have with another person. That person can be of any age, but most of your friends are probably about your own age.

Friendships usually have certain characteristics that make them work. What do you think those characteristics are?

Important friendship characteristics include the following:

Respect. Friends accept each other’s opinions and are considerate of others and their differences.

Trustworthiness.  The friendship is based on honesty, dependability, and loyalty.

Caring. Friends demonstrate kindness and compassion with each other.

Are these characteristics present in your friendships?

# data[].attributes.body
Friends—you've got to have them. They're the people with whom you share thrills, spills, and fears. They're on your wavelength. They know how you think about things. You might feel closer to them than to members of your own family.

Face it: You don't get to pick your family members, but you do get to pick your friends. Sometimes friends are fleeting, and sometimes they are there throughout your life.

It's worth taking a few minutes to consider these questions: What is friendship? What does friendship mean to you?

Think about the friendships you have. Do they fit your answers to the questions above?

# data[].attributes.body
Families are important no matter what type of family you have. One of the first relationships you ever established probably was with a family member.

Family relationships may have a profound impact on you and your health. Healthy family relationships can help you learn self-respect, how to respect others, how to communicate, how to make responsible decisions, and how to express emotions.

Healthy family relationships help you develop values that will guide you throughout your life. Unhealthy family relationships can have the opposite effect.

# data[].attributes.body
Families today look very different from the way they looked years ago. Today, there are many different types of families:

Traditional families, with a mom and a dad

Extended families, which may include step-parents, step-brothers/sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives

Single-parent families, with one parent and one or more children

Families with parents of the same gender (two moms or two dads)

And any of the families above can include adopted children.

Families are important no matter what type of family you have. One of the first relationships you ever established probably was with a family member.

# data[].attributes.body
Family, friend, and romantic relationships

Marriage and parenthood

Female and male reproductive systems

Female and male reproductive health issues

Conception and development

Pregnancy and birth

Making decisions about sex

Preventing pregnancy

# data[].attributes.body
Sexuality is a topic that may be difficult to discuss openly and honestly. Clear communication, however, is just what is required for better health and a happier life.

We hope you share this unit with your parents, with other adults you trust, and with your friends. While we'll share the facts and raise the issues, there is so much more about human sexuality that requires good conversation with the people you love. Sexuality is a subject that's dependent not only on your biology but also on your family's values and traditions.

# data[].attributes.headline
PLEASE READ: SENSITIVE CONTENT IN THIS UNIT AND ITS LESSONS.

# data[].attributes.subject
PLEASE READ: SENSITIVE CONTENT IN THIS UNIT AND ITS LESSONS.

# data[].attributes.body
This unit and each of its lessons contain information about social and sexual relationships. Some people may find this information to be sensitive as it may deal with specific information about human sexuality, including content bout male and female anatomy, relationships including sexual relationships, and all aspects of sexual reproduction.

Before you begin this unit or any of its lessons, please discuss the nature of this unit with your teacher or a guiding adult. If you are concerned about the lesson content or completing any lesson, discuss this with your teacher.