Healthy Relationships vs. Unhealthy Relationships

Violence Against Women Home > Types of Violence > Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence > Healthy Relationships vs. Unhealthy Relationships

Healthy relationship:

Loving and taking care of yourself
Respecting your partner's right to be himself or herself
Having a life outside the relationship, with your own friends and your own activities
Making decisions together, each partner compromising when necessary
Resolving conflicts through open and honest communication
Having more good times in the relationship than bad

Unhealthy relationship:

Focusing all your energy on loving and caring for your partner
Trying to change your partner to be what you want them to be
Dropping friends and family or activities you enjoy
One partner makes all the decisions
One partner yells, hits, or throws things at the other during arguments
Having more bad times in the relationship than good

If you're a victim of abuse or violence at the hands of someone you know or love, or you are recovering from an assault by a stranger, you are not alone.

To get immediate help and support
call the National Domestic Violence Hotline
at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

or the National Sexual Assault Hotline
at 1-800-656-4673.
You can also visit the
National Sexual Assault Online Hotline.

Content last updated September 1, 2007.

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