The good, the bad and the ugly of relationships
When developing positive relationships it can help to know what behaviours are associated with a good relationship and the warning signs that you might be heading into or creating a bad or 'ugly' relationship. The resources on this page provide some advice on knowing and understanding the difference, and what is meant by consent.
Resource: Years 7 to 8
This table explains respectful relationships. The ‘good’ column outlines positive actions and feelings, the ‘bad’ and ‘ugly’ columns are negative behaviours and feelings and are not signs of a respectful relationship.
| Good | Bad | Ugly |
|---|---|---|
| I can see my friends or family whenever I want. | I feel overwhelmed by what they want. | I have to watch what I do or say around them. |
| I feel ok about saying ‘no’ to things I don’t want to do. | I feel stuck in this relationship. | I’m worried about what my partner might do if I tried to leave them. |
| My partner likes introducing me to his/her friends. | I hate it when my partner talks to other guys/girls. | My partner makes me feel scared of them. |
| They like me for who I am. | I wish my partner was different. | My partner pressures or guilt-trips me into sex. |
| They listen to me and care about my opinions. | I wish we didn’t see so much of each other. |
They snoop and read my texts or messages. |
| We spend our spare time together. | I worry that my partner is cheating on me. | |
| When we go out, we decide together what we’re doing. | They get jealous of who I hang out with. | |
| When we’re together, I feel like I can be myself. | They ignore me when their mates are around. | |
| When we’re together, we laugh and have fun. | We have the same fights over and over again. | |
| With sex and affection, I can say what I like and don’t like. | When we’re hanging out, I wish I was somewhere else. |