Friendship

Friendship plays a significant role in the lives of both teenagers and children, but there are notable differences between the two age groups.

Friendship in Children:

Common Interests and Activities

  • Childhood friendships often form around shared activities and interests.
  • Children bond over playing games, exploring, and participating in hobbies together.

Simplicity and Playfulness

  • Friendships among children are simple and playful.
  • They enjoy spending time together without much complexity.

Less Emotional Depth

  • Children’s friendships are generally less emotionally intense.
  • They may not have deep discussions or share personal feelings as frequently.

Acceptance and Inclusion

  • Children tend to be more accepting and inclusive.
  • They readily make friends with peers who share common play spaces or classrooms.

Friendship in Teenagers:

Intense and Supportive

  • Teenage friendships become more intense, close, and supportive.
  • Emotional bonds deepen, and friends provide essential support during adolescence.

Shared Attitudes and Values

  • Teenagers form friendships based on similar attitudes, values, and shared activities.
  • They seek friends who understand and validate their experiences.

Communication and Connection

  • Teenagers communicate more frequently with friends.
  • They share thoughts, feelings, and experiences, seeking emotional connection.

Navigating Complex Social Dynamics

  • Teenagers deal with complex social dynamics.
  • They learn about loyalty, trust, and handling conflicts within friendships.

Gender Differences

  • Girls tend to place more importance on intimacy and support from friends.
  • Boys prioritise enjoyment and companionship in their friendships

Friendships evolve as children transition into adolescence. Both age groups benefit from positive relationships, but the nature of those relationships changes over time.

Friendships and Relationships in Older Young People

Friendships and relationships may develop over time and young people need to know the type of friendship and relationship that they have. Here is a breakdown to help you assess yours:

Healthy Friendships

Healthy Friendships:

  • Good Communication: Talk openly and listen to each other.
  • Mutual Respect: Treat each other with kindness and consideration.
  • Trust and Honesty: Build trust by being honest and reliable.
  • Equality: Both partners have equal say and decision-making power.
  • Being Yourself: Authenticity is key; don’t change for someone else.

Unhealthy Relationships

Signs of Unhealthy Relationships:

  • Control: One partner dominates or manipulates the other.
  • Lack of Respect: Disregard for boundaries or feelings.
  • Isolation: Preventing the other from seeing friends or family.
  • Emotional Abuse: Insults, threats, or demeaning behavior.
  • Physical Violence: Any form of physical harm.

Bullying:

Definition: Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behaviour that involves a power imbalance.

Types of Bullying:

Verbal

Teasing, name-calling, or spreading rumours.

Social

Hurting someone’s reputation or excluding them intentionally.

Physical

Hitting, pushing, or any form of physical harm.

Recognising Bullying

Look for signs like anxiety, depression, or physical injuries.

Abuse:

Types of Abuse:

Physical

Hitting, slapping, or restraining someone.

Sexual

Non-consensual sexual acts or harassment.

Psychological

Emotional manipulation, isolation, or control.

Financial

Misusing money or resources

Reporting Abuse: Seek help from trusted adults, counsellors, or helplines.

Saying No to Sex:

You Have the Right

Saying no is your right, even if you’ve started.

Be Clear and Firm

Use clear language and maintain confidence.

Explain Your Feelings

Share why you’re not ready or comfortable.

Set Boundaries

Communicate what you’re willing to do and what you’re not.

Remember, your well-being matters. Seek support, report abuse, and prioritise your safety.

Sexting

Underage, vulnerable people, and young adults who receive unwanted attention

What Is Sexting?

Definition: Sexting refers to the sending or posting of naked or semi-naked images, videos, or live streams by young people under the age of 18.

Platforms: Sexting can occur via social media, gaming platforms, chat apps, or forums. It may also involve device sharing through services like Apple’s Airdrop (which works offline).

Common Terms: Young people often use terms like “nudes”, “dick pics”, or simply “pics” to describe these types of image-sharing incidents.

Legal Aspects:

Age of Consent

  • In the UK, the age of consent for sexual intercourse is 16.
  • However, it is an offence to make, distribute, possess, or show any indecent images of anyone aged under 18, even if the content was created with the consent of that young person.
  • The relevant law is Section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1978.
  • Indecent Imagery: This term is not precisely defined in legislation but may include:
    • Nude or semi-nude sexual posing.
    • Overtly sexual images of young people in their underwear.
    • Someone hurting someone else sexually.
    • Any sexual activity involving a child.

Non-Consensual Sharing

  • The non-consensual sharing of private sexual images or videos with the intent to cause distress is also illegal.
  • Relevant legislation: Section 33 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015.

Terms Used

  • Revenge Porn and Up skirting are also terms used to refer to specific incidents of nudes and semi-nudes being shared.
  • These terms are more often used in the context of adult-to-adult non-consensual image sharing.

Know you can get support at MyHealthnet to help you understand the legal implications and respecting boundaries is crucial when it comes to sexting. If you encounter unwanted attention or feel uncomfortable, seek help, and report any abusive behaviour.

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