Category: relationships

How Online Disinhibition Affects Communication

Monica Applewhite, Ph.D. About a week ago, I was copied on an email that went out to all of the parents in my son’s little league.  The tone was hostile, the language was crude, and the topic seemed way too benign to merit the jabs at various people and aspects of the program that were under discussion.  More than anything,… Read more →

Healthy Friendships Among Young People

With the exception of strong family relationships, the most important building block for healthy dating and committed relationships are the patterns that are developed in early friendships.  When we establish supportive, healthy interactions with our friends of both genders, we are laying the groundwork for how we expect to be treated and how we expect to treat others for whom… Read more →

Distinguishing Wholesome Relationship Development from Grooming

In years past, it was common for the focus of sexual abuse prevention efforts to be on “strong screening” and choosing “safe” adults to work with children. However, both the experiences of child-serving organizations and the recent findings of empirical research have demonstrated that the characteristics and psychological profiles of adults who sexually abuse do not differ significantly or predictably… Read more →