Software company shares healthy teen dating tips

By Staff Writer

Awareness Technologies, a company that produces remote monitoring software, recently released a series of tips for parents in honor of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.

The organization stated that the most important thing for parents is to keep an open line of honest communication with their children. Teens should be informed about the difference between healthy and unhealthy dating behaviors, as well as the warning signs that indicate an abusive relationship - such as mood changes, sleep deprivation and academic underachievement.

Furthermore, Awareness Technologies suggests that all parents and guardians warn their children about the dangers of the Internet. For example, a picture or comment that is posted on a social networking site could follow someone's reputation through adolescence. Teens should also know that their passwords to voicemail and email should be kept private, and that giving their personal information out could get to the wrong people.

The tips aim to help young people understand the dynamics of a healthy relationship with mutual trust and personal boundaries.

Adolescents who are involved in an abusive relationship may benefit from wilderness therapy programs, which aim to provide help for troubled teens.