When the going gets tough

Unhealthy peer relationships, from romances to friendships to social isolation, can negatively affect teens' social and emotional well-being.

Social isolation leads to being the odd girl out

As young women maneuver through crowded hallways on their way to classes, passing by friends saying hello and exchanging jokes and laughter, some students can still feel as lonely and isolated. “I’ve always lived with it,” junior Kayla Man said about her personal experience with social isolation. “I’ve been isolated even when I placed myself in friend groups.” The majority of adol...

Toxic friendships diminish self-esteem

Elements of the popular film “Mean Girls” might not be so made-up after all as the exclusion and torment acted by the characters in the movie can be far too real for some teens experiencing similar struggles in reality. “I thought that they were just going through something kind of tough, so I was trying to help them out. But then I started to realize that they were getting satisfaction out of...

Unhealthy dating can be physically, emotionally detrimental to teens

Dating her second boyfriend started off well — until they got to know each other. That was when Violet, who asked that her real name not be used, says her relationship with her now ex-boyfriend grew unhealthy, as he grew easily irritated with her and began to pick fights with her friends. “He would get mad at me if I didn’t do stuff that he wanted to, because I wasn’t at that point or in that ...