Impact of toxic relationships on teenagers

By ;Pratibha Vashisht

Introduction

Fostering healthy relationships and safe connections in adolescent age groups is crucial as they can have a major influence on one’s overall health. Toxic romantic relationships during adolescence can have a deep and lasting impact on a young person's emotional and psychological development. This stage of life is marked by the exploration of love and intimacy, as adolescents begin to form their first significant romantic attachments. When these relationships become toxic—characterised by manipulation, control, jealousy, or emotional abuse—the effects can be devastating. Adolescents may struggle with lowered self-esteem, increased anxiety, and depression, and find it challenging to trust others in future relationships. Understanding the impact of toxic romantic relationships on adolescents is essential for guiding them toward healthier interactions and providing the necessary support to mitigate long-term consequences.

Signs to Look out for:

1. Jealousy and Possessiveness: Partners who show extreme levels of jealousy and possessiveness over every action, try to isolate the teen from family and friends are considered controlling, displaying toxic behaviour. (Konick, 2023)

2. Continuous Criticism: Healthy relationships are built on support and encouragement, while constant criticism, belittling, or mocking can damage self-esteem and leave deep emotional scars. (Konick, 2023)

3. No Respect of Boundaries: Healthy relationships honor personal boundaries. When a partner repeatedly ignores emotional or physical boundaries, it indicates an unhealthy dynamic. (Konick, 2023)

Negative Impacts

The negative impacts include effects on emotional and mental well-being, changes in behaviour leading to long term consequences.

Mental and Emotional Health: Living in a toxic or unhealthy relationship can lead to a range of emotional and psychological issues, including fear, guilt, shame, anger, sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, anxiety, and depression. These feelings can persist even after a teen leaves the relationship, making it challenging for them to trust others in future relationships. Additionally, the experience of being in a toxic relationship can impact a teen's ability to form healthy connections with others, often due to lingering trust issues or a damaged self-image. (ThreePeaks Ascent Short-term Residential Treatment & Steven DeMille, 2024)

Changes In Behaviour: Adolescents in toxic relationships often experience significant behavioural changes. Being in a toxic relationship can lead to harmful patterns such as starting to drink alcohol and smoking cigarettes or marijuana (Piolanti et al., 2023). Emotional manipulation and control can alter a teen’s self-concept, causing them to act in ways contrary to their usual behaviour. They may disengage from activities they once enjoyed and isolate themselves from friends and family. Furthermore, they may also exhibit a cyclic pattern of engaging in additional unhealthy relationships, thereby normalising toxic behaviour and repeating destructive patterns (23abc, 2023).

Intervention and Healing

Breaking the cycle of toxic relationships is crucial to be able to heal from the mental health trauma and at times intervention from family and friends may be required. By observing the signs mentioned above and practising effective communication can help prevent the teens from experiencing any further emotional as well as physical abuse.

1. Effective Communication: Once signs are identified, open and supportive communication between parents, guardians, or peers and the teenager is vital. Encouraging dialogue provides a safe space for adolescents to express their feelings and experiences. Adults should approach the situation with empathy and understanding to ensure the teenager feels heard and supported. This includes using affirming language that emphasises their right to be treated respectfully and encouraging them to seek help.

2. Seeking Professional Help: In cases where the situation continues to escalate or causes significant emotional distress, seeking professional help may be necessary. Mental health professionals can provide therapy, coping strategies, and educational resources to help the teenager navigate their experiences. Therapy can empower adolescents to understand relationship dynamics and recognize unhealthy patterns, improving their emotional health and resilience. (ThreePeaks Ascent Short-term Residential Treatment & Steven DeMille, 2024)

3. Educating About Healthy Relationships: Educating the teens about what kind of behaviour is normal and healthy in a relationship is also an important part of intervention. Having boundaries, trust mutual respect, and effective communication are important aspects of maintaining a healthy relationship.

4. Monitoring Progress: Lastly, maintaining a check on the progress and frequent check-ins with the teen can provide encouragement and required support to continue healing and prevent them from falling back into the vicious cycle of toxic romantic relationships.

Conclusion

Therefore, toxic relationships during adolescence can have significant and lasting effects on mental, emotional, and physical health. Teens who experience controlling and abusive relationships are at an increased risk for various detrimental outcomes, including substance abuse, mental health challenges (such as anxiety and depression), and the likelihood of repeating unhealthy relationship patterns in adulthood.

Furthermore, the emotional and psychological scars created by such relationships can persist well into later life stages, affecting self-esteem and interpersonal relationships. Educating parents and caregivers on how to identify signs of toxic relationships and encouraging open communication with adolescents about healthy relationship dynamics are essential steps in preventing the negative trajectories associated with these experiences. By fostering awareness and support, we can help adolescents navigate their relationships more safely and constructively.

References

1. Konick, L. S. (2023, September 25). Navigating the Storm: Teens in Toxic Relationships. Konickandassociates.com. https://konickandassociates.com/post/navigating-the-storm-teens-in-toxic-relationships

2. ThreePeaks Ascent Short-term Residential Treatment, & Steven DeMille, S. D. (2024, June 11). Breaking the Cycle: How to heal toxic Teenage Relationships. ThreePeaks Ascent Residential Treatment Center. https://threepeakstreatment.com/residential-treatment-for-teens/unhealthy-relationships

3. Antonio Piolanti, Franziska Waller, Iason E. Schmid, Heather M. Foran; Long-term Adverse Outcomes Associated With Teen Dating Violence: A Systematic Review. Pediatrics June 2023; 151 (6): e2022059654. 10.1542/peds.2022-059654 https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-059654

4. 23abc, C. D. (2023, May 3). KERO 23 ABC News Bakersfield. KERO 23 ABC News Bakersfield. https://www.turnto23.com/news/health/teens-in-toxic-relationships-may-suffer-long-term-effe cts

5. Patton, S. C., Szabo, Y. Z., & Newton, T. L. (2022). Mental and Physical Health Changes Following an Abusive Intimate Relationship: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 23(4), 1079-1092. 10.1177/1524838020985554. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838020985554