Page 8 - FN UNIT 1 Intro 3.2b-converted

KEY #3: MAKE IT SAFE
KEY #3: MAKE IT SAFE

TO CONNECT
TO CONNECT

Making it Safe to Connect means that in your relationships you try to make others feel comfortable
to be themselves around you. This is the heart of what it means when someone has Got Your Back.
They make it physically and emotionally safe enough to let down your guard and just be yourself.

Focus on two kinds of Safety:
Emotional Safety: is when you are comfortable enough with someone that you can easily share
what’s on your mind. It also means that person feels like a friend and is
someone you can trust.

Physical Safety: is freedom from fear of being harmed or threatened. is is bottom-line
safety. Any physical aggression or intimidation is a sign of danger; that is
not safe, period.

SIGNS OF GREATEST DANGER in a Romantic Relationship
• You are scared of your G/B/S.
• You feel afraid in the relationship.
• You have been physically injured by your G/B/S.
• Your G/B/S tries to control you.
• Your G/B/S keeps you from working or makes you dependent.
• Your G/B/S interferes with you going back to school.
• Your G/B/S tracks who you talk with.
• Your G/B/S threatens to hurt you or your children.
• Your G/B/S threatens to kill you or your children if you leave.
• Your G/B/S is “hyper-jealous.”
• Your G/B/S is hostile toward others in general.
• Your G/B/S is abusive, then expresses remorse, promises to change, but . . . no change happens.
• Your G/B/S forces you to have sex or do things you’re not comfortable doing.

(G/B/S refers to a girlfriend, boyfriend, or spouse.)

Bene ts of having safe relationships:
People with healthy connections to others tend to enjoy better health, less reliance on addictive
substances, greater sense of happiness in life, and stronger job satisfaction!

If you or someone you know is in an unsafe relationship, ask for help:
If you are in danger, get help. If you are not, then remember this class is not just about you. It’s about
watching out for each other. If someone you know is in danger, the National Domestic Violence
Hotline number is: 1-800-799-SAFE, or 1-800-799-7233. If violence is ever about to happen, call 911 (in
the U.S.).