Your love life probably sucks. Dating in high school can be exciting, but young love is complicated. It’s critical to recognize potential red flags early on, so you can make sure that your relationship is not only fun but safe and healthy. Here are some giant red flags to watch out for.
Disrespect: Your boyfriend might be cheating on you.Why? He doesn’t respect you! Respect isn’t optional in a relationship—it’s essential. Disrespect can mean not valuing your time, not honoring your space, not listening, not understanding your needs, using name-calling or unkind words, being dishonest about their feelings, and, in extremes, yelling, verbal degradation and physical force. Your significant other should never insult your intelligence or appearance. Also, it is not good if your partner thinks or acts like they’re better than you. You should always feel respected, even when you two are fighting or facing problems. Mutual respect means valuing each other, even in moments of conflict. Don’t let small acts of disrespect slide—speak up and set boundaries.
Distrust: Do you have trust issues? Trust is the foundation of a relationship. Lack of trust is the root of many common relationship problems, including jealousy, infidelity, lack of communication and other issues. If two people don’t trust each other, it’s almost impossible to talk through issues, maintain emotional intimacy and have a healthy, transparent relationship overall. If trust issues start to surface, addressing them early on is important because they rarely resolve themselves without open communication. “Trust is definitely one of the most important things in a relationship,” says Mari Wu ’26.
Control: Love shouldn’t come with chains. Your partner should not control how you spend your time, who you talk to, or other important parts of your life. A possessive partner might try to isolate you from friends or family, making you dependent on the relationship for social interaction. You should be free to grow and enjoy your life in a relationship.
“Don’t date selfish a**holes. A relationship is a partnership.”
Selfishness: Don’t date selfish assholes. A relationship is a partnership. If your partner constantly prioritizes their needs over yours, that can be a problem. If your partner isn’t ever willing to make sacrifices for you, they probably don’t care enough. Obviously, we should always make sure our own needs are met, but part of being in a relationship is sacrificing things for the other person. Compromise is key, especially for the little things.
Recognizing these red flags early can help you avoid getting trapped in an unhealthy relationship. It’s important to remember that a relationship should enhance your life, not complicate it with distrust, disrespect or control. The good news is, healthy relationships do exist: ones built on trust, mutual respect, and open communication.
