Relationships and friendships
Support with friendships and learn what unhealthy relationships look like.
Help with maintaining friendships
Friends can be there to enjoy the best times, and they can help us when we’re feeling down. But sometimes friendships have problems.
It can be hard to know what to do, but Childline have a range of advice to help.
Healthy sexual relationships
Being in a new relationship can make you feel excited, happy and in control. It’s normal to enjoy getting compliments, feeling special and safe or like you’ve got more confidence.
Sexual relationships
You might have lots of questions about having a relationship or having sex for the first time. Childline have got some advice to help.
Hertfordshire sexual health services
Find information about sexual health clinic, contraception choices, STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) testing and family planning advice.
Unhealthy relationships
There are times when relationships can become unhealthy.
It’s important to know what to do and who to talk do if this happens to you.
Making sense of how you feel
In a healthy relationship someone shouldn’t try to control you. Controlling or threatening behaviour can be physical, sexual, emotional, financial or psychological.
If your relationship doesn’t feel right, it may be time to end it.
Sexting
Sexting is when you send a sexual message, photo or video to someone else. It could be a picture of you, but sometimes people send pictures and videos of other people.
If you’ve been sexting and something’s gone wrong, Childline can provide advice to help.
Grooming
Grooming is when someone builds an online relationship with a young person and tricks them or pressures them into doing something sexual.
Childline can help by providing you with what you need to know to keep you and others safe from online grooming.
Got a question?
Get in touch with our friendly team.
01992 555847
Services for Young People
Youth work projects, information, advice, guidance, work-related learning and wider support for young people in Hertfordshire.
At Services for Young People (SfYP) Access Point Projects young people can access a wide range of services.
Other people to talk to
There are lots of people you can talk to – your parents, a trusted adult or one of the following:
Childline
Get help and advice about a wide range of issues. You can call them, talk to a counsellor online, send an email or post on the message boards.
Mental health helpline
Urgent and non-urgent help and advice, 24/7 for Hertfordshire residents. You can call or email them. Their website lists other help that’s available.
Kooth
An online mental wellbeing community that offers free, safe and anonymous support. You can read articles, join a discussion board, chat with the team or write in your own Daily Journal.
We created this area of the website with teenagers.