Respect is the glue that holds your relationships together. Learn ways to be respectful and know what to do when somebody isn’t respectful toward you.

Why is respect important?

Giving and receiving respect from others is important because it helps us to feel safe and to express ourselves.

Being respected by important people in our lives growing up teaches us how to be respectful toward others.

Respect means that you accept somebody for who they are, even when they’re different from you or you don’t agree with them.

Respect in your relationships builds feelings of trust, safety, and wellbeing.

Respect doesn’t have to come naturally – it is something you learn.

What does respect look like?

Think about all the different situations in life where you have to get along with others – how do you know if there’s respect in your relationship?

You feel safe being around each other

You know it’s ok for both of you to express who you are

You don’t yell or talk over the top of each other

When you disagree you listen to each other and be patient

Neither of you is controlling the other person’s choices4

You both talk openly about your needs and wants

You both allow the other person space if they need it

You can both admit when you’ve made a mistake