Half of the students surveyed at Morton East say they are in healthy relationships; but, the other half say they are in unhealthy relationships.
According to Google AI Overview, it shows that healthy and positive teen relationships are common, but 1 in 10 high school students deal with physical abuse, and 11% of students reported sexual violence within a year. While other teens state that they have never been in a relationship at 35%, about two-thirds of 13- to 17-year-olds and about 44% of high schoolers are in relationships but have a high rate of unhealthy relationships. The impact of unhealthy teen relationships is strongly linked to poor mental health, including depression and anxiety. In a random survey of 100 Morton East students, 48 students stated that they are in an unhealthy relationship, and 52 students are in a healthy relationship.
“I think a healthy relationship means two people really respect each other and actually keep their boundaries. You know you’re ready to date when you’ve grown up a bit, love yourself, and understand your own limits. If my friend was in a bad relationship, I’d try to get them into therapy or have their parents talk to them. Like, I had a friend once who was dealing with mental health stuff while dating, and he’d always ghost everyone when he was down. I just stayed patient and listened to him,” said sophomore Morton East student Crisol Moreno.
This quote offers Crisol Moreno’s insights on healthy relationships and dating.
“A healthy relationship is when a couple gets to know each other, totally trusts each other, and has boundaries. They talk about everything, good or bad, and are always honest. I think 13 or 15 is probably a good age to start dating, because you’re not super immature but also not too old. You can figure out what you want and need. If my friend was in an unhealthy relationship, I’d protect them however I could, giving advice and making sure the person wasn’t using them. If my friend still wanted to stay, I’d just keep a close eye on them,” said senior Morton East student Jennifer Antunez.
Jennifer Antunez shares her definition of a healthy relationship and advice on dating and supporting friends.
“To me, a healthy relationship is when a couple is loyal, understands each other, respects their boundaries and opinions, and is committed. You’re ready to date when you know what commitment means, you’ve matured, and you can communicate well enough to have a partner who looks out for you. I’d say 18 or older is the right age to start dating, because most high schoolers are too immature for relationships. They often end up with mental health issues or even physical abuse after a breakup. If my friend was in a bad relationship, I’d give advice. But if they kept refusing help, I’d let them deal with it, hoping they’d see that people care and stop denying the help,” said junior Morton East student Madison Marcano.
Jocelyn • Feb 12, 2026 at 9:16 am
The information on this article is shockingly far from what I would imagine. Of course all relationships have their setbacks and shortcomings but the rate of unhappiness is truly saddening to see. Perhaps a good quote that would make the article even better could come from a professional in our school setting such as a school psychologist or social worker. It would add that interesting insight as to why this also occurs not just in the school setting, but maybe outside as well.