As a holiday devoted to love, relationships, and elaborate displays of affection, Valentine’s Day elicits strong feelings in many. For some, today’s holiday is dismissed or dreaded, while others seize the day and see it as an opportunity to give gifts, post heartfelt messages on social media, or go on extravagant dates. No matter what you might think of Valentine’s Day, at its core, it is a holiday to celebrate relationships of all types. Amidst all the chocolate and flowers, it’s important to reflect on what makes a healthy relationship beyond what is visible to the outside world.

What constitutes a healthy relationship? Triangle Abuse Prevention & Safety (TAPS) explores this topic in a variety of ways as a part of classes that also teach abuse prevention, assertive communication, and conflict de-escalation skills for a wide variety of communities. Students learn about the different types of relationships they have in their lives – friendships, romantic, professional, and familial – and then build skills and knowledge to apply to their lives.

It is crucial for people of all abilities to know what a healthy relationship looks like. The unfortunate reality is that people with intellectual disabilities are sexually assaulted at 7 times the rate of people without disabilities. Knowing how to recognize when someone isn’t treating you correctly is an important way to protect yourself. TAPS specifically teaches its participants how to navigate and identify negative and inappropriate interactions, as well as how to advocate for themselves within all different types of relationships. Respect, balance, communication, trust, and independence are all building blocks to maintaining good relationships, whether they are romantic, friendly, or familial. Valentine’s Day serves as a perfect reminder to enjoy the relationships around you and appreciate what makes them healthy.

If you would like to learn more about the TAPS program, click here to check out our Blog Post “Triangle Abuse Prevention & Safety Makes a Huge Difference In Just a Short Few Months.”