Sharing social media logins. Kissing and touching. Sharing your location. Going on a date with someone new. Being told what to wear (or not to wear). What’s OK and not OK when it comes to setting boundaries in a relationship?
Navigating relationships can be tricky, and new data shows more than a quarter of surveyed 14–20-year-olds are confusing controlling behaviours such as forcing physical touch out of love in a relationship as a ‘healthy boundary.’ The data also found only 22% of surveyed young people feel completely confident to take action when they are uncomfortable, feel unsafe or disrespected in a relationship – signaling a greater need for support.
These findings are part of The Line campaign’s latest initiative ‘Comfort Zone’, funded by the Australian Department of Social Services. The initiative is designed to empower young Australians to recognise controlling behaviours and communicate healthy boundaries through an interactive game that helps them explore what feels right in relationships of all kinds — with friends, partners, family, and more.
The initiative is backed by Heartbreak High actors Bryn Chapman Parish (Spider) and Sherry-Lee Watson (Missy), TikTok content creators Taz and Alessia (900k+ followers). “I’d love for young people to gain an understanding of what boundaries are earlier in their life than I did. I went through my teens and most of my 20’s having completely porous boundaries, people pleasing over my own needs and priorities,” Bryn Chapman Parish.
“Respecting other people’s boundaries is a learned behaviour and that if you make a mistake, you’re allowed to apologise and change the way you approach things. This will often lead to you growing into a wellrounded and respected person,” Sherry Lee Watson.
“Boundaries are so foundational to every relationship to the point that if a boundary continues to be crossed, the friendship usually breaks down quickly. Setting boundaries means you care. It’s saying, “hey, I want you to be in my life for a long time,” Taz and Alessia.
The initiative includes a new interactive TikTok filter that encourages users to reflect on boundaries in a fun, engaging and shareable way.
Visit www.theline.org.au for practical tips and advice on healthy boundaries and recognising controlling behaviours.