Before you go out with just anyone, you need to ask some questions. First, how do you feel about dating? Dating attitudes depend on your culture and community, but it ultimately comes down to you. "Only start dating when you want to and not because others are doing it. There's a lot of pressure and many people begin dating before they really want to.

Another consideration is your parents. Definitely talk to your parents, some are stricter than others are and you should be ready to give reasons for being able to date.

Finally and most important, ask yourself what you would do on a date. This is a question of both safety and maturity. If you're not willing to take the steps necessary to have a good time and be safe, maybe you're not ready to date yet. Young women are advice strongly not to be isolated on a date:

Here are some suggestions:

Get to know him first. Know whom you're dealing with, especially if he's someone you don't see at school every day. Even if he is, it's a good idea to see what he's really like before committing to a whole evening to him. He could turn out to be a complete goofball.

Go with a crew. Double or triple date, but don't go alone for the first few dates.

Go to a public place. Some boys think that a girl willing to go to a lonely spot is giving him the permission to have sex with her. Good choices are movies, the mall or a museum.

Meet his parents and have him meet yours. Be warned that your friend do lie and might not be who they say they are. This is a great way to check him out.

Go dutch. Some guys get unbelievably stupid notions in their heads if they treat you to a movie and dinner, or take you to the prom, you owe them something. It will be suggested to find out up front what his expectations for the evening are and bring your own money.

Don't drink or take drugs. This is considered a major risk factor for young women on dates. With substance abuse, you're more likely to make poor decisions that you'll regret later or get into a situation you can't get out of. Stay away.

Take a quarter and enough cab fare to get home. Always tell a friend or family member where you're doing, with whom, and when you'll be back. Also have a Plan B in case the guy is a total moron and you want to bail out. Check in during the date if things aren't going well and definitely don't drive with him if he's been drinking.

This is one of the toughest questions to answer, because it's such an individual matter. Do be warned that teens often confuse love with other feelings. Young women can think being turned on is love. Or they have a romantic idea of a guy loving them meaning that he'll take care of them. Feeling good about someone isn't the same as love. Another common mistake: thinking infatuation is love. Just because you think about someone all the time or want to be with him doesn't necessarily mean you're in love.

But if these intense feelings aren't love, then what is? Love involves knowing, caring for and accepting a person for what's on the inside. Not everyone who's 'in love' feels exactly the same but being in love should make you feel good, happy, and affectionate. Love shouldn't feel miserable, and if you do feel miserable then it probably isn't love. It's just feeling miserable.

1. What is your definition of a dog?

2. Can you trust your friends' opinion?

"The only way to know someone is to spend time with him. Your friends might have had a bad experience, but it could be different for you.

If you're wondering if he's right for you, try this tip: Write out a list of all the qualities you like in a lover and write out the qualities of the potential lover that you actually go out with. If the two doesn't match up, do think about what you need and how do get it? If you end up getting hurt, it's time to look at reality.

Everyone deserves to be in a good relationship, even if it's not 'the one'. When choosing whom to go out with, do look for the qualities below. Does he:

If he / she doesn't treat you right, dump him / her. Don't waste your time trying to 'make him change.' It won't happen; it's best to move on to someone who can live up to your expectations.

Major dilemma. But according to most teen sexperts, you're handling it very maturely. Not many young people make rational decisions when it comes to having sex, especially for the first time. "Most find themselves in the situation and don't think of the consequences." As long as you're basing your decision to have sex on what's best for you and your future, you're ahead of the game.

Come up with a good escape plan. You need to think about your safety first. The most threatening time in an abusive relationship when the survivor decides to end it. For up to two to five years afterwards, women may have to be careful of their exes, but the vast majority of women leave without many problems. So have a plan that enables you to get on with your life while staying away from him.

Be prepared for the breakup blues. For a few weeks after breaking up you'll probably feel lonely and will miss him. If he calls, you'll probably feel guilty for having left him and making him unhappy. Remember as time passes, it'll get better.

Get support. If possible, go away with your family or friends to get a new perspective. Or start building your social life again. You'll need to feel like you have control over your life again, and can get back on track where you left off.

Help yourself by getting help. Abusive relationships are damaging and extremely stressful. You'll need professional help to sort out your feelings of mistrust, confused sexuality, fear, loneliness and having missed out on your life - not to mention nightmares and flashbacks that happen afterwards. Don't fool yourself into thinking you can 'just get over it.' Call an abuse hotline, battered women's shelter, or get a referral to a professional who deals with abuse.

Special note to friends of survivors: The best way to help your friend start rebuilding her life again is to be supportive and non-judgmental. Ask her:

There's a lot of pressure on what the survivor has to do but we need to put as much pressure on men who abuse as we do on drunk drivers. So, no matter how cute or popular he may be, any guy who abuses women is no friend.

The key to conflict resolution is to work on the solution part in resolution. Here are the steps:

Try to ignore any comments, teasing, or taunting to get you to fight or stoop to the other person's level. If you can't ignore it, or decide you don't want to, pick a time and place that you and other person can meet. Don't do it around any friends or a crowd, and don't do it when you're angry.

Beforehand, think about what you're going to say. There should be two points to cover:

HINT: Wait until you're calm and rational before you work on this. Don't think in terms of accusations ("You always get on my nerves") Instead think of how you feel, like "I felt really sad when you tried to embarrass me." Then focus on what you want, as in "I want an apology and for you to stop with the comments."

When you meet, remember that the goal is to work towards a solution. That means that you have to negotiate and compromise. And you have to stay committed to nonviolent means of working out your problems. If this seems too head, try getting a neutral friend, a peer mediator, or counselor to intervene. You'll feel much better knowing you can put at least one problem behind you.

It is exceptionally difficult for a child or young person to tell an outsider about something like this. This is why telephone help-lines guarantee complete confidentiality. If anything like this is happening to you, remember it is illegal and it is wrong. Sooner or later you will have to talk about it, otherwise it will affect your whole life. Remember too that if you do not say anything, the adult concerned may go on to do the same thing to other children - maybe your brothers and sisters. If at all possible, do not let that happen.

Rape is a violent act in which the 'aggressor makes a decision to force his victim to submit to what he wants. This can mean holding her down with his body weight or using a weapon, and may include penetration of her vagina, mouth or rectum. Rape is not a sexual act, even though it involves sex. It is a form of violence that is meant to humiliate and make the victim feel powerless.

There are two kinds of rape that expert discuss:

Tell the harasser to stop. Firmly and clearly let him know that you aren't interested or don't want the kind of attention he's giving you and that if he continues, you'll report him.

Write it down. Keep a journal of any incidents of sexual harassment with the date and behaviour or comments. This way you can see a pattern and have something to show to someone who can help you later.

Go to tell someone else. It's a good idea to let someone else know what you're going through because sexual harassment can cause a lot of pain. You should also let someone in a position of authority in the situation. The harasser is hoping you'll be too scared or embarrassed to tell, so by calling him out, you'll call his bluff.

The first step to recovery is to tell somebody. "Most teens are afraid to report a rape, especially if there was a threat involved. This includes the rapist saying he'll kill the victim or hurt someone in her family. But the truth is most rapist doesn't carried out his threat as he's afraid of getting caught.

Threat, or no threat, it's crucial to say something to someone. Keeping the trauma inside hoping that it will "just go away," can trigger more problems later on. Some women keep to themselves of a rape for ten to twenty years. By keeping this long, they've started to substance abuse or have developed an eating disorder to hide the original pain. And all this time they've suffered alone with a big secret. Telling another adult you trust besides parents is sometimes a good idea.

Some good choices are: