Youth and Toxic Relationships: Breaking the Cycle of Distrust
David Glover, PsyD, MAIO, PMP
Founder of I LIKE ME Youth Resiliency Program | Empowering underserved youth, fostering resilience, and transforming futures. Passionate about advocacy, leadership, and closing opportunity gaps for the next generation.
For many young people, relationships with family and friends are meant to be a source of support and growth. However, when these relationships become toxic or unhealthy, they can cause lasting emotional harm. Toxic relationships—those marked by manipulation, neglect, or betrayal—often lead to significant trust issues, leaving youth feeling isolated, unsupported, and vulnerable.
Trust is a fundamental part of healthy relationships. When broken, especially at a young age, it creates emotional barriers that are difficult to overcome. Youth who experience toxic relationships with their family or friends may struggle with building new, healthy connections in the future. This can impact their ability to trust authority figures, mentors, or peers, perpetuating a cycle of emotional distance.
In these situations, young people may feel stuck—unsure of how to repair the damage or where to turn for help. It’s not uncommon for them to develop coping mechanisms that include shutting people out or developing feelings of inadequacy, which only worsens the problem.
That’s why programs like I LIKE ME are vital. By building resilience and self-awareness, we help youth recognize their worth and break free from the cycle of toxic relationships. Through mentorship, therapeutic activities, and self-reflection, participants in the program learn how to identify unhealthy relationship dynamics, establish boundaries, and rebuild their capacity for trust.
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If we are going to change this narrative, we need to focus on empowering our youth to understand that they are deserving of healthy relationships. Building emotional intelligence, resilience, and trust can be life-changing. I LIKE ME works to provide the support and tools youth need to reclaim their sense of self and foster positive connections with others.
Call to Action: If you're a youth advocate or work with underserved communities, consider the impact toxic relationships have on youth and how building trust through programs like I LIKE ME can offer a path to healing. Let's work together to provide youth the resources they need to develop healthy, meaningful relationships. Learn more about our programs at drdavidnglover.com.
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