Healthy Relationships
At least one out of every four teens is involved in a dating violence relationship by the time they leave high school. Teen Healthy Relationships provides the opportunity to address the issues around the different types of relationship abuse, the dynamics of dating violence, characteristics of unhealthy and healthy relationships, and how to set boundaries in a relationship. They also learn resources to help friends involved in an abusive relationship.
Since 2009, The Shelter’s Teen Healthy Relationships prevention program has provided high school students with basic relationship values that will assist youth in developing healthy relationships and a healthy self-image during high school, as well as ultimately changing the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of teen boys and girls in the effort to reduce future occurrences of dating violence.
Youth participating in the Teen Healthy Relationships program are able to:
- Identify different types of abuse—including digital abuse
- Understand the dynamics of domestic violence
- Understand that domestic violence is not their fault
- Learn the signs of an unhealthy relationship
- Learn to set their own boundaries and expectations in a relationship
- Learn how to increase their self-esteem and communicate in a healthy way
- Learn healthy problem solving and coping skills
The impact of these programs should not be underestimated. When youth are empowered, their broadened awareness of domestic violence will ultimately create positive change and a safer community. Previous presentation venues include: various high schools in Collier County including alternative schools Beacon and Phoenix, Teenage Parenting Program, Civil Citation Program, the Department of Juvenile Justice and Immokalee Technical College.
Overall, The Shelter’s primary prevention efforts seek to reduce the likelihood that anyone will become a victim or a perpetrator by creating conditions that make violence less likely to ever occur. The Shelter created this comprehensive presentation addressing a variety of topics, utilizing videos and group discussion, striving to accommodate the needs of as many local schools as possible.
For more information, call 239-775-3862.
