Valley Teens Participate in Writing Contest to Promote Healthy Relationships
July 14, 2010 | IdahoStatesman.com

Boise High School student Alysha Van Zante has received a $500 award for her winning entry in Start Strong Idaho's Eclipse: Campaign for the Third Choice Writing Contest.Mackenzie Platt, Boise High, won second place and Skylar Barsanti, Rocky Mountain High School, placed third.Van Zante, Platt, and Barsanti, along with 15 honorable mention authors, read their entries on June 29 at Edwards Stadium 22 in Boise in conjunction with premiere of the film "Eclipse."Start Strong Idaho, a project of the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence, is part of the national Start Strong: Building Healthy Teen Relationships Initiative, which promotes healthy relationships aimed at 11- to 14-year olds as the way to prevent teen dating violence and abuse. › more

Teaching Kids What Healthy Relationship Really Is
July 7, 2010 | Idaho Press-Tribune

At the midnight premier of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse,” Start Strong Idaho teens rallied for the Campaign for the Third Choice. In “Eclipse,” all begins with a choice, as Bella is pressured to make a choice between Edward and Jacob. The Start Strong Idaho Campaign for the Third Choice asks teens if their choices should be defined by or limited to their relationships. One thing is certain: every choice you make defines you. And in a healthy relationship, no one should be pressured to make a choice.One in five Idaho high school teens has been hit, slapped or hurt by a dating partner. One in three girls who have been in a serious relationship say they’ve been concerned about being physically hurt by their partner, and one in four teens say their boyfriend or girlfriend has tried to prevent them from spending time with friends or family; the same number have been pressured to only spend time with their partner. › more

Dating violence among 6th grade students
June 3, 2010 | California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA)

Being a parent of a middle school student has given me a lot ot worry about: drugs, sex and violence.  As a parent, I realize that we must start early if we are to prevent dating violence. Yet, many dating violence prevention efforts address high school students, but the pattern of violence often starts before then.  In an article recently published in the Journal of Early Adolescence, 60% of 6th grade males and 45% of  6th grade females (45.2%)  reported having a boy or girlfriend in previous 3 months. Among those students reporting having a boy/girlfriend, almost 1/3 of girls and more than ¼ of boys reported being physically aggressive toward their boy/girlfriend. › more

Building healthy teen, vampire and werewolf relationships
April 19, 2010 | CALCASA: PreventConnect.org

In this interview, Kelly Miller from the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and Laura Hampikian, a teen advisor for Start Strong Idaho,discuss a survey about teenage dating violence they gave to teens waiting to see the film New Moon on it’s premier night in Boise, Idaho. By focusing on Team Respect, the film gave them an opportunity to talk to teens and the media about healthy teen relationships. › more