How young teens manage their relationships – with family members, with friends, and with other important adults – is a key part of how they learn to make healthy and responsible choices. Young teens look to older peers and certain adults for guidance and to serve as examples as they establish behavior patterns. But oftentimes, these influencers do not know the critical role they play in young people’s lives, and the power they have to promote healthy relationships and steer young teens away from unhealthy ones. 

No tactic is more important in efforts to stop teen dating violence and abuse than alerting teen influencers—parents, older teens, teachers, counselors, coaches, young adult mentors, health care professionals, and others—to the power they hold, and arming them with effective messages and prevention tools. 

Start Strong communities are implementing activities that educate and engage young teen influencers in new and innovative ways. These activities are aimed at helping them gain the skills needed to support the development of healthy relationships among young teens; increase public awareness of teen dating violence; and incorporate healthy relationship concepts into their own relationships.

            Parents & Caregivers                             Older Teens