Older teens are key influencers, agents of change and messengers in working with tweens and young teens. Youth know best the stresses and pressures their peers are experiencing, how youth are using new technologies, what role models are being heard, and what messages resonate most clearly.  As such, they are well-positioned to identify the strategies and tactics that can help their peers develop healthy—and reject unhealthy—relationships and learn to be positive bystanders.

Creating opportunities for youth to inform and lead efforts to prevent teen dating violence and abuse offers myriad and lasting benefits. The experience of doing so, of shaping anti-violence and pro-healthy-relationship initiatives, can turn youth into effective activists who have an enduring commitment to this work and who can become credible messengers for younger teens in time.

Start Strong communities are including older teens in every part of their programming, from planning to implementation. This ensures that we are not just talking about teens but are talking to them and with them so that they may become part of the solution to the very real issue of teen dating violence.

Breaking-up Is Hard to Do

As tweens enter their teenage years, most will engage in multiple relationships, making mistakes and practicing their relationship skills. The ensuing break-ups can be messy, uncomfortable, and hurtful. In addition, though unhealthy break-ups are not a new issue, technology has really changed how young teens are engaging in break-ups. However, while the majority of break-ups will be emotional, there are steps that each person can take to avoid causing additional and unnecessary pain.

Start Strong Boston has released a series of tools to help young teens build the healthy relationship and conflict resolution skills that are especially important during break-ups. You can download the tools by clicking on the images below.

	Healthy Relationship Quiz: A tool to help teens determine if they are in a relationship that they want to stay in.
	U R Breaking Up: A tool that uses the cell phone reception bars to help teens think about the best way to be heard & have maximum reception during a break-up.
	What Apps Will You Choose?: A tool that uses common cell phone applications to help teens think about their technology choices when going through a break-up.
	Breaking-Up is Hard To Do: Ten Tips for Supporting Your Teen: A tool for adults to assess their skills around talking to and helping teens through break-ups.