Breaking the Cycle of Teen Intimate Partner Violence

For many teens, navigating the world of intimate relationships is like trying to navigate through a minefield. This is evidenced by the fact that one in three teens experience abuse in a relationship at some point in adolescence.

In our efforts to help teens create healthy relationships and overcome and prevent intimate partner violence CFHC, as part of its grant with the Blue Shield of California Foundation, is pleased to make this curriculum available for download. The curriculum consists of an Introduction, 4 modules and a Closing section. Use them to learn about teen IPV prevalence, youth development and resiliency theory, adolescent psychosocial development, and strategies for conducting IPV screening and intervention.

Download the Curriculum

An important part of growing up is separating from one's parents and creating relationships that are outside and independent of one's immediate family. While it is important that all these relationships, not just the romantic ones, be healthy, the messages teens receive about relationships are often confusing and contradictory. Sometimes, it is difficult for teens to know exactly what "healthy" is when it comes to establishing and maintaining relationships. As a result, many teens develop unhealthy relationships that they find difficult to change or leave.

Adults shape the communities that teens live in. The attitudes and behavior of adults influence the context in which teen relationships take place. Therefore, adults need to play a role in helping teens create healthier relationships. All adults can help! Research tells us that youth who have an adult they can talk to are less likely to make bad life choices. Teens want and need to be able to talk about their intimate relationships with the important adults in their lives.

Topics Include

• Defining the problem of adolescent intimate partner violence
• Resiliency and its role in building self-esteem and healthy relationships
• The impact of adolescent psychosocial development and socialization on interpersonal relationship skills
• Characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships
• Communication techniques to help build healthier relationships

Why Attend This Training?

This interactive training helps adults:

• Understand the adolescent developmental characteristics and societal influences that contribute to teen intimate partner violence;
• Develop the knowledge and communication skills needed to help teens build healthier relationships; and
• Learn to focus on the resiliency of teens.

Who Should Attend

This training is designed for those who work in:

• Youth service programs
• Social service programs
• Health care settings

And other concerned community members

Program Objectives

Upon completion, participants will:

1. Describe the role that adults can play in preventing adolescent relationship violence;
2. Describe the psychosocial and developmental norms of youth;
3. Appropriately assess and screen for adolescent relationship violence;
4. Identify and integrate a resiliency model for harm reduction into current services; and
5. Demonstrate steps to communicate more effectively with teens about healthy relationships and indicators for abusive relationships.

Download the Curriculum

• Part 1: Introduction (PDF, 71K)
• Part 2: Background Information (PDF, 66K)
• Part 3: Adolescent Psychosocial Development (PDF, 160K)
• Part 4: Screening (PDF, 52K)
• Part 5: Building Skills (PDF, 103K)
• Part 6: Wrap-Up (PDF, 73K)