Adolescents and Sexual Violence Prevention

Karen Pittman of The Forum for Youth Investment said, “Youth are resources to cultivate, not problems to fix!” Do you know any teenager that wants to have their way? Allowing teenagers to be their own agents for change engages them to take a stand and is a powerful means to prevent sexual violence. Teenagers should not be undermined, as they have invaluable insight as to how they can connect with other young people and create change within the younger generation. The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) has developed Youth Activism: Engaging Teens in the Sexual Violence Prevention Movement that explores the benefits of peer education.

More resources for engaging adolescents in prevention efforts:

• The Teen Years Explained: A Guide to Healthy Adolescent Development is a comprehensive exploration of healthy adolescent development that examines physical, cognitive, and emotional and social development, as well as exploring how adolescents build their sense of self and understanding sexual development.
• An Overview of Adolescent Sexual Development explains how adults can support healthy development and examines age-appropriate behaviors and skills.
• Best Practices for Engaging Youth as Partners in Sexual Violence Prevention is a guide for adults and organizations for strength-based youth engagement
• Strategies for Becoming an Adult Ally challenges adultism and offers strategies to support adolescents.
• The Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality website offers The Youth Program Quality Assessment to examine the quality of youth programs and identify strengths and weaknesses of the programs and staff and offers a variety of publications.

Find out how Wyoming is engaging adolescents:

• The Wyoming Adolescent Health Partnership (WAHP) was founded by the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) Adolescent Health Program in 2014 and is composed of Wyoming State Government Agencies and State-wide non-profit organizations. The WAHP is dedicated to empowering youth to reach their full potential in an environment that fosters physical, mental, community, and spiritual wellness. Current projects include facilitating a youth council, developing the Wyoming Strategice Plan for Adolescent Health, and creating the Wyoming Adolescent Health website.

Other resources for working with teenagers to prevent sexual violence:

• Dating Matters
• Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP)
• Love is Respect
• The Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence’s Center for Healthy Teen Relationships is a great model of engaging adolescents in prevention work. Their “Our Gender Revolution” campaign, products and publications are a great resource.