This book focuses on the crucial role that relationships play in the lives of teenagers. The authors particularly examine the ways that healthy relationships can help teenagers avoid such common risk behaviours as substance abuse, dating violence, sexual assault and unsafe sexual practices. Addressing the current lack of effective prevention programmes for teenagers, they present new strategies for encouraging healthy choices. The book first traces differences between the 'rules of relating' for boys and girls and discusses typical and atypical patterns of experimentation in teenagers. The authors identify the common link among risk behaviours: the relationship connection. In the second part of the book, they examine the principles of successful programmes used by schools and communities to cultivate healthy adolescent development. An illuminating conclusion describes the key ingredients for engaging adolescents, their parents, teachers and communities, in the effort to promote healthy, non-violent relationships among teenagers.

Pas une seule semaine ne passe sans qu'on diffuse un reportage negatif sur les problemes de comportement des jeunes Autochtones du Canada. Ces statistiques ne disent pas tout et nous devons axer notre paradigme qui se concentre sur les deficits sur une approche fondee sur les forces personnelles. La presente trousse d'outils presente des lignes directrices, des strategies, des modeles et des etudes de cas destines aux personnes qui travaillent aupres des jeunes Autochtones. La trousse se divise en cinq sections. La section Contexte et vue d'ensemble donne le contexte historique permettant de comprendre les defis auxquels sont confrontes les jeunes Autochtones et etablit l'importance de miser sur l'engagement et la responsabilisation des jeunes. La section Evaluation presente differents outils d'evaluation permettant de preciser votre point de depart pour apporter des changements. La section Principes directeurs cerne les quatre tenants des programmes efficaces destines aux jeunes Autochtones: comprendre et integrer l'identite culturelle, accroitre l'engagement des jeunes, favoriser la responsabilisation des jeunes et mettre en place et conserver des partenariats efficaces. Des strategies specifiques sont organisees autour de ces principes afin d'aider les personnes et les organisations a ameliorer leur travail. La section Travail avec les ecoles souligne les defis et les possibilites qui surviennent en travaillant avec les partenaires provenant du systeme d'education. Enfin, la section Recherche et evaluation presente divers facteurs dont il faut tenir compte pour l'evaluation des programmes et d'autres types de recherches. La trousse d'outils renferme un eventail de lignes directrices conceptuelles et de strategies pratiques.

Not a week goes by without a negative news story about the rates of problem behaviours among Aboriginal youth in Canada. These statistics do not tell the whole story and we must shift our paradigm from one focusing on deficits to a strengths-based approach. This toolkit presents a wide range of guidelines, strategies, templates and case studies for those who work with Aboriginal youth. The toolkit is divided into four sections. The background and overview section provides a historical context for understanding the challenges facing Aboriginal youth and makes a case for the importance of building youth engagement and empowerment. The guiding principles section identifies four key tenets of effective programming with Aboriginal youth: understanding and integrating cultural identity, increasing youth engagement, fostering youth empowerment, and establishing and maintaining effective partnerships. Specific strategies are organized around these principles to help individuals and organizations improve the work they are doing. The working with schools section highlights challenges and opportunities in working with partners in the educational system. Finally, the research and evaluation section offers a range of considerations for program evaluation and other types of research. Throughout the toolkit a mix of conceptual guidelines and practical strategies are presented.