Teen Center

• Download the RealTalk Conversation Cards
• Download the RealTalk Discussion Guide and Next Steps Manual
  
• Download the RealTalk Resource Guide for Educating Teens on Healthy Relationships

RealTalk Conversation Starter Cards

This tool was created for parents and adults that work with young people to start a dialogue about healthy relationships with the youth in their lives. Adults can help young people establish healthy boundaries in their relationships by role modeling positive behavior and by talking with them about abuse and healthy relationships.  According to a 2009 study conducted by Liz Claiborne, there is a disconnect between what parents report they are doing and what teens are experiencing. 

“Despite the fact that parents say they are talking to their children about abuse, two in three daughters surveyed (66 percent) say they have not had a conversation with their parents about dating abuse in the last year. Four in five parents surveyed (82 percent) feel confident that they could recognize the signs if their child was experiencing dating abuse, but more than half (58 percent) could not correctly identify all the warning signs of abuse.”

The questions on these RealTalk cards are open ended questions designed to help adults and parents begin one of many conversations with the youth they interact with in both their personal and professional lives. While there is not one right answer to any of these questions, it is our hope that the recommended talking points will assist adults in helping youth engage in healthy relationships.