Highlights from the Marriage Strengthening Research and Dissemination Center Relationship education programs geared towards adolescents and young adults attempt to shape goals and behaviors in current and future relationships. To maximize the effectiveness of these programs, youth-focused relationship education programs need to be implemented in a way that considers the age and developmental stage of participants and draws on the strengths that youth bring to programming. Further, as marriage and family formation shifts toward older ages, more research is needed on how youth are thinking about and engaging in relationships. This webinar will highlight work conducted by the Marriage Strengthening Research and Dissemination Center that explores youth relationship attitudes, expectations, and experiences and how relationship education programs can tailor programming for youth, based on a positive youth development framework. A specific application of integrating positive youth development with youth relationship education programming will be discussed with a presentation from Desiree…
Healthy Relationships
WEBINAR: Co-Regulation Strategies: Practical Tools for Program Staff to Foster Youth Self-Regulation
What is co-regulation? Why does it matter? How can I integrate co-regulation into my program or practice? Join interventionist and nurse-educator Aly Frei to explore co-regulation, its importance for youth development, and its potential to improve program outcomes. Co-regulation is a term that helps describe the important interactions between adults and young people that foster youth self-regulation. Self-Regulation is a central ingredient in lifelong success, predicting healthy relationships, economic self-sufficiency, and physical and emotional well-being. Because of rapid change in youths’ brains and bodies, adolescence is an important time for adults to promote self-regulation development. Through co-regulation, adults form relationships where youth feel cared for and known; co-create safe and nurturing environments; and give youth opportunities to practice self-regulation skills and reflect on how to apply them in their lives. Integrating co-regulation strategies into youth service delivery is a promising approach for improving program implementation and youth outcomes. Objectives: Webinar…
Despite your best efforts, you’ve just learned that your federal grant proposal was not funded or your grant non-continued. Bummer. We’ve been there too. After an appropriate amount of time to grieve, time to roll up your sleeves and get back to it! The youth you serve need relationship education. But how? Join Kay Reed and Aaron Larson in this webinar just for Dibble clients to explore alternative funding possibilities. Objectives: Webinar attendees will learn: What grants the feds have forecast for the remainder of 2020 and early 2021. Outcomes of relationship education that justify the intervention with a variety of funding streams. Alternative, ongoing local, state, and federal flow-through funding. Presenters: Kay Reed, Executive Director, The Dibble Institute Aaron Larson, Director of Programs, The Dibble Institute Duration: 60 minutes Cost: Free! Resources: Creative Sustainability Links Sustainability PowerPoint Slides Sustainability Tip Sheet Sustainability Worksheet Department of Justice Funding Opportunities
The prevention educators of Women In Need, Inc., based in north Texas, will share with participants their experiences in developing curriculum to help high school students choose healthy relationships. They will also share with participants their experiences in developing curriculum to help middle school students develop healthy social and emotional skills. In addition, participants will hear how Women In Need’s prevention educators utilize Love Notes 3.0 to serve at-risk teens. Finally, participants will be reminded of the significance of ongoing curriculum evaluation and modification. Participants will be encouraged to adopt a process of curriculum evaluation and modification that works best for their organizations and the students they serve. Objectives: Webinar participants will understand: The history, mission, and services of Women In Need, Inc. (WIN). WIN’s Teen Dating Violence Prevention curriculum for high school students designed to help them choose healthy relationships. WIN’s prevention education curriculum for middle school students designed to…
Does marriage still perform a valuable role in today’s society? Or, is it just another quaint tradition or something only a privileged few seek and attain? Join Kay Reed, Executive Director of The Dibble Institute, as she shares recent trends in family formation; explores the most recent data on marriage, cohabitation, and single parenting; and brings it back to what matters to children. Explore ways to integrate these skills and concepts about building healthy relationships into your programs, sometimes in unexpected ways. Objectives: Webinar participants will be able to: Describe current marriage trends and adolescents’ views of marriage. Identify current research questions in the field. Communicate why family form matters to adults, youth, and children. Presenters: Kay Reed, President and Executive Director, The Dibble Institute Who should attend: Healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood grantees, healthy relationship program staff, child abuse prevention advocates, mental health practitioners, family stabilization coaches, and employability specialists. When: Wednesday,…
The impact of financial poverty has been a focus of researchers for decades. In this webinar Dr. Sarah Halpern-Meekin, author of “Social Poverty: Low-income Parents and the Struggle for Family and Community Ties,” examines another dimension of poverty that has been considerably understudied: social poverty. Social poverty, or lacking adequate of close, dependable, and trusting relationships, is an often-ignored form of hardship that is separate from financial poverty. Developing healthy relationship skills and coping mechanisms through relationship education may help address social poverty. Join us as Dr. Halpern-Meekin discusses the relational and emotional dimensions of poverty and the benefits relationship education has to offer. Specifically, webinar attendees will learn: To identify what social poverty is, and how it may motivate participation in relationship education How programs can purposefully try to build participants’ social resources Presenter: Sarah Halpern-Meekin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison….
Join the staff from Project Rise as they share with you how they are successfully engaging the Latino community including youth and their parents in healthy relationship skills programming. Project Rise is utilizing Relationship Smarts PLUS (Sexual Risk Avoidance Adaptation) to prevent teen pregnancy, reduce associated risk behaviors, and promote healthy adolescent development among Latino teens aged 12-18. They are working in four neighborhoods of Los Angeles County where measures of sexual risk are significantly higher than the national average. In focus groups the young people reported learning: Communication and relationships skills including ways to speak with family and friends as well as controlling their anger How to be self-reflective including understanding infatuation vs true love and effective decision making skills Ways to talk with their parents or a trusted adult about sex and healthy relationships. Presenters: John Lewis, Southern California Director, Urban Strategies Guillermo Pichardo, Youth Advocate, Catalyst SGV Who Should Attend:…
Young people who have experienced trauma and toxic stress, such as child abuse and neglect, often have difficulty regulating their emotional responses when facing challenges in school, life, and relationships. Thus, Dr. Carolyn Curtis developed Mind Matters: Overcoming Adversity and Building Resilience, a research-based curriculum effective in helping youth overcome adverse and traumatic childhood experiences. In this webinar, Dr. Carolyn Curtis, will discuss her new addendum to the Mind Matters curriculum. In this guidance, the content of Mind Mattersis divided into 15- to 20-minute segments that can now be taught in one-on-one settings. With these adjustments, the Mind Matters curriculum can now be used for home visitors, mentors, and case workers, as well as anyone who works with young people in a one-on-one setting. Join us in this informative and interactive webinar as we learn about the new, additional approach at implementing the Mind Matters program! Presenter: Carolyn Rich Curtis, Ph.D., Developer of Mind Matters, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Founder of the…
Hear how three agencies that use different funding streams utilize relationship education to meet youth where they are in order to help them to prepare for healthy lives and futures. These organizations use Dibble’s programs to build protective factors so the youth can communicate effectively in jobs, set safe boundaries in relationships, make healthy decisions about their love lives. These agencies serve young people in schools, transitional living homes, and community-based settings. Attendees will: Understand the needs of vulnerable youth Demonstrate how relationship education meets vulnerable youth where they are Learn about best practices used in diverse settings Presenters Panel: Mina Koplin – Salt Lake County, SLC, UT (SLC) – TLP Funded Emily Spruill – Advocates for Children/Flowering Branch, Cartersville, GA – ILP through VOCA funding Reta Johnson – Family Center, Little Rock, AR – PREP Funded Resources: September 2019 Webinar PPT
WEBINAR: Learning about Positive Youth Development: A Free & Fun Course for Youth Work Professionals
What does positive youth development mean to us? We may think about competencies, opportunities, and supports young people need to thrive and make healthy decisions. We may think about youth voice and leadership. In this webinar co-creator Jutta Dotterweich will provide a guided tour of a new, interactive online training course on positive youth development. This free resource consists of six, stand-alone segments, which were developed with a wide range of audiences in mind (e.g., volunteers, parents, frontline youth workers). Join us to learn about this free, engaging, and informative online resource! Specifically, webinar attendees will be able to: Identify at least three key principles of positive youth development Describe meaningful roles for young people Locate web resources that they can apply in their youth programming Presenter: Jutta Dotterweich, M.A. Director of Training, ACT for Youth Center of Excellence. Resources: August 2019 Webinar PPT
Join Judge JH Corpening to learn how to build positive relationships and trust with young people through his “Chambers of Heart” approach. This mindset builds the foundations of a positive and safe environment, which is conducive to growth and change. In this webinar, you will explore the five “Chambers of Heart”– honesty respect. Interest, commitment, and passion – that he uses in his work with youth. Discover ways to create and maintain relationships and trust with young people by leading with your heart. Attendees will learn: The importance of creating positive relationships and trust with the young people they work with Ways to implement the five “Chambers of Heart” How “Chambers of the Heart” build positive relationships between adults and young people. Presenter: The Honorable J.H. Corpening, Chief District Court Judge for the 5thJudicial District, serving New Hanover and Pender counties of North Carolina Resources: July 2019 Webinar PPT
Marline Pearson, author of Love Notes and Relationship Smarts PLUS, will make the case why a 4thR is needed for increasing student success. Learn why relationship education must be a central tool to help young people reach their school, work, and family goals by increasing their agency over their love lives. She will cover recent research and share evidence-based solutions to the pressing problems that face today’s youth. Attendees will: Identify at least 2 key reasons why relationship education is key to helping students succeed. Describe current trends that could be reversed by teaching relationship education. Identify 2 evidence based strategies that could be implemented to help students succeed. Presenter: Marline E. Pearson, M.A., Author, Love Notes and Relationship Smarts PLUS. Resources: February 2019 Webinar PPT
It is commonly said that youth who are exposed to interparental domestic violence are at an increased risk of experiencing dating violence in their romantic relationships. This phenomenon is often referred to as “the cycle of violence” or intergenerational transmission of violence. There is ample evidence supporting “the cycle of violence” hypothesis, yet, most youth exposed to interparental domestic violence do not go on to experience violence in their romantic relationships. How can we explain these seemingly opposing findings? Specifically, webinar attendees will learn: What factors can increase or decrease adolescents’ risk of dating violence. How individuals can help prevent or break the cycle of violence. How to help promote posttraumatic growth and resilience in adolescents’ romantic relationships. Presenter: Megan Haselschwerdt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Child and Family Studies, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Resources: January 2019 Webinar PPT
Self-regulation is increasingly being recognized as foundational for well being across the lifespan, including in fostering healthy relationships. This talk will describe principles of self-regulation development using an applied framework based in current research and cross-disciplinary theory with a focus on adolescents and young adults The role of emotion regulation in communication and decision-making within the context of youths’ romantic relationships will be discussed. Strategies for promoting emotion regulation, perspective taking, goal-commitment, and problem solving in youth to foster health relationships will be reviewed, including approaches educators can use in teaching and coaching these skills. Objectives: Identify at least 3 key principles of self-regulation development for adolescents and young adults. Describe one-way emotion regulation affects youths’ romantic relationships. Identify at least 2 strategies for promoting self-regulation in youth. Presenter: Desiree W. Murray, PhD, Senior Research Scientist, Frank Porter Graham child Development Institute; Research Associate Professor, School of Education, University of North…
Relationship education targets common correlates of adolescent dating violence, such as gender role beliefs and dating violence acceptance. However, few studies to date have evaluated the influence of relationship education on these two correlates of adolescent dating violence and none have considered the differential and combined effects of participants’ sociodemographic characteristics. In this webinar we will present a study examining the impact of youth relationship education, specifically the Relationship Smarts PLUS program, on adolescents’ gender role beliefs and dating violence acceptance. Moving beyond the current literature, we will also examine whether and how individuals’ sociodemographic identities, specifically their gender, race, and socioeconomic status, influence change following program participation. Using this information, we will offer suggestions for educators and program developers to further address the needs of youth moving forward Presenter: Rachel Savasuk-Luxton, Ph.D., Research Specialist and Master Trainer, The Dibble Institute. Resources: September 2018 Webinar PPT
For the past five years, programs across the United States have been teaching healthy relationship skills to thousands of young people through Relationship Smarts PLUS 3.0 and Love Notes 2.1. Now, The Dibble Institute is excited to announce that both of these evidence-based programs have been updatedwith brand new information crucial to supporting teens and young adults in today’s world! They respond to changing conversations and conditions spurred on by #metoo, #timesup, smart phones, and social media. Relationship Smarts Plus 4.0 and Love Notes 3.0 both feature brand-new, age-appropriate content on: Sexual consent Online pornography Sexting Sexual assault Drugs and alcohol – and their impact on relationships Cyberbullying Relationship Smarts PLUS 4.0 is ideal for younger teens, and Love Notes 3.0 is ideal for older teens and young adults who are at risk of seeing their personal goals derailed by troubled relationships, unplanned pregnancy, and single parenting. Presenter: Marline E. Pearson. M.A., Author, Love Notes and…
Childhood trauma impacts growth and success in all areas of a young person’s life, including their capacity to form and maintain healthy relationships. How do we most effectively address the needs of traumatized youth in relationship skills programs? First, everyone in an organization needs to understand trauma, including administrators, supervisors and instructors. Then, we need to provide young people relief from distressing experiences by teaching them effective skills to calm and manage their emotions. Learn some modest yet proven programmatic changes that will enhance your organization’s effectiveness with young people who have experienced adversity in their childhoods. Presenter: Carolyn Rich Curtis, MFT, PhD, Author of “Mind Matters” and Founder of the Relationship Skills Center in Sacramento, CA
Dr. Temple will discuss sexting (a combination of the words sex and texting), the practice of electronically sending sexually explicit images or messages from one person to another. Sexting has received an abundance of attention in the popular press. Much of this attention has been limited to (1) legal cases in which teens who create, send, receive, store, and/or disseminate nude pictures of themselves or another teen face criminal charges including child pornography, and (2) cases in which teens are harassed and bullied as a result of the nude picture being distributed beyond the intended audience. Although media reports often cite various examples of sexting leading to bullying, cyber-bullying, and even suicide, we understand very little about the public health importance of sexting. Using data from his ongoing longitudinal study of adolescent health, as well as a recent meta-analysis, Dr. Temple will examine the prevalence of sexting behaviors as well…
Many first romantic relationships occur during adolescence. These relationships can help shape a variety of experiences (both positive and negative). Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) programs for youth can shape these experiences by improving youth attitudes and expectations concerning romantic relationships and by helping youth develop key skills to form healthy relationships and avoid unhealthy relationships. This webinar will provide participants with an in-depth look of federally funded HMRE programs for youth. Quantitative and qualitative data of the programs will be looked at. At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to: Describe the organizations implementing federally funded HMRE programs for youth and the youth served by these programs Assess the practices identified through research and evaluation to be optimal for serving youth most effectively; and Identify promising approaches used by grantees to better serve youth in HMRE programs Presenter: Mindy E. Scott, Ph.D., Deputy Program Area Director and…
WEBINAR: Working Together: Developing & Implementing a Sustainable Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program
In October 2016, Dr. Michelle Toews and her colleagues at Kansas State University received a grant to develop, implement, and evaluate the #RELATIONSHIPGOALS program, a sexual risk avoidance education intervention with seventh- and ninth-grade students from a local school district. The goal of program is to empower youth to make healthy decisions by teaching them the benefits associated with self-regulation, healthy relationships and goal setting, while also teaching them how to resist sexual coercion, dating violence and other risky behaviors. The curriculum used in the intervention is Relationship Smarts PLUS, Sexual Risk Avoidance Adaptation. Preliminary results suggest the program is reaching its goal. Specifically, students report that they love the program and share that one of the most important things they learn is how to identify healthy and unhealthy relationships. They also say the program teaches them skills they need to develop healthy relationships, particularly effective communication skills, which they…