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Why Choose the Healthy Relationships Toolkit
The Healthy Relationships Toolkit (HeaRT) Can Stop Violence BEFORE It Starts
HeaRT focuses on teaching 11 to 14-year-olds healthy relationship skills early and reducing risky behaviors, like substance use and sexual risk-taking. HeaRT is more than just a program. It includes multiple prevention strategies for youth and their peers, parents, schools, and neighborhoods to teach critical skills and create safe, supportive communities to help young people grow and learn.
HeaRT is EVIDENCE-BASED
During middle school, students who participated in HeaRT were less likely to experience teen dating violence, sexual violence, bullying, physical violence, delinquency, as well as other negative health and behavior outcomes, above and beyond the effects of another evidence-based prevention program.
HeaRT is LOW-COST
CDC provides all of the tools and materials you need to implement HeaRT at no-cost to communities, including a free online facilitator training.
HeaRT is DESIGNED FOR EVERYONE
HeaRT was developed and tested in urban neighborhoods with varying backgrounds.
The graph depicts reductions in violence perpetration in the following areas: 8% in teen dating violence, 11% in bullying, 5% in cyberbullying*, 8% in physical violence, 6% in sexual violence, and 4% in sexual harassment
The graph depicts reductions in violence perpetration in the following areas: 10% in teen dating violence, 5% in cyberbullying, 3% in sexual violence, and 8% in sexual harassment
The graph depicts reduction in other risk behaviors in the following areas: 6% in negative conflict behaviors, 9% in weapons carrying, 9% in alchohol and substance use, and 8% in deliquent behaviors
Talk to Your Community About HeaRT
Download and share our Why Choose HeaRT accessible PDF to help communicate the benefits of HeaRT and dating violence prevention to community decision-makers and partners.
Testimonials
“Investing in the Healthy Relationships Toolkit enables you to create a sustainable and lifelong change. So, you have entire generations, entire communities, that are starting to reap the benefits of having children, young adults, and adults who don’t choose to behave in violent manners.”
– Prevention Lead
“I think the Healthy Relationships Toolkit has made it easier to have a good relationship with my parents because I’m not afraid to talk to them about things that I wouldn’t normally have wanted to talk about before the Healthy Relationships Toolkit because I thought they might think that I’m not supposed to be thinking about that. But now, with the program, I know that teenagers my age do think about things like that in relationships. The Healthy Relationships Toolkit definitely improved our relationship.”
– Youth
“I feel like not only has it empowered me, but it made me feel comfortable with being uncomfortable…It gave me tools and conversation starters and topics that I can discuss with my kids that I might not have wanted to discuss before, but they do it in a way that helps me not to be so uncomfortable.”
– Parent