Healthy Relationships Toolkit - Empowering Teens to Build Safe & Supportive Relationships

One important component of a comprehensive approach to violence prevention in adolescence is ensuring that the best available data, evidence, and practice are included in policy development, implementation, and evaluation. The Healthy Relationships Toolkit Guide to Informing Policy provides a framework for evaluating Teen Dating Violence (TDV) and TDV-related policies and synthesizing the information to inform policy. Although this Guide is focused on TDV, the same resources can be applied to understanding and informing for other forms of violence as well.

OVERVIEW

Describes policy as a mechanism for TDV prevention

KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR INFORMING POLICY

Important considerations to keep in mind when informing policy

RESOURCES AND TOOLS

Worksheets, tools and resources related to policy efforts, reaching consensus, evaluation, and partnership building

THE POLICY PROCESS

Policy development is not a linear process. Often the phases of the policy cycle overlap or occur out of order.

Problem Identification Policy Analysis Strategy and Policy Development Policy Enactment Policy Implementation Evaluation

HeaRT is a comprehensive prevention model designed to promote healthy, respectful, and nonviolent relationships among youth. The initiative supports communities' efforts to implement prevention strategies in schools, with families, and in neighborhoods.

CDC recognizes the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) for developing the Guide to Informing Policy and for their assistance in developing the web-based Policy Tool.

This Guide and website are provided for informational purposes only. Note that certain restrictions apply to the use of CDC funds for impermissible lobbying. For more information concerning such restrictions see the CDC Anti-Lobbying Guidelines.