New Resources for Parenting Teens and Navigating Adolescent LGBTQ+ Relationships
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May 2023
To help parents, youth, and prevention practitioners recognize warning signs and prevent violence and other related issues, NORC partnered with Banyan Communications to develop evidence-based messages and materials for the Division of Violence Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Toolkits were recently released that offer help for fostering healthy LGBTQ+ relationships and caregivers navigating the teenage years.
Nurturing Healthy, Supportive Relationships for LGBTQ+ Adolescents
Stigma and discrimination place sexual and gender minority adolescents at greater risk of violence and abuse in dating and other relationships than their straight and cisgender peers. About one in three lesbian, gay, or bisexual adolescents report bullying at school, and about one in four report online abuse, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Working with the CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention, NORC and Banyan Communications produced a pair of guides to help lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth (LGBTQ+) develop healthy and safe relationships.
“Family members who want to be accepting may harbor misconceptions about the LGBTQ+ community or lack the right words to talk about relationships. Some react poorly when a child comes out. The guides help LGBTQ+ adolescents and their families navigate these and other relationship challenges.”
Age-Appropriate Tips and Tools for Relationship Challenges
The guides complement the CDC’s existing Dating Matters Toolkit and provide age-appropriate tips and tools to help LGBTQ+ adolescents address relationship challenges, from coming out to preventing or addressing abuse or dating violence. Acceptance from parents or other adults reduces the risk of depression, suicide, or substance use among LGBTQ+ youth, and the guide for adults equips them to support their children and help them build healthy relationships.
New Resources for Tackling the Challenges of Parenting Teens
Navigating the teen years can be a challenge for adolescents and their parents. A new resource NORC created in partnership with Banyan for the CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention aims to make it easier.
Essentials for Parenting Teens provides resources for parents and caregivers of adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17. To develop the resources, NORC reviewed rigorous scientific studies and interviewed parenting and teen development experts to identify best practices.
“Many parents in our focus groups wished they’d had this resource sooner. We would love for schools and pediatricians to recommend these resources to parents as soon as a child enters their adolescent years.”
Parents’ Input Informed the Development of Tools
The researchers’ findings were reviewed by the CDC and used by Banyan to build draft versions of short explainer videos and other resources. Then, NORC presented those drafts to parents and caregivers, who provided feedback and validated that many of the tools were helpful and resonated with their experience. Banyan then incorporated their feedback into the final products. The resources address topics ranging from the developmental changes that occur during the teen years to how parents can coach their teens through emotional challenges and build their independence.
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