Teen Resources
- Inside Wai‘anae
- Teen birthrate: a state-by-state sampling
- Teen Resources
TeenLine Hawaii
At TeenLine Hawaii, no question is off-limits: “What can I expect at my first gynecological exam? How can I say ‘no’ to alcohol? Do girls ejaculate? How can I get my parents’ trust back?” TeenLine covers topics from physical and emotional health to drugs and alcohol, life and relationships, and beyond. Teens can live-chat with TeenLine reps online, or telephone a TeenLine hotline. There are also all kinds of interactive elements to the Web site–like video contests, quizzes and games–along with a calendar of local events that will connect teens in safe, fun and drug-free environments.
Teen Alert
By the time Hawaii students are seniors in high school, half of them will know someone who has been in an abusive relationship. Oahu’s Teen Alert Program assists teen survivors of dating violence and their families with crisis counseling, resources and legal advocacy. The program brings together youth groups from around the state, where teens can learn about healthy relationships and dating violence, and hear about others’ experiences. Teen Alert’s Web site also has an anonymous help feature, in which teens can enter a friend’s cell phone number, so that information about dating violence and available resources will be text messaged to that friend.
Family Violence Prevention Fund
The Family Violence Prevention Fund helped develop thatsnotcool.com, aimed at helping teens manage relationships in the digital age. The site has information and discussion groups about how to handle “textual harassment,” what to do if someone asks for nude photos, how to deal with people who spread rumors and more. It also has a gallery of colorful “callout cards,” with messages like “Congrats on sending me your millionth text message today,” and “I appreciate your concern for my location every two minutes,” that can be e-mailed and posted on social networking sites. They’re designed to confront and stop unwanted communication. Empowering teens to communicate when they feel uncomfortable is one of the most important steps toward reducing dating violence, which is of particular concern here in Hawaii.
