Act4Love: Empowering Teenagers to Build Healthy, Loving Relationships
Teen Dating Violence (TDV) is a form of intimate partner violence affecting adolescents, often reinforced by patriarchal norms and gender stereotypes that shape harmful dynamics. Experiencing TDV in early youth can have lasting effects on mental well-being, self-esteem, and future relationships.
Addressing these issues is essential for fostering realistic and constructive expectations in intimate interactions and equipping young people with the skills to build meaningful and respectful bonds.
Act4Love will engage school communities through innovative, participatory approaches and tools. By strengthening teachers' knowledge, the initiative will help them better support students' social and affective development. Additionally, it will empower teens with emotional intelligence and agency, enabling them to become change-makers in their own relationships and among their peers.
The Act4Love project is funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme under the KA220 Cooperation Partnerships in School Education.
Goals
Raise awareness about teen dating violence among teachers, students, and other stakeholders.
Educate and engage young people in preventing teen dating violence through peer-led initiatives.
Promote the importance of healthy relationships and share tools for education and awareness.
Engage various audiences, including teenagers, teachers, families, policymakers, and media professionals.
Activities
Capacity-building for teachers and educators through a comprehensive toolbox and an e-platform.
A gamified learning program to educate and engage youth.
Youth contests and co-designed awareness campaigns.
Peer-led educational initiatives to engage teens, particularly boys, in challenging negative behaviors and unhealthy masculinity.
Awareness-raising campaigns, including handouts and dissemination materials, aimed at a broad European audience.
Expected Outcomes
Increased awareness of teen dating violence among teachers, students, and other key stakeholders.
Empowered youth through peer-led initiatives and experiential learning.
Tools and resources for educators, including a toolbox and an e-platform.
Gamified educational program for youth on healthy relationships.
Better knowledge of teen dating violence and fostering societal change.
Wide outreach and impact, including multiplier exchange events.
Through these actions, Act4Love will address and prevent teen dating violence, promote healthy relationships, and raise awareness across Europe.
Partners and Countries
The project involves a diverse consortium of specialised organizations and three secondary schools
from Italy, Cyprus, Greece, and Spain.
