At a glance
CDC funded four local health departments in communities across the country to implement Dating Matters as part of a five-year demonstration project. These local health departments and their partners brought Dating Matters to 46 middle schools with more than 36,000 youth, nearly 1,000 parents, and more than 300 educators. Learn about each of the communities and their successes with Dating Matters below.
Baltimore
Baltimore has a long history of addressing violence among young people through innovative public health programming and policy initiatives. Watch the video below to hear highlights about Baltimore’s experiences with the Dating Matters parent programs!
"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
Chicago
Chicago has established a unique network of partners dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of youth that worked together to implement Dating Matters. Watch the video below to hear highlights about Chicago’s experiences with the Dating Matters parent, youth, and i2i programs!
"Everyone has the right to a perfect relationship. Everyone has the right to a good one – a healthy one. I would absolutely recommend Dating Matters® to other young people. I feel like they need to know that relationships that are portrayed are not the relationships that they need to be in. I feel like there is such a thing as a healthy relationship. I've learned communication, I've learned different ways to put trust in someone."– i2i Brand Ambassador
Fort Lauderdale
The Broward County Health Department and Broward County Public Schools have an extensive history partnering on school-based and community-wide adolescent health and violence prevention programs. Watch the video below to hear highlights about Broward’s experiences with the Dating Matters at the local health department, including the parent and i2i programs!
"Investing in Dating Matters enables you to create a sustainable and lifelong change. We're starting to raise a generation who views violence as not okay and not normal. 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
Oakland
The Alameda County Public Health Department has worked to improve the health and safety of county residents and the neighborhoods in which they live. Alameda County Public Health Department has continued to be a leader in teen dating violence prevention through Dating Matters, implementing programs in Oakland middle schools. Watch the video below to hear highlights about Alameda’s experiences with the Dating Matters parent and youth programs!
"I think Dating Matters 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 Dating Matters 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. Dating Matters definitely improved our relationship."- Youth