The City of Brantford, in partnership with the Brantford Youth Council, is launching an educational campaign that aims to empower youth to recognize healthy relationship patterns, learn more about relationship dynamics, and how to access resources.
Youth of all ages, and young adults up to age 29, are invited to take a video quiz that helps determines whether their relationship has unhealthy patterns. Youth can use their quiz results to reflect and educate themselves on healthy relationship dynamics with dating partners, friends, family, teachers, coaches, or coworkers. This campaign was developed in consultation with community partners and aligns with the upcoming 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign. This global initiative is observed annually and occurs between November 25 to December 10, 2024, with the theme “Come Together, Act Now.”
“Once we started talking about it, we quickly realized that it can be hard to explain what a healthy relationship is. When we see unhealthy things happening, we don’t always know how to talk about it or where to go for support,” said Emily Mcknight, leader of the Brantford Youth Council Communications and Marketing Subcommittee. “This campaign is helpful because it encourages us to talk about this more and shows us where we can access resources, information and support.”
The Healthy Relationships campaign responds to one of the identified opportunities for action outlined in the Intimate Partner and Gender-Based Violence: Community Action Plan and explores the following:
- What to do when our friends experience harm;
- What to do when our friends cause harm;
- Online safety; and
- How to access local information, resources and support.
“We are excited to be launching a campaign that promotes curiosity and learning about such an important issue faced by youth in all communities,” said Brooke Papple, Manager of Social Development and Policy with the City of Brantford. “It’s crucial to stay informed as studies show that young people who can identify unhealthy relationship patterns are less likely to be accepting of violent behaviours.”
In October 2023, Brantford City Council joined over 90 municipalities across Ontario in declaring intimate partner and gender-based violence an epidemic. With this declaration, Council directed staff to consult with community organizations to develop the Intimate Partner and Gender-Based Violence: Community Action Plan to encourage ongoing collaboration and advocacy to end gender-based violence in all its forms in Brantford.
