A solution to the conversation parents' dread? New resource developed to ease the difficulties in talking to teenagers about relationships and sex

Press Releases14 Feb 11

A solution to the conversation parents' dread? New resource developed to ease the difficulties in talking to teenagers about relationships and sex

Unique NI

It is one of the most difficult, yet important conversations that needs to take place in family life – and potentially one of the most embarrassing. It’s the sex and relationships discussion between parents and teenagers. But now a novel approach to ease the awkwardness of these conversations has just been developed by a joint Church and Health Trust group looking at young people and sexual health.

The Faith sub-group of the Belfast Area Sexual Health Project Board has recently produced a relationships resource, entitled ‘Unique’, for both young people and their parents that is user-friendly and easy to work through. However it is how this resource is used that will give a new approach to conversations on difficult issues.

Sharon Hamil, a Church of Ireland member of the group, explains; ‘For many parents it is very difficult to sit down with their teenager and talk about relationships and sex. So we are advocating a different approach and encouraging parents to give this resource to their teenager and to ask them to review its usefulness for young people. Then we would like parents to go back later and get their feedback so that they can pass it on to our group.

This approach will give parents the opportunity to approach the issue on our behalf and it should take the initial pressure out of the conversation. As their child reviews the subject of relationships and sex for young people generally, they will also reflect their own opinions back to their parents allowing open and honest dialogue to develop between parents and teenagers on sensitive issues.’

For more information on how to do this a support website has just been launched at www.unique-ni.org from where copies of the ‘Unique’ resource are also available. It is aimed at 11-14 years olds and has been developed by the Faith sub-group, which contains members of the 4 larger denominations as well as Love for Life, ACET and Opportunity Youth.

For further information please contact Andrew Brannigan: (m) 07950 846621

Issued on behalf of the Church of Ireland Youth Department

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Press Releases14 Feb 11