Teen Relationship Culture: An Update for Parents by Katie Koestner

Is your daughter receiving Facebook Pokes from boys in nearby towns?  Is your son sexting with a girl he met last weekend at a Model UN conference?  Has your teen started an Honesty Box to solicit the digital dirt of anonymous friends?  Do you know what the rules are for texting, news feeding, caming, twittering, live outing and exactly how rude is it to just call?  If you have no idea what we’re talking about, come out for this fast-paced program to catch up on the inside world of teens.  Learn what they’re doing, when, why and how. 
 
Peer pressure from older students and negative role models can create environments in which even “good kids” can succumb to negative influences.  Katie Koestner, national expert on student safety and wellness issues, provides a comprehensive look at the new risks your children may face when it comes high school parties, social networking, social addictions, substance use, hook-up culture, harassment, bullying, and other relationship issues. 

Katie’s combination of anecdotes, research, case studies, and discussion never fails to create an engaging, thought-provoking experience for her audience members.  She successfully bridges the generation gap, making her presentation relevant to both the teenager and the parent.  The program provides a list of suggestions for establishing positive relationships and how to continue parenting through the teen years.  High risk behaviors will be identified as well as ways to reduce risk.  We will cover various "sticky" situations and how to handle them, including parties, associations with college aged students, cyber-friends, and more.  An examination of the locus of gender and self-concept and the importance of a healthy self-esteem are integral to the program. 

Back to Top