Young people should play as important roles in the network as do adult members, and they should participate in decision making, planning, and implementation of activities. A number of factors, however, create barriers to youth involvement. Cultural norms make young people reluctant to speak out and adults less likely to listen to them. Young people and adults may have difficulty discussing and planning activities on the sensitive topics of reproductive health and sexuality. Young people may lack some of the formal training in processes that adults have, which may inhibit their participation in setting goals and objectives and defining strategies.
Adults frequently assume that they easily understand the attitudes and challenges of youth today.
Finding suitable locations and times for young people and adults to meet can be difficult. Young people are a tremendous resource for an advocacy campaign . Bringing young people into the process early and getting adults and youth to agree on some first steps to build their communication and collaboration will help create the foundation of a sustainable effort. Following are tips for working with young people and involving them in advocacy efforts. If the network or organization does not have direct access to adolescents, contact other YSOs in the community.