Meeting youth on their own terms can provide a helpful start. Young people speaking to other young people about issues that concern them removes the authoritarian element of adults speaking to young people, thereby making it less formal and more effective. The message gets put to the forefront without seeming preachy. It was like talking to a wall. They needed a safe space to open up.
Young people are much more trusting of information coming from other young people.
This means that peer education programs can be an effective way to reach otherwise wary young people. Young people thrive when they are shown respect They need to be taken seriously, to be listened to, to show what they can do, and to be recognized for their contribution. They need a chance to talk about their experience and their world. They need to be treated as resources in project development, not simply as the recipients of programs. They need adults they can talk to who aren't their parents.