The power of yelling, "NO!"
Services for Teens
What workshops are offered for teens?
What if we can't get to a workshop?
Because of their increasing independence, teens and preteens face an especially high risk of violence and assault. Kidpower focuses on providing upbeat and practical guidance to deal with situations in a way that makes sense to teens.
"I have felt more at ease in giving my teen son the independence he needs now that he’s taken your workshop! In fact, Teenpower set our family free!”
"I had to drag my thirteen-year-old daughter to the workshop. To both our surprise, we had a good time. I have much more peace of mind about letting her go out in the world now that I am more confident that she knows how to take care of herself."
What skills do teens learn?
Teens practice a broad spectrum of People Safety skills including:
- Dealing with bullying and peer pressure
- Learning how to say “no” effectively
- Managing emotional triggers
- Preventing violence before it escalates
- Setting boundaries and dealing with conflict
- Getting help
In addition, Kidpower teaches Physical Self-Defense skills for teens after they have learned and practiced the skills that can prevent physical conflict from happening in the first place. Our goal in teaching physical self-defense is to equip young people with skills to escape from emergencies if they are in danger and cannot just leave. In our Full Force workshops, students practice physical self-defense skills with a head-to-toe padded instructor.
How do we teach these skills?
- We use role-play, “learning by doing,” interesting activities, and plenty of laughter.
- We focus on the positive and on the power that teens have to avoid harassment and avert violence.
- We use upbeat language that is not fear-based.
- Our materials capture the lessons with positive, everyday language that is relevant to teens.
What workshops are offered for teens?
Teenpower workshops have been taught in a wide variety of settings ranging from 2 hour one-time programs to school assemblies to longer-term programs for physical education classes or youth group. Below are our most common workshops:
Teenpower Full Force Self-Defense Workshops
In this upbeat, five-hour program, students learn and practice skills for dealing with verbal attack, peer pressure, and harassment as well as assaults from strangers and acquaintance. Students also practice Full Force self-defense with the head-to-toe padded instructor. For students under 18, parental permission is required.
This workshop can accommodate up to 15 teens ages 13 to 18.
More information on organizing a workshop for your group
Teenpower Personal Safety Workshops - 2 hours
This engaging, active program gives teens the opportunity to learn and practice using boundary-setting, advocacy, awareness, and de-escalation skills that can prevent and stop most violence and abuse. Most often, these workshops are offered through youth groups and high schools. No physical self-defense is included in this workshop unless otherwise specified.
More information on organizing a workshop for your group
What if we can't get to a workshop?
Our library offers a wealth of free resources, including articles, videos, podcasts, our e-newsletter, and our blog, which provide tools for understanding and using the skills we teach.
Our store has publications for sale including our Safety Comics, our Kidpower Guide eBook, our Kidpower Book for Caring Adults, our cartoon-illustrated Teaching Kits, our Relationship Safety Book, and our Comprehensive Program Manuals. These materials show how to teach People Safety skills and concepts to the important children, teens, and adults in your life.
If you don’t have a Kidpower center close to your community, consider setting up a new one and training as an instructor.
We also train teachers and other professionals to include Kidpower in their lessons and programs so that young people everywhere can learn Kidpower!