New Zealand spends millions to help teens with their heartbreak and relationship problems | Abroad

“More than 1,200 young Kiwis told us they need support to cope with early experiences of love and pain, and breakups were identified as a common challenge,” Priyanca Radhakrishnan, associate minister of Social Development and Employment, said in a statement. .

In a promotional video of the campaign, several young people testify about how they deal with their heartbreak. The voice-over calls the campaign “a community of people who have just gone through a break-up who help others through their breakup, to make sure that ‘a little pain’ does not become ‘a lot of pain'”.

The campaign targets young people with the slogan “own the feels” and also includes a phone, text or email helpline. It is staffed by Youthline, an organization that is committed to young people aged 12 to 24. The organization receives part of the 3.7 million euros to expand the existing helpline. “We know that breakups that end badly can have very negative consequences – both on a personal and community level,” said Shae Ronald, chief executive of Youthline. She added that relationship problems are one of the main reasons for young people to contact the helpline.

‘Love Better’ is also part of the government’s broader national strategy to combat family violence and sexual violence. “New Zealand has shameful statistics of family and sexual violence and we need innovative approaches to break the cycle,” said Minister Radhakrishnan.

In 2020, police received 9,723 reports of sexual assault, and about half of the reports came from minors, the Justice Department said. In addition, 1 in 6 young people report that they have already experienced a physical fight in their relationship.