A revolutionary community education tool, In Their Shoes® is designed for experiential learning about teen dating violence. Participants become one of six characters based on the experiences of real teens including sexting, pregnancy, homophobia, and stalking. They make choices about their relationship and move through the scenario by reading about interactions with their dating partner, family, friends, counselors, police, and others.
In Their Shoes® is being used to educate teens about healthy relationships in over 900 communities across the country. The video below is an example from Iowa State University of how they’re utilizing In Their Shoes® with students.
Public health professionals can also use In Their Shoes: Teens and Dating Violence—Classroom Edition to advance violence prevention efforts in their communities. Get ideas for how to use this experiential simulation along with focused public health questions in Public Health and In Their Shoes.
In Their Shoes: Teens and Dating Violence—Classroom Edition
Designed with the classroom in mind, In Their Shoes: Teens and Dating Violence—Classroom Edition is an engaging way to talk about dating violence and healthy relationships with young people in one class period.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age can I use the In Their Shoes® training?
The training is geared towards adults and youth ages 14 and up. In Their Shoes: Teens and Dating Violence—Classroom Edition is mainly used with high school aged participants or older, yet the tool can be modified by the facilitator depending on the maturity and life experiences of the young people. If facilitating with younger participants, we recommend choosing one character, such as Elena, whose story involves issues such as sexting that may resonate with a younger audience, and walking through their story as an entire group.
Can I preview In Their Shoes® before ordering it to ensure it will be school appropriate?
The kits are copyrighted and therefore we do not provide large amounts of text to preview. The facilitator’s guide that comes with the kit includes information about the simulation as well as character synopses to give the facilitator an overview. We are happy to provide support in preparing for a school board meeting or discuss in further detail what the content entails. To do so, contact our prevention staff.