New Zealand has embarked on a groundbreaking campaign called “Love Better” aimed at assisting teenagers in recovering from breakups and promoting healthier relationships.
The initiative, which received Ksh 559 million in funding from the Ministry of Social Development over three years, aims to minimize the harm caused by breakups and address one of the key concerns identified by the country’s youth.
Responding to the needs expressed by over 1,200 young New Zealanders, Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment, Priyanca Radhakrishnan, stated, “Over 1,200 young kiwis told us they need support to deal with early experiences of love and hurt, and breakups were identified as a common challenge.”
Acknowledging the pain associated with breakups, a promotional video for the campaign emphasizes the need to “own the feels” and move on from past relationships.
The Love Better campaign incorporates various components, including a dedicated helpline provided by Youthline, an organization focused on supporting individuals aged 12 to 24. A portion of the $4 million funding will be allocated to expand Youthline’s existing helpline service, providing a vital resource for young people going through breakups.
This approach, leveraging social media and creating a community, is a novel approach to addressing the impact of breakups.
Shae Ronald, the CEO of Youthline, highlighted that relationship issues were among the top reasons why young people sought assistance from the helpline.
Ronald stated, “We know there can be very negative impacts from breakups done badly – both at a personal and community level.”
The Ministry of Social Development revealed that a survey of 1,200 young New Zealanders found that 68% had experienced something more severe than the typical emotional pain of a breakup.
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The primary goal of the Love Better campaign is to provide support to young individuals as they navigate these formative experiences, ultimately fostering positive approaches to future relationships. Moreover, this initiative is part of the New Zealand government’s broader national strategy to eliminate family violence and sexual violence.
Priyanca Radhakrishnan emphasized the importance of innovative approaches to break the cycle of family and sexual violence, stating, “New Zealand has shameful statistics of family and sexual violence, and we need innovative approaches to break the cycle.”
According to the Ministry of Justice, over 100,000 incidents of family violence are investigated by the New Zealand Police each year. Additionally, in 2020, the police received 9,723 reports of sexual violence, with nearly half of the victims being under 18 years old at the time of the incident.
“Young people told us they need support dealing with love and hurt – and particularly how to break-up better,” Radhakrishnan shared in a Facebook post. “Today we launched a world-leading campaign, Love Better, which will help support our rangatahi. Break-ups hurt. That’s normal. But we want to support young people to know that there is a way through without harming themselves or others.”
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