Love Better: MSD and Youthline team up for relationship break-up support campaign

A still from the Love Better campaign. Photo / Love Better

By RNZ

The Government has launched a campaign to help young people navigate break-ups with the long-term aim of preventing family violence, believed to be the first of its kind.

Love Better is a Ministry of Social Development initiative which offers text, phone or email contact through Youthline with advice specifically for young people going through a relationship break-up.

Funded by $6.4 million over three years through previously announced allocations, it followed 2022 research by Kantar which found 62 per cent of people aged 16 to 24 had been through a break-up, with 72 per cent of reporting harm or having done harm.

Associate Social Development Minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan and Family and Sexual Violence Prevention Minister Marama Davidson launched the service from the Youthline offices in Auckland this morning.

Radhakrishnan said supporting young people through these formative experiences could improve how they approached relationships in future.

“We know that break-ups hurt. We want to support our young people to deal with the hurt and know that there is a way through without harming themselves or others,” she said.

“Love Better, which asks young people to ‘own the feels,’ is a primary prevention campaign that features young people sharing real stories to help their peers who may be going through similar experiences.”

She said the programme had not been trialled by any government around the world, but New Zealand needed innovative approaches to “break the cycle” of New Zealand’s “shameful statistics”.

Davidson welcomed the launch as an extension of the Government’s delivery on Te Aorerekura, the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence.

“Since the launch of Te Aorerekura and our initial Action Plan in December 2021, all 40 actions are under way.

“This campaign sits alongside work already under way to support young people with healthy boundaries and attitudes to relationships, including the refresh of the school curriculum.”

Youthline CEO, Shae Ronald, said they were “absolutely thrilled” to be part of the launch of MSDs campaign.

“It’s a privilege to be able to work with MSD on this project and be selected as the youth helpline promoted to young people for young people that have experienced a break up, to turn to.

“This initiative and the research behind it is ground-breaking and reflects a commitment to support rangatahi to foster positive, safe and equal relationships across Aotearoa.”

Relationship issues are one of the top reasons young people contact the Helpline, Ronald said.

“We know there can be very negative impacts from break ups done badly – both at a personal and community level. We commend MSD for the bold and innovative mahi they are undertaking in collaboration with young people to equip young people with support and tools to be able to navigate these without harming themselves or others – to ‘love better’.

“We have admired the true heart for rangatahi, experience and commitment to youth development principles that the MSD team working on this campaign, have shown.”

The service can be accessed by texting 234, calling 0800 376 633, or emailing lovebetter@youthline.co.nz.