Practical ways are presented to promote healthy and nonviolent relationships for youth, guided by the belief that prevention is cheaper and more effective than deterrence or punishment. Equality and balance are the basis of prevention efforts. It must be acknowledged that violence is ingrained in cultural expressions of power and inequality, and that it, therefore, affects women, children, and minorities most significantly. Gender dynamics must be recognized as an important part of the development of healthy rather than violent relationships. Helping youth understand the abuse of power and control in their own relationships is a workable solution to promoting more egalitarian relationships. This book and its separately published companion manual emphasize the importance of participatory education and empowerment in violence prevention. The following chapters are included: (1) "A Call for Action: Violence in the Lives of Children, Youth, and Families"; (2) "Responding to Violence"; (3) "Establishing a Commitment to Violence Prevention"; (4) "Approaching Solutions: Youth as Resources"; (5) "A Developmental Model of Relationship Violence and Abuse"; (6) "Applying the Principles: Core Ingredients of Successful Prevention Programs"; and (7) "The Youth Relationships Project." (Contains 30 illustrative boxes, 6 tables, 5 figures, and 277 references.) (SLD)