Did you know on average, parents today spend 10-12 hours per week less with their children than they did in the 1960s?

Instead, children watch nearly 35 hours of television a week. Children are living in increasingly violent communities and are being raised by very busy single parents who may both work outside of the home. They need adults to support them and to be actively involved in their lives. Research shows that when youth feel connected to an adult they are less likely to engage in risk taking behaviors including the use of drugs and alcohol, violence, and early sexual behaviors. Where parents are unable to fill that need, senior adults are often an enthusiastic alternative and can be a wonderful supplement to any parent-child relationship.

Think First Connections is an innovative intergenerational program aimed at preventing injury among two high-risk populations: teenagers and senior adults. Connections pairs teens and seniors one-on-one with the goal of decreasing risk taking among teens and maintaining and increasing the cognitive and physical functioning of seniors.

The program involves the following group-building activities:

Participating host sites such as schools, senior centers and community centers receive extensive consultation with Think First staff, along with a variety of resources, such as program guides and training manuals.

Over the course of Connections, teens act as teachers, providing computer instruction and encouraging the seniors through the fitness training program. The teens help the seniors learn a variety of skills that can be useful to them in everyday life. In turn, the teens are provided an experience that can help them develop career interests and valuable skills that can be transferred to school and the workplace.

Participation in Think First Connections can encourage both groups to develop a sense of connectedness, which can have a significant impact on teens and seniors. Youth may be less likely to engage in risk behaviors associated with negative health consequences if they achieve connectedness (Resnick, Bearman, Blum, et al., 1997).

Developing protective factors against risk taking among youth requires productivity, commitment, positive values, social competencies, a positive identity, support, empowerment, and set boundaries. Seniors can increase their socialization, improve physical strength, and improve or maintain certain cognitive functions (i.e. attention). Research on protective factors indicates that "the key to effective prevention efforts is reinforcing within every arena, these natural bonds. . .between young and old. . .that give meaning to one's life and a reason for commitment and caring."

Successful aging has been defined as a multidimensional concept which includes a lack of disease, maintenance of physical and cognitive functioning, and sustained participation in social and community activities. Connections is intended to promote healthy and safe lifestyles while decreasing injuries among two groups most susceptible to traumatic injuries: adolescents and senior adults. By participating in the fitness and computer training program components together, it is possible for both the seniors and teens to develop skills to engage in more positive, healthy behaviors and avoid other risky activities.