A Public/Private Partnership in Offering Relationship Education to the Norwegian Population

Abstract

This article is an overview of the relationship education field in Norway. We explain the roles of the national authorities and private organizations in education, and analyze achievements and challenges in the field. Involvement and economic support from the national authorities have made relationship education available to large groups of the population, though the characteristics of those who choose to attend are largely unknown. To ensure recruitment of those most in need of education, new strategies based on systematic information on barriers among different groups of the population must be developed. A variety of relationship education programs are offered by public and private organizations, with the U.S.-developed Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP) being the most widespread. We present preliminary data of an effectiveness evaluation of PREP workshops in Norway. In general, participants evaluate the workshops positively. It is important to tailor relationship education to fit the various customs, beliefs, and challenges of couples attending programs.