The study involved interviews with young people aged 16 to 18 on the Central Coast of New South Wales. The participants’ knowledge and ideas about violence in relationships were influenced by a range of places and experiences such as school, friends and families and by being victims of violence. The young people saw very few role models, even among the police, most adults in the community and conservative sections of the population, who spoke out about the unacceptability of violence and promoted alternatives to violence. Participants’ suggestions for violence prevention strategies could be incorporated into a community plan which includes risk and protection factors that influence young people’s lives. Effective evaluation processes are essential to ensure that such programs are relevant to the target group and that they reduce the occurrence of violence in relationships. Figure, references