This summer, I'll be teaching classes on life skills and healthy relationships to groups of male juvenile offenders. My curriculum is already very focused on recognizing dating violence against men, and I make every effort to speak frankly about the advantages that women have in society in terms of dating violence.

However, I have thus far taught these classes to groups of teen guys in relatively affluent/middle class high schools. Working with juvenile offenders (especially ones from a high-crime major city) will, of course, be a different ballgame. The coordinator I'm working with mentioned that only a handful of the 50+ young men in the program have two involved parents, and thus have a different set of needs when it comes to learning about patterns of healthy vs. unhealthy relationships.

What issues may these young men face that I might not have considered before? How can I be most aware of their needs as men who feel alienated from society? What do these men need to know MOST? Any input would be most appreciated.