Living With Teenagers

Information for parents with teenagers on youth organisations, youth employment law, driving, drugs, alcohol and teenage pregnancy...

Teenagers are legally viewed as minors until the age of 18. Until this time they are considered to be under the authority of their parents or legal guardians.

At a federal level the administrative authority in charge of youth-related issues is the Family, Generations and Society domain of the Federal Social Insurance Office (Office Fédéral des Assurances Sociales).

• Federal Social Insurance Office
  At: Effingerstrasse 20, 3003 Berne
  Tel: 031 322 90 11
  Fax: 031 322 78 80

The cantonal youth offices in Switzerland are in charge of protecting youngsters and also support and organise activities for teenagers. Extra-curricular activities are organised by the communal youth offices (Gemeindehaus, Sozialdienst).

There are a number of websites and groups with information specifically for young people:

• RAO: An informative site with political and social views for teenagers in Switzerland (in German)
• Organisation for Swiss Youth in Parliament (Dachverband Schweizer Jugendparlamente -DSJ) (German and French)
• Young Swiss Scientists (Schweizer Jugend forscht) (in German)
  At: Gebäude 59G, Stauffacherstrasse 65, 3014 Berne
  Tel: 031 377 71 00
  Fax: 031 377 71 01 
  e-mail
• School.Net: A site for teens and kids in Switzerland with information on leisure activities, entertainment schooling and entertainment (in German, French and Italian)
• Youth Counselling (Jugendberatung): Information and answers to questions on problems at school and work, military questions, health, sexual abuse, conflicts in relationships, suicide, drugs and alcohol. Also a list of helplines available for teenagers
• Ciao: for information on many issues including sexuality, health, drugs, racism, training and schooling (in French)
• 147.ch: for children and adolescents that are undergoing a crisis (in French)