The Central Alberta Regional Vision for Non-Violence held its fourth annual Creating A Vision for Non-Violence conference in Sylvan Lake on Thursday, where social service workers, youth and others gathered to talk about family violence and bullying.

It takes workers from many sectors like social services, education and health to intervene in family violence. Alissa McDonald, who chairs the coalition said a gathering like yesterday's allows them to build a unified approach.

"It gives them a place to network. And also we're building that common language and shared understanding," McDonald said.

The conference included a panel on healthy and unhealthy teen relationships, moderated by Irving Kurz, interim team manager of the Domestic Relationship Violence Initiative Committee in central Alberta.

Panelists included: Julie Parr, member of the education team at the Saffron Centre in Edmonton; Elaine Spencer, social worker and co-editor of Social Work Ethics: Progressive, Practical and Relational Approaches; as well as Ian Wheeliker, executive director of the Central Alberta Women's Emergency Shelter Society.

Kurz said they agreed that healthy relationships are those where there's mutual benefit, a long-term vision and equality, whereas unhealthy ones tend to be one-sided and serve only one of the parties.

He said it's also important to stay connected with somebody in an unhealthy relationship because that relationship will eventually fail and that person will need support afterward.

There were 115 registered for the conference. McDonald was pleased to see that many were youth, saying they are the key to creating a more peaceful society.