Healthy Relationships 101: A discussion for Adolescents and Young Adults

In a culture where unhealthy seems to be the norm it more important than ever to engage young people in a discussion of what encompasses a healthy relationship.  Exposure to healthy relationships may be limited and breaking a cycle of violence is imperative in children exposed to domestic violence.  This presentation will cover components such as perceptions and understanding another’s point of view, how and why do we believe the things that we do?  Types of relationship abuse/violence versus random/stranger violence will be discussed.  Brainstorming Healthy/Controlling/Abusive behaviors is an effective method for students to identify important concepts such as trust, conflict and safety within relationships.  Awareness and recognizing ‘power with’ versus ‘power over’ is critical to breaking the cycle of violence.  The presentation will conclude with a conversation about consent, how to support a friend in an unhealthy relationship and creating a list of local resources.

Objectives:

• Identify and recognize behaviors within a relationship that are healthy, controlling or concerning and abusive.

• Learn strategies to form and maintain healthy relationships as well as how to navigate ending a relationship in healthy and respectful way.

• Understand concepts of imbalance of power such as power over vs power with, conflict resolution vs the cycle of violence.