Healthy Relationship Program Launch
The Healthy Relationship Program works with high school students from the Brockton community to educate student members on what constitutes healthy and unhealthy dating practices, the causes and consequences of dating abuse, and to equip teenagers with the skills and resources to develop safe, healthy relationships of their own. Throughout the course of a six-week training course, coordinators from Family & Community Resources Inc, as well as from The Boys & Girls Club of Metro South, and Cape Verdean Women United, teach teens materials from an adapted version of the Safe Dates curriculum.
Our group of 5 teens meet twice a week to discuss dating abuse and how we can recognize it and further prevent it in our community.
Curriculum Themes:
-Self Esteem
-Impact of Technology & Social Media
-Gender Roles & Norms
-Cultural Awareness
-Teaching yourself and others about safe dating practices
What we're teaching & Talking about:
Dating abuse happens to everybody, regardless of race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, age, or socioeconomic status. There is no discrimination when it comes to dating abuse.
Harmful behaviors are abusive when they are used to manipulative, gain power or control, cause you to feel bad about yourself, or make you afraid of your partner
There are things that are "cool" and "not cool" in relationships - and sometimes we rationalize the "not cool" parts and let them go on too long, because we hope for change, or the "not cool" behavior seems "not bad enough." But a relationship is not the place to wait until it hurts beyond "enough"
Setting healthy boundaries and having open, honest communication are two of the most important parts of a healthy relationship. If you feel comfortable and safe talking with your partner, and they are respectful of personal limits that you set, those are green flags!
You can choose how you are treated in a relationship, and how you treat your partner in return.
There is never a reason for your partner to hurt you physically or sexually - EVER.
what the students are saying:
“I feel like this group is really open - it's easy to share our thoughts and have good conversations about what's going on. This will be fun - and it's such an important topic"
"I feel like it's easy to share our thoughts in this group and I'm looking forward to getting closer, making friendships, sharing more, and teaching others."
"The subjects we're discussing are all topics that need to be heard, and I feel really great to be a part of this amazing thing we are doing"