In this Let's Look At Friendships lesson, students will be introduced to the concepts of positive friendship and assertive communication.

They will consider their own views on a set of friendship qualities and share their opinions in a large group discussion. Students will assess their own skills in standing up for themselves then watch a short video to identify the communication styles of aggressive, passive and assertive. The final discussion encourages students to consider how relationships and communication can be impacted by a range of personal and social factors including power dynamics.

Each lesson ends with a consolidation activity, inviting students to list 1 thing they have learnt from the lesson, 1 thing they already knew, 1 piece of advice they would share with a friend, and 1 adult or organisation that would be helpful in relation to the lesson topic.

This lesson is based on work from the “Practical Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships” resource by Latrobe University.

AC9HP8P07: Explain and apply skills and strategies to communicate assertively and respectfully when seeking, giving or denying consent.  

• Understanding and applying online and social protocols to enhance relationships with others and protect their own wellbeing, including recognising and responding to online content that may be harmful for themselves or others (such as grooming or image-based abuse), respectfully communicating needs or concerns to others.  
• Examining the nature of consent in different types of relationships, and proposing and practising strategies for seeking, giving and denying consent respectfully. 

• This lesson can be difficult for students who are socially isolated or are experiencing bullying.
• Try to encourage students to view friendship development as lifelong skills and emphasise that our relationships change throughout our lives. 
• Be aware that many young people, especially those who struggle with friendships in the classroom may have very rich online relationships and connections. Encourage recognition of the diversity of human connection and the ways that qualities and skills apply to online spaces. It is often surprising to hear the the contributions of students once the conversation is opened up in this way. 
• Speaking up for yourself is not always an easy thing to do. In many families and cultures, children are taught not to speak up and that asking for what you want or refusing a request is considered impolite. In some places and situations girls and women especially are silenced.
• You do not want to encourage young people to behave in a way that could make them unsafe. However, it is important that all young people understand there are certain situations in which speaking up is protective.

Key Concept 2: Values, Rights, Culture and Sexuality.
2.1 Values and Sexuality. 

• Key idea: It is important to know one’s own values, beliefs and attitudes, how they impact on the rights of others and how to stand up for them.

Key Concept 5: Skills for Health and Wellbeing.
5.3 Communication, Refusal and Negotiation Skills. 

• Key idea: Good communication is essential to personal, family, school, work and romantic relationships.

Ideally, you will have scope to deliver all of the lessons in your program. However we understand that many schools have limited capacity to do so. Should you find yourself having to implement part of this program, we have provided a suggested sequence of lessons within the broader skills and knowledge categories of relationship, consent, gender, and cybersafety. We recommend delivering at least one lesson from each category.

1. Group Agreements & Pod Mapping should be the first lesson as per best practice.
2. Puberty & Reproduction: A Refresher should be delivered early in the program to ensure students have an understanding of the physical, emotional, and social changes of puberty including menstruation and sperm production.