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What Is A Healthy Relationship?

This lesson examines the qualities of healthy and unhealthy relationships and what these qualities look, sound, and feel like. 

Learning intentions:

  • Identify the values we each hold for a range of relationships
  • Understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships
  • Recognise what respect, empathy, and equality look like in action

Digital Educator: Charlie

  • 12-30 learners

    Class size

  • 8+

    Year Level

  • 40-60 minutes

    Course duration

  • One

    Student Handouts

    Preparing for the lesson

    Information
    Resources

    ACHPE Objectives

    UNESCO Objectives

    Safety & Wellbeing

    Sequence
    Extension
    In this What Is A Healthy Relationship? lesson, students will explore the elements of healthy relationships.

    They will discuss their own views on a set of relationship values through small group work and share their opinions in a large group discussion. Students will apply those values in a sorting activity that encourages thinking on the ambiguity of actions. This activity highlights the impact of the presence or absence of these values on behaviours. The final discussion encourages students to consider help seeking and support in relation to unhealthy relationships. 

    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.

    Elements of this lesson have been adapted from 'DO… a Relationships and Sex Education Resource' created by Justin Hancock and Alice Hoyle (2022).


    Facilitator Printouts

    Student Printouts

    AC9HP8P04: Examine the roles of respect, empathy, power and coercion in developing respectful relationships.
    • Examining what constitutes disrespectful, harmful or violent behaviour within peer, family and intimate relationships.  


    AC9HP8P03:     Examining how roles, decision-making, and levels of power, coercion and control within relationships can be influenced by gender stereotypes.  
    • Identifying those positive character attributes and strengths that are valued regardless of gender.  


    AC9HP8P08:     Refine protective behaviours and evaluate community resources to seek help for themselves and others.  
    • Exploring help-seeking scenarios young people may encounter and sharing strategies for dealing with each situation, including situations linked to substance use, mental health issues, safety and risk-taking, and sexual health.
    Key Concept 1: Relationships
    1.2 Friendships, Love and Romantic Relationships.
    • Key idea: Inequality within relationships negatively affects personal relationships.
    • Key idea: Romantic relationships can be strongly affected by inequality and differences in power.


    Key Concept 4: Violence and Staying Safe
    4.1 Violence.
    • Key idea: Intimate partner violence is wrong and it is important to seek support if witnessing it.
    • Students can use design or AI tools to create a short story, comic strip, or social media post illustrating a healthy relationship in action.
    • Students can work in small groups to analyse song lyrics, TV scenes, or TikTok trends that depict relationships. They classify them as examples of healthy, unhealthy, or toxic behaviours and explain their reasoning. 
    • Use classroom polls (e.g., Mentimeter) to anonymously vote on whether a song/scene reflects healthy or unhealthy dynamics. Students can submit a short written or video reflection on their findings.
    • There will be students in your class who have experienced family violence. If students are wanting to observe or not actively participate this is ok.
    • Monitor the gender dynamics through these discussions and challenge any outdated gender stereotypes that persist such as men should control the finances, women need to be told what to do. Unhealthy relationships are driven by unequal gender dynamics and impact people in heterosexual and same gender relationships.
    • 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. 
    • 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.

    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 health & legal literacy. 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.

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