Healthy? Unhealthy? Abusive?

This lesson examines the characteristics of relationships and what differentiates healthy from unhealthy and abusive.
This lesson can be run as one 60 minute lesson, one 90 minute lesson, or two 45 minute lessons.

Learning intentions:

  • Identify healthy, unhealthy, and abusive relationship characteristics
  • Understand that unhealthy and abusive relationships can happen over time and are often subtle
  • Know where to go to access help and support

Digital Educator: Mei

  • 12-30 learners

    Class size

  • 9+

    Year Level

  • 60 minutes

    Course duration

  • One

    Student Handouts

    Preparing for the lesson

    Information
    Resources
    ACHPE Objectives
    UNESCO Objectives
    Safety & Wellbeing
    Sequence
    Extension
    In this Healthy? Unhealthy? Abusive? lesson, students will explore the elements of relationships.

    They will discuss their own views on a set of relationship statements in an interactive quiz. Students will apply those ideas in a sorting activity that encourages thinking on the ambiguity of actions. This activity highlights the impact of actions and behaviours and the nuance of unhealthy behaviours. The final activity and discussion encourages students to consider the subtle shifts that move a relationship from healthy to unhealthy/abusive, the role of Bystanders, and help seeking and support.

    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.

    There are three options for running this lesson. Additional instructions are:
    • 90 minute lesson. Run all activities and take your time on the Relationship Scenarios Worksheet including discussing student answers to each of the worksheet questions. 
    • 60 minute lesson. Once students have completed the Relationship Scenario Worksheets, skip ahead to the discussion activity which is a broad discussion of the scenarios and the students' thoughts. You do not need to go through each scenario in detail. 
    • 2 x 45 minute lessons. Run as for the 90 minute lesson ending the first segment after the two 'See The Signs' videos. Invite comments from the students and provide a short debrief before finishing. The second lesson will start with the Relationship Scenarios Worksheet, providing ample time to explore them in depth. 

    Facilitator Printouts

    Student Printouts

    Additional Information

    This lesson features videos from the See The Signs campaign.
    AC9HP10P03: Investigate how gender equality and challenging assumptions about gender can prevent violence and abuse in relationships.
    • Investigate and challenge attitudes that lead to people enacting, excusing or condoning gender-based violence.


    AC9HP10P04:     Evaluate the influence of respect, empathy, power and coercion on establishing and maintaining respectful relationships.
    • Investigating the characteristics of positive, respectful relationships and the rights and ethical responsibilities of individuals in relationships. 


    AC9HP10P08:     Plan, rehearse and evaluate strategies for managing situations where their own or others’ health, safety or wellbeing may be at risk.
    • Understanding the factors that impact a person’s ability to seek, give or deny consent, including when there is an imbalance of power or coercion in the relationship.
    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.
    • There will be students in your class who have experienced domestic and family violence. If students are wanting to take on an OBSERVER role 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 or 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 the characteristics of healthy, unhealthy and abuse relationships occur online and through technology.
    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.

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