Expect Respect
One out of every four teens is involved in a dating violence relationship by the time they leave high school. Expect Respect provides a comprehensive approach to supporting and educating vulnerable youth by creating safe and supportive learning environments.
The program addresses the issues around the different types of relationship abuse, the dynamics of dating violence, characteristics of unhealthy and healthy relationships, and how to set boundaries in a relationship.
Since 2010, The Shelter’s Expect Respect prevention program engages middle and high school students in building healthy relationships and preventing violence and abuse by challenging social norms. This eight week school-based prevention program offers a comprehensive overview on various topics contributing to relationship dynamics, including gender stereotypes, media influence, self confidence and communication. The goal is to
ultimately change the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors of adolescent boys and girls and reducing the future occurrence of dating violence.
Youth participating in the Expect Respect program are able to:
- Discuss relationships in an emotionally safe environment
- Learn to respect different opinions
- Increase sense of belonging to a peer group
- Increase self-acceptance and self-esteem
- Increase knowledge about characteristics of healthy relationships
- Increase conflict-resolution skills
- Increase understanding of rights and responsibilities in relationships
Curriculum Topics:
Week 1 – Gender Stereotypes: Identifying and addressing gender stereotypes that are harmful to healthy
relationships, and how to fully embrace their identities with confidence.
Week 2 – Media Influence: Identifying the different types of media and discussing their messages and influence
on their relationships, and how to engage with the media in a healthy manner.
Week 3 – Self Confidence: Identifying different components of self-confidence and healthy emotional and
physical boundaries and how to feel comfortable in their own skin.
Week 4 – Boundaries & Communication: Identifying the various types of communication and how to effectively utilize them in
their relationships.
Week 5 – Bullying: Identifying what bullying looks like in a social media world, and how to be an
upstander.
Week 6 – Safety & Strangers: Identifying what dangers there are for teens in a social media world, and how to
stay safe in their relationships.
Week 7 – Healthy Friendships: Identifying how to be a good friend and avoid toxic friendships.
Week 8 – Review
The impact of these programs should not be underestimated. When youth are empowered, their broadened awareness of domestic violence will ultimately create positive change and a safer community. Previous presentation venues include: various high schools in Collier County including alternative schools Beacon and Phoenix, Teenage Parenting Program, PACE School for Girls and RCMA Charter School.
Overall, The Shelter’s primary prevention efforts seek to reduce the likelihood that anyone will become a victim or a perpetrator by creating conditions that make violence less likely to ever occur. The Shelter created this comprehensive eight week program addressing a variety of topics, utilizing videos and group discussion, striving to accommodate the needs of as many local schools as possible.
