Peers Building Justice (PBJ)
Youth Violence Prevention Curriculum Outline
This eight session curriculum is based off of Safe Dates & Expect Respect, two evidence-based violence prevention curricula.
Feedback from youth and our mission to incorporate an understanding of social justice influenced any alterations made to the curricula. For example, we use language that includes LGBTQ relationships and explicitly address how identity and oppression can play a large part in relationship dynamics. For some of the alterations, we incorporate exercises from SOUL’s political education manual and the sexual assault information from the Peers Building Justice curriculum and Moving to End Sexual Assault training manual.
Session 1: Introductions & Defining Caring Relationships
- Introductions, mandatory reporting, goals for sessions, group agreements
- Defining Caring Relationships
Session 2: Power and Control & Defining Dating Abuse
- Defining power- Individual, Collective, Institutional & access to resources
- Defining Dating Abuse– Harmful Dating Behaviors What is Abuse
Session 3: Why do People Abuse?
- Why do people abuse
- Video: Causing Pain: Real Stories of Dating Abuse and Violence (ER)
- Warning Signs of Abuse
Session 4: Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, and Consent
- Defining Consent & Sexual Assault laws
Session 5: How to Help Friends
- Why don’t people leave?
- How to help a friend
- Role Play
Session 6: Overcoming Gender Stereotypes
- Images and where they come from discussion
- Gender Stereotypes in the media video compilation, discussion
Session 7: Identifying and Communicating Emotions
- Extending Feeling vocabulary
- Knowing When You’re Angry/How to use Calming Strategies
- Assertive Communication
Session 8: Conclusion
- Review of sessions, remaining questions
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Posted below is a description of the standards met by our curriculum.
According to the Colorado Academic Standards for Comprehensive Health, high school students in Colorado should be able to “use a decision-making process to make healthy decisions about relationships and sexual health.” Within that standard, students should be able to evaluate and define various components of health and safety in relationships. Our curriculum will provide the youth with almost half of these skills in just 6-8 sessions.
The standards are listed below, with bold text for components addressed by our curriculum:
- Define the characteristics of healthy relationships, dating, committed relationships, marriage, and family (DOK 1-4)
- Analyze the possible consequences of early sexual activity and the emotional, mental, social, and physical benefits for delaying sexual activity (DOK 1-4)
- Describe how a person can choose to abstain from sexual activity at any point in time, even after having engaged in prior sexual activity (DOK 1-4)
- Analyze factors that influence the choice, use, and effectiveness of contraception, including the availability of contraceptive methods (DOK 1-4)
- Explain the difference between risk avoidance and risk reduction and strategies one can utilize for each as it relates to STD’s and pregnancy. (DOK 1-3)
- Analyze when it is necessary to seek help with or leave an unhealthy situation (DOK 1-4)
- Analyze risks of sharing personal information thru modern technology (DOK 1-4)
- Evaluate how HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or pregnancy could impact life goals (DOK 1-4)
- Examine the responsibilities of parenthood (DOK 1-4)
- Appraise internal and external influences and pressures to become sexually active, and demonstrate strategies to resist those pressures (DOK 1-4)
The RORE Curriculum works to complement the standards required for high school health education by introducing content regarding healthy relationships and violence prevention. Not only will the 8-session curriculum address several of the requirements, it will encourage students to be active promoters of healthy relationships and help them develop skills to participate in healthy relationships and commit to bystander intervention.
Source: Colorado Department of Education
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To schedule a curriculum presentation in your classroom or youth group contact:
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Jackie Manzo
Youth Violence Prevention Educator, SPAN
303.449.8623
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Reina Ross
K-8 Violence Prevention Educator
303.449.8623
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