Respectful Relationships

Developing positive and respectful relationships is an important part of a student’s emotional and social development. The relationships in a student’s life, including those with friends, family and peers, can influence their physical health, promote self-esteem and assist them in developing a sense of belonging. Teaching students about positive and respectful relationships encourages them to reflect on their current relationships and supports them as they form new ones.

Creating a culture of respect in the school environment requires that students understand their rights and responsibilities. This will help them to identify and nurture healthy relationships and avoid unhealthy ones. They can also be taught that it’s okay to speak up and seek help when necessary, which will equip them to negotiate and strengthen their relationships throughout their lives. When students identify and understand the qualities of healthy relationships, such as trust, personal safety, respect, honesty, acceptance and loyalty, they can confidently establish and maintain positive and respectful relationships.

Communication skills are an essential part of managing relationship difficulties. By learning how to recognise and express their emotions and feelings, students are equipped to discuss and resolve issues that are impacting on their relationships with family, friends and partners. By directly discussing issues such as gender stereotypes, abusive behaviour, and discrimination, students can explore a range of qualities and characteristics that promote and develop empathy, resilience and inclusivity. These qualities form the foundation for the establishment of positive and respectful relationships in students’ lives.

ReachOut Schools’ respectful relationships resources have been designed to support the development of a whole-school approach to building respectful relationships. The resources include engaging lesson plans and Wellbeing Fives for teachers, and direct links to articles for parents. Using these respectful relationship resources in your classroom supports students to engage in conversations, address any concerns they have, and work through sensitive and complex issues in a familiar environment.

These resources were produced thanks to support from Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN.