 Relationship Rx - Recognizing Differences Between Caring and Abusive Dating Relationships
Relationship issues are some of the most difficult aspects of growing up during adolescence.
Whether the relationships are with family, friends, or the new arena of dating, their positive role models are few and far between. Worse, this is the time when they establish the relationship patterns they will carry throughout life. Now is when they need to learn what is safe and healthy.
Recognizing the seriousness of this issue, New Jersey enacted the New Jersey Safe Dating Law in 2011 to help prevent and combat dating violence among middle and high school students.
The law requires school districts to incorporate age appropriate dating violence education into the health education curriculum.
NCADD has created an easy-to-implement solution.
Relationship Rx is designed to stop or prevent the initiation of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse on dates or between individuals involved in a dating relationship.
This program can stand alone or easily fit within a health education, family, or general life skills curriculum. Because violent behavior is often tied to substance abuse, this program may be used with drug and alcohol prevention and general violence prevention programs.
Program goals are to:
- Change adolescent dating violence norms
- Change adolescent gender-role norms
- Improve conflict resolution skills for dating relationships
- Promote victim and perpetrator awareness of community resources for dating violence
- Promote help-seeking by victims and perpetrators
- Improve peer help-giving skills
HOW IT WORKS
Relationship Rx is delivered in four, classroom sessions and includes interactive exercises such as games, small- and large group discussions, role-playing, and writing exercises.
The program also includes an optional poster contest and 45-minute play to be performed by students for the student body.
Relationship Rx was designed to be delivered as a follow-up to the cnationally-recognized Safe Dates curriculum but can be also used as a standalone program to complement other programs already in place in the school.
INTERVENTIONS BY DOMAIN
- Individual - Classroom curricula designed to motivate pro-health decisions and skill use; life skills training/values clarification and antiviolence models
- Family- Parent education
- Peer - Peer resistance education
- School - Classroom-based skill development
- Community - Education to alter the perceptions of societal norms and expectations
To schedule Relationship Rx at your school, contact NCADD today by calling 732-254-3344 or emailing us at
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