Relationship Literacy: Relationships Are Treasures

By Brian C. Alston

The Relationships are Treasures curriculum is an abuse and violence prevention curriculum designed for children in 5th and 6th grades. The program focuses on ways to create and sustain healthy relationships with family members, friends, acquaintances, authority figures and others while pointing out often overlooked patterns of abuse and violence and ways to prevent them.

Part of the Relationship Literacy Program Series the curriculum breaks into two modules: Preventing and addressing unhealthy relationships and Creating and Managing Healthy Relationships. The curriculum teaches valuable self-management skills, both emotional and behavioral, and concepts, principles, and tools necessary to sustain healthier relationships.

To prevent and treat abuse and violence in relationships require a comprehensive approach sensitive socio-culturally and developmentally appropriate across the life span. This curriculum takes such approach to impact greater knowledge, positive attitude and motivation concerning relationships.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 5, 2007
• ISBN: 9781462828074

Brian C. Alston

Brian C. Alston developed The Relationship Literacy Program over a ten year period mediating conflicts within inner-city communities, creating and facilitating anger management, violence prevention and healthy relationship curricula in schools, correctional institutions and treatment facilities. In these different settings, participants found The Relationship Literacy Program comprehensive in scope, culturally sensitive, consistent with real life, and applicable to various types of relationships like family, peer, work, and others. From 1990-present Mr. Alston has counseled youth and adults offering individual, couples, family and group therapy. Currently, Mr. Alston is pursing his doctorate in clinical psychology. He holds master degrees from Boston University and Hartford Seminary, and the Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College.

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Copyright © 2007 by Brian C. Alston.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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Contents

CURRICULUM PHILOSOPHY

MODULE I

Preventing Unhealthy Relationships

LESSON ONE

Dangerous Partnerships

LESSON TWO

Strong vs. Weak Partnerships

MODULE 2

Managing Healthy Relationships

LESSON ONE

Relationship Building

LESSON TWO

Relationship Decision Making

LESSON THREE

People are Resources

Relationships are treasures . . .

Like raw gold, relationships are life’s treasures to uncover. In our homes, schools, neighborhoods, and places of work and worship they appear hidden in the least likely places. And once we discover them, the real work and adventure begin.

Relationships are made. They are built with deliberate minds, managed emotions, chosen behaviors, and positive attitudes.

Relationships signify something more than intimate emotional and physical connections. They are sources of light and correction, teaching and learning, bonding, and becoming who we are.

Brian C. Alston—Developer

The Relationship Literacy Program

CURRICULUM PHILOSOPHY

The Relationships are Treasures curriculum uses concepts familiar to both adults and youth to teach the prevention of abuse and violence in relationships, important self-management skills, and tools and principles necessary to effect healthier relationships. This curriculum booklet is designed for children in middle childhood, ages 8-12.

Today, because violence affects people from all cultural, socio-economic, racial, and ethnic groups, many may consider it to be a normal—even inevitable—part of daily, contemporary existence. Despite its pervasive nature and harmful impact, violence can be avoided in human relationships, however. Violence is a learned behavior. This claim entails two equally important points of view: Violent behavior can be unlearned, and maintaining nonviolent, healthy relationships can be taught.

The Relationship Literacy Program has developed over ten years from mediating conflicts in inner-city communities and creating and facilitating anger management, violence prevention, and healthy relationship psycho-educational programs in schools, treatment facilities, and correctional institutions. In all of these different settings, participants found the Relationship Literacy Program comprehensive in scope, consistent with real life, culturally sensitive, and applicable to all types of relationships, whether family, peer, work, or some other.

The Relationship Literacy Program informs participants of diverse, often overlooked patterns of relationship abuse and violence and ways to prevent them. The program explores how to develop and sustain healthy human relationships while showing the connections between healthy relationships and personal and social development, abuse and violence prevention, and personal rights and responsibilities. The program teaches valuable self-management skills, both emotional and behavioral, and concepts, principles, and tools necessary to effect healthier relationships.

To prevent and treat interpersonal abuse and violence requires a comprehensive, socio-culturally sensitive and developmentally appropriate approach. The Relationship Literacy Program takes such an approach to impact knowledge, attitude and motivation in interpersonal relationships.

The Relationships are Treasures curriculum is an abuse and violence prevention curriculum that focuses on ways to create and sustain healthy relationships with others, be they family, friends, casual acquaintances, or authority figures. While exploring the life of the colorful character Wealthy Williams, the curriculum engages participants with easy-to-use lesson plans and with stand-alone educational activities.

The curriculum’s two modules correspond to three overall program themes: building strong relationships, managing healthy relationships, and changing unhealthy relationship patterns. Each module includes several lessons with an established set of objectives and activities that explore themes from the four Relationship Literacy Program areas: Relationships and Self-Identity, Prevention of Relationship