Lesson 9.4: Relationships and Violence

Overview

This lesson focuses on understanding the ways in which relationships can be violent.

Learning Targets

  • Compare and contrast abuse and neglect.
  • Identify signs and symptoms of child abuse.
  • Explain what domestic violence is.
  • Provide examples of how coercion may be used in a relationship.
  • Summarize what human trafficking is and how to recognize it.

Preparation

For the Warm-Up Activity: Write the journal question on the board, or identify (and copy as needed) the worksheets you plan to use:

For the Content Focus: Open the Lesson 9.4 PowerPoint slides, or make copies of the Lesson 9.4 Note-Taking Guide.

For the Lesson Focus: Copy the Lesson 9.4 Making Safe Relationship Decisions Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet.

Warm-Up Activity

Select a warm-up activity to help get your class focused and on task.

  • Journal Question: How does the media you use (television, social media, movies) portray violence in relationships? Do you think it is accurate? Why or why not?
    • Option: Write or project the question, and have students respond in their journals as they enter class.
    • Option: Have students discuss the question with a partner or in a small group.
  • Vocabulary Review: Have students work individually, in partners, or in small groups to complete the Lesson 9.4 Vocabulary Review Worksheet.
  • Quiz: Have students complete the Lesson 9.4 Quiz to assess their prior knowledge.
    • Option: Collect the quizzes, and use them alongside posttests to demonstrate student learning.
    • Option: Have students share their answers with a partner and then go over the answers together as a class.

Lesson Content

Review the content from the textbook lesson.

Option: Use the Lesson 9.4 PowerPoint slides to review the chapter content.

Option: Have students use the Lesson 9.4 Note-Taking Guide to review chapter content. Ask students to work alone, in pairs, or in small groups. Review the questions as a class if time permits.

Lesson Focus: Making Safe Relationship Decisions

  1. Provide each student with a copy of the Lesson 9.4 Making Safe Relationship Decisions Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet.
  2. Allow students to work individually or with a partner.
  3. Have students complete the worksheet. Remind them to use a good decision-making process as they work.
  4. Have students share their decisions with the class. Compare responses and reinforce effective decision-making and safe relationships.
  5. As time allows, have students write their own scenario and use the decision-making process to come to a safe decision.

Challenge Activity

Have students who need an additional challenge work on the following critical-thinking task.

Research elder abuse, and write a paragraph explaining why you think elder abuse happens. Consider the types of elder abuse and the risk factors of elder abuse as you write your response.

Reflection and Summary

Review the critical content from today’s lesson. Review the learning targets, and ask students to answer each question posed.

Can you…

  • Compare and contrast abuse and neglect?

    Abuse is a type of violence that can be physical, emotional, or sexual in nature. Neglect happens when a person’s basic human needs, such as food and medical care, are not being met.

  • Identify signs and symptoms of child abuse?

    Child abuse can involve physical abuse that results in broken bones, bruises, and burns. Emotional abuse of a child happens if the child is not shown love or affection or is shamed, teased, or bullied. Emotional abuse can leave a child withdrawn and anxious. Sexual abuse happens if a child is forced to engage in any sexual contact or activity. Sexual abuse can make a child afraid of being touched or engage in inappropriate touching of others.

  • Explain what domestic violence is?

    Domestic violence occurs in romantic relationships or marriages. More often, this type of violence is used by one person in the relationship to try to control the other person.

  • Provide examples of how coercion may be used in a relationship?

    Coercion can be used in any relationship for one person to control another or to get what they want from the other person. Coercion can happen when one person makes another feel like they owe them something or when they use pressure, even though the other person said no. Coercion often leads to abuse and violence.

  • Summarize what human trafficking is and how to recognize it?

    Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery. Sex trafficking is a specific type of human trafficking whereby people are forced to perform sexual acts in exchange for basic human needs, such as food and shelter.

Assessment

Complete one or more of the following assessment tasks for this lesson.

  • Quiz: Have students take the Lesson 9.4 Quiz.
  • Vocabulary Review: Collect the Lesson 9.4 Vocabulary Review Worksheets, and evaluate them for accuracy.
  • Note-Taking Guide: Collect the completed Lesson 9.4 Note-Taking Guides, and spot check one or more items for completion and accuracy.
  • Skill-Building Worksheet: Have students submit the Lesson 9.4 Making Safe Relationship Decisions Skill-Building Challenge Worksheets, and use the Healthy Decision-Making Holistic Rubric to evaluate their skill development.
  • Journal Question: Ask students to respond to the journal question again, adding information they learned from today’s class. Require a one-paragraph response that uses proper grammar.

Take It Home

Research the local hotlines and resources available for victims of child abuse in your community. Provide a brief explanation of each service and how it can be contacted. Show your list to someone in your family to see whether they know of any other resources you should add.