Unhealthy relationship dynamics don’t suddenly appear in high school. By upper elementary and middle school, students are already absorbing messages about control, jealousy, consent, and “love” from media, peers, and what they see at home. Without clear, age-appropriate guidance, harmful behaviors can become normalized.
 
Drawing from ten years of experience in school social work and four years of coaching counselors implementing dating violence lessons, I distilled the most vital information from an eight-session-long CDC-vetted curriculum into this resource so that you can get it across in as little as one forty-five-minute period. 
 
Created by a school social worker with nearly 10 years of experience, including 4 years delivering healthy relationship and dating violence education to middle and high school students. I have also coached teachers and counselors implementing full curricula in their schools.
 
Data collected from these trainings shows significant increases in student knowledge regarding:
Healthy relationship dynamics
Conflict resolution
The prevalence of teen dating violence
 
This trauma-informed, prevention-focused SEL resource gives students the language, skills, and confidence they need to identify healthy relationships, recognize red flags early, and seek support when something doesn’t feel right.
 
Designed specifically for grades 5–8, this lesson meets students where they are by addressing what “dating” and relationships realistically look like at this age, including friendships, early romantic interest, breakups, and digital interactions.
 
What’s Included:
20-page editable Google Slides presentation
Includes facilitator notes to guide delivery and discussion
Small-group activity with 1-page printable PDF
Two 2-page individual worksheets (PDFs)
One focused on healthy relationship dynamics
One focused on unhealthy relationship dynamics
No color printing or prep required
 
Students Learn:
What makes a healthy relationship (including discussions of dating and breaking up)
Unhealthy relationship dynamics and red flags
Consent in age-appropriate context and why it goes beyond the absence of a “no”
The cycle and impact of abuse
What to do if they or someone they know are in an unhealthy relationship
 
Technology and digital behaviors are addressed throughout, including identifying digital abuse and unhealthy use of communication tools.
 
Flexible Implementation:
Can be completed in 45 minutes to 1 hour as a stand-alone lesson
May be expanded into a three-session series using the activity and worksheets
Anyone may implement: teachers, school social workers, school counselors, student support personnel, or community groups
Ideal for:
Classroom push-ins
Small group counseling
Advisory or SEL time
After-school or community programming
 
Trauma-Informed, Developmentally Appropriate"
Prevention-focused SEL approach
Age-appropriate language and scenarios
Designed to support learning without graphic content
Suitable for diverse student experiences