New youth relationship resource provided to schools

In the fall of 2001, the Safe and Caring Schools Initiative was announced to strengthen the Department of Education's commitment to being proactive in addressing issues of violence in schools throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. Since that time, a number of programs and initiatives have been introduced in keeping with the Safe and Caring Schools action plan. Today, Minister John Ottenheimer announced new resources available to students and educators.

Choices for Positive Youth Relationships consists of an instructional guide and a National Film Board award-winning video, A Love That Kills, based on the true story of Monica Spears, a 19-year-old woman who was murdered by her former boyfriend. This program was developed to help students identify the roots of violence in our society, understand the warning signs that are symptomatic of abuse and recognize ways to assist themselves and peers who may be involved in unhealthy or abusive relationships. It also fosters the development of skills and knowledge needed to build and sustain positive, healthy relationships.

"Teachers and parents need to provide information to students that will allow them to make positive relationship choices," said Minister Ottenheimer. "The comprehensive instructional guide and lesson plans, combined with the powerful messages in the video, will help empower our students to develop healthy relationships and to make safe decisions. The lessons are designed to encourage community involvement so that youth have the support of their school and their broader community. A collaborative approach, that engages all partners, is essential to the development of safe and caring learning environments."

The six lesson plans were piloted by teachers and aligned with curricula in several provinces across Canada. In this province, the resource can be used with the Grade 9 Adolescence: Relationships and Sexuality course, or the new course, Human Dynamics 2201, at the high school level. Choices for Positive Youth Relationships will be supplied to all schools offering Grade 9 or above throughout the province.

"Our staff have been in-servicing guidance counsellors throughout the province over the past couple of months, and we hope to have this completed by the end of March," added the minister. "The counsellors can then work with teachers to bring the program into the classrooms, providing accurate information and access to various resources. We hope the program will assist schools in their continuing efforts to make violence prevention an important part of their classrooms."

Visit the Department of Education's Safe and Caring Schools Initiative at www.gov.nl.ca/edu/dept/safesch.htm

February is Violence Prevention Month in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and its community partners with the Violence Prevention Initiative (VPI) have instituted Violence Prevention Month to focus attention on the issues of violence and to call on the public to get involved in violence prevention. For more information regarding Violence Prevention Month, please see the VPI web site at www.gov.nl.ca/vpi

Media contact: Lynn Salter, Communications, (709) 729-0048

2004 02 03                                        9:45 a.m.