Helping Youth Build Relationship Skills

Adolescence is a time to explore and develop emotional and social competence. On one hand teens are learning to perceive, assess, and manage their own emotions; on the other hand they are engaged in building their capacity to be sensitive and effective in relating to others: friends, family, and adults in their lives, as well as girlfriends and boyfriends.

Healthy relationships require communication and intimacy skills; they also rely on individual characteristics such as emotional self-regulation, social confidence, and empathy. Often youth programs do not focus explicitly on promoting healthy relationships, but they may include activities that practice pro-social behaviors and communication skills. The resources below emphasize building healthy relationship skills.

Program Activities and Curricula

Love Notes
This curriculum engages youth (age 16-24) in exploring healthy versus unhealthy relationships; decision making and goal setting; negotiation and interpersonal skills; and their own values in relation to intimate relationships.

Relationship Smarts PLUS
This curriculum for grades 9-12 covers values, peer pressure, attraction and infatuation, creating positive relationships, assessing relationship health, breaking up, and more.

The Art of Loving Well: A Character Education Curriculum for Today's Teenagers
This literature-based relationship skills curriculum explores a wide variety of relationships, including friendships and family, infatuations and first romances, and enduring commitments. Free download.

Choose Respect
This website from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers material and activities promoting healthy relationships, including The Playbook, a guide to implementing a community-wide approach to healthy relationships and teen dating violence. Free download.

Life Planning Education
This Advocates for Youth curriculum includes sections on healthy relationships and social skills development. Free download.

It's All One Curriculum
Offered by the Population Council, this manual and activity guide feature sections on interpersonal relationships and communication. Free download.

Answer at Rutgers University: Love and Relationships
These lesson plans and videos on love and relationships are geared for grades 8-12. Free download.

Safe Dates
This curriculum addresses dating violence and healthy relationship skills.

Coaching Boys into Men Playbook
This tool from the Family Violence Prevention Fund engages coaches in helping young athletes develop healthy respect for women and positive values regarding relationships. Free download.

FLASH: Lesson Plans for Special Education
The Family Life and Sexual Health (FLASH) curriculum from Seattle and King County Public Health offers lesson plans and activities for special education students. Free download.

Resources for Young People

Teens Health: Relationships
The Teens Health site from Nemours covers a wide range of topics, including a section on relationships. The site includes audio for visually impaired youth and is also available in Spanish.

Center for Young Women's Health: Healthy Relationships
Boston Children's Hospital sponsors this site for teen women. This section explores healthy relationships, including family, friends, and dating.

Sex, Etc.: Love & Relationships
In addition to offering "sex education by teens, for teens," this popular site includes many articles on relationships. The site is a project of Answer at Rutgers University.

StayTeen: What's Your Relationship Reality?
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy sponsors this site, which includes articles by teens about relationships as well as relationship-themed games.

That's Not Cool
This site helps teens understand and address digital harassment.