Youth and Child Advocate and Educator Manual of Activities and Exercises for Children and Youth

203 Pages·2011·2.88 MB·English

Youth and Child
Advocate and Educator
Manual of Activities and Exercises
for Children and Youth

Compiled by Youth and Child Advocates and
Youth Educators of the
Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence

October 2009
Revised January 2011

PO Box 405, Montpelier, VT 05601
[phone]/ www.vtnetwork.org
Youth and Child Advocate and Educator
Manual of Activities and Exercises
for Children and Youth

Compiled by Youth and Child Advocates
and Youth Educators of the
Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence

October 2009
Revised January 2011

For use at Network Programs
Credit is noted where activities were adapted or derived from other sources

We have made every best effort to cite the origins of the activities contained in this manual. Some activities have been
handed down through generations of Advocates without documentation and their origins are unknown to us. Our
intention is to give credit where credit is due and we respectfully request any recognized or updated information be
forwarded to the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence for citation purposes.

PO Box 405, Montpelier, VT 05601
[phone]/ www.vtnetwork.org

This project was supported by grant no. 2004-WR-AX-0030 awarded by the Violence Against Women Office, Office of Justice Programs,
U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the
U.S. Department of Justice.
Table of Contents
Body Image
............................................................................................................................................................... 5
1. Good Body (Circle), Middle and High School .................................................................................................. 6
2. What My Body Does for Me (The Advocacy Program at Umbrella) K-12; Adults ........................................... 7

Bullying/Harassment
................................................................................................................................... 8
1. Harassment vs. Flirting Exercise (WomenSafe; Chittenden Co. Collaborative Project - Women Helping
Battered Women, Women’s Rape Crisis Center, Project Safe Choices), Middle School ............................... 9
2. Healthy Friendships (Circle), Elementary/Middle School.............................................................................. 11
3. Exclusion and the Dot Game (Circle), Elementary School ............................................................................. 13

Bystander/Allies
............................................................................................................................................. 15
1. Bystanders Unit (adapted by The Advocacy Program at Umbrella), All ages ............................................... 16
2. The Role of Bystanders in Bullying (adapted by The Advocacy Program at Umbrella), All ages .................. 18

Children Experiencing Domestic Violence..
................................................................... 20
1. Write a Letter, Poem or Song (PAVE – Project Against Violent Encounters), Middle/High School .............. 21

Communication
................................................................................................................................................ 22
1. Communication AWAREness Workshop (AWARE), Elementary School, all ages .......................................... 23
2. Communication Polaroid Exercise (PAVE – Project Against Violent Encounters), Middles/High School ..... 27
3. Listening Exercise (PAVE – Project Against Violent Encounters), Middle/High School ................................. 29
4. Developing Communications Skills (Battered Women’s Service and Shelter), High School ......................... 30

Consent
....................................................................................................................................................................... 31
1. Consent (Chittenden Co. Collaborative Project - Women Helping Battered Women, Women’s Rape Crisis
Center, Project Safe Choices), Middle School ............................................................................................... 32
2. Consent Seeking Role Play (WISE of the Upper Valley), High School/Adult ................................................. 35
3. Principals of Consent, Ashley and Jordon Scenario (WISE of the Upper Valley), High School/adult ............ 38

Conversation Starters/Ice Breakers
....................................................................................... 41
1. Ritual Questions Activity (Circle), Teens/adults ............................................................................................ 42

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Cooperation/Teamwork
....................................................................................................................... 43
1. Cup Stack Activity (Clarina Howard Nichols Center), Elementary/Middle School ........................................ 44

Domestic and Dating Violence/Healthy Relationships
.................................... 45
1. Dating Violence Role Play (Chittenden Co. Collaborative Project – Women Helping Battered Women,
Women’s Rape Crisis Center, Project Safe Choices), Middle School ............................................................ 46
2. Red Flag Skits (Circle), Middle/High School ................................................................................................... 48
3. Dear Abby Teen Dating Violence Bystander Activity (WISE of the Upper Valley), High School/adults ........ 49
4. Healthy and Unhealthy Relationship Cards Activity (Circle), 12 and up…..................................................... 51
5. Button Making Activity (Circle), All Ages ....................................................................................................... 53
6. How is Your Relationship? Quiz (PAVE – Project Against Violent Encounters), Middle/High School .......... 55
7. Love is/Like is, Love isn’t/Like isn’t (PAVE – Project Against Violent Encounters), Middle/High School ...... 56
8. Flirting-Harassment Continuum; Where do you cross the line? (PAVE – Project Against Violent
Encounters), Middle/High School ................................................................................................................. 57
9. Healthy Relationships Heart (The Advocacy Program at Umbrella) Teens/Adults ....................................... 58
10. What to Look For & what to Avoid (The Advocacy Program at Umbrella) Teens/Adults ........................... 59

Feelings and Emotions
............................................................................................................................. 60
1. Making Sense of Anger and Violence Activity (Circle), Middle/High School ................................................. 61
2. Emotion Mask (WISE of the Upper Valley), Preschool/Elementary School .................................................. 62
3. Feelings Game (Variation of Twister) (WISE of the Upper Valley), Preschool/Elementary School ............... 63
4. Feelings Volcano (WISE of the Upper Valley), Preschool/Elementary School .............................................. 64
5. Green-Yellow-Red Zones; What zone are you in? (PAVE – Project Against Violent Encounters),
All ages .......................................................................................................................................................... 65
6. Emotional chain (Colored paper chain of emotions), (PAVE – Project Against Violent Encounters),
Elementary/Middle/High School ................................................................................................................... 66
7. “I’ve Got a Lot on My Plate”, (Circle), Elementary/Middle School ............................................................. . 69
8. Feeling Ball and Feelings Funnel (Circle), Elementary School ....................................................................... 70
9. Story Time Game (Circle), Elementary School............................................................................................... 72

Gender Roles
........................................................................................................................................................ 73
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1. Gender Roles (Chittenden Co. Collaborative Project – Women Helping Battered Women, Women’s Rape
Crisis Center, Project Safe Choices), Middle School ...................................................................................... 74
2. Babies in Boxes Activity (Circle), Middle/High/ Adult ................................................................................... 76
3. Gender Respect: “Where Do I Stand?” (The Advocacy Program at Umbrella), Middle School and up ....... 78

Media
............................................................................................................................................................................. 79
1. Analyze an Ad (Circle), High School ............................................................................................................... 80

Nonviolence, Tolerance, Diversity
............................................................................................ 81
1. Every Peanut is Special (Clarina Howard Nichols Center), Elementary School aged 8-11 ............................ 82
2. Hands Are Not For Hitting (Safeline), Preschool, Elementary School ages 4-7 ............................................. 84
3. Safe Hands, Helping Hands (WomenSafe), Elementary K-6 .......................................................................... 85

Self-esteem/Decision Making
......................................................................................................... 87
1. Let the Sun Shine In (The Advocacy Program at Umbrella), K-12, Adults ..................................................... 88
2. Self-esteem Banners (The Advocacy Program at Umbrella), K-12, Adults .................................................... 90
3. Self-esteem T-Shirts (The Advocacy Program at Umbrella), 5-12, Adults ..................................................... 92
4. Self-esteem and Decision-Making Activity (Circle), Middle/High School/Adults .......................................... 94

Self Discovery
...................................................................................................................................................... 95
1. Me Inside and Out Book (Clarina Howard Nichols Center), Elementary School aged 8-11 .......................... 96
2. Draw a Bridge (Voices Against Violence/Laurie’s House), All ages ............................................................... 97
3. Mind and Life maps (PAVE – Project Against Violent Encounters), Middle/High School ............................. 98
4. Disposable Cameras - Relationships (PAVE – Project Against Violent Encounters), All ages ........................ 99
5. Scrap Booking and Art (PAVE – Project Against Violent Encounters), All ages ........................................... 100
6. Inspiration Poster (Circle), Elementary/Middle/High School ...................................................................... 101

Sexual Violence
............................................................................................................................................... 103
1. That’s Rape Activity (WISE of the Upper Valley), College through Adult .................................................... 104
2. Living in a Rape Culture/Rape Continuum (WISE of the Upper Valley), 11th Grade and up ....................... 105
3. Sexual Violence and Empathy Building, Adapted from PPNNE’s sexual Violence in Teenage Lives:
Prevention Curriculum; 1992 (WISE of the Upper Valley), 8th Grade and up ............................................. 108

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Miscellaneous Activities
...................................................................................................................... 111
1. Using Literature to Address Domestic, Dating and Sexual Violence (Safeline), All ages ............................ 112
2. Understanding Our Social History Timeline (Network Office), College/Adults ........................................... 113
3. Videos and Discussions: http://www.scenariosusa.org/; (PAVE – Project Against Violent Encounters),
Middle/High School ..................................................................................................................................... 117
4. Field Trips (PAVE – Project Against Violent Encounters), All ages .............................................................. 118

Handouts and Materials
....................................................................................................................... 119

Resources
............................................................................................................................................................... 185
Curricula .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 186
Activity Manuals .............................................................................................................................................. 190
Resource Manuals ........................................................................................................................................... 192
Group Manuals ................................................................................................................................................ 193
Books ............................................................................................................................................................... 194
Videos .............................................................................................................................................................. 195
Websites .......................................................................................................................................................... 198
Evaluation/Assessment Tool Web Links and Downloads ................................................................................ 199

List of Programs and Contact Information
.................................................................... 200

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Body Image

1. Good Body
(Circle), Middle and High School…….……………………………………………………6

2. What My Body Does for Me
(The Advocacy Program at Umbrella) K-12; Adults………………………………7

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1. Title: Good Body!

Program: Circle, Eliza Behrsing
Age Levels: Middle/High School
Appropriate for: Girl/Young Women Support Groups
Describe Audience: Girls who are engaged in a group where they have built trust
and connection and can talk openly.
Objective: Participants are able to identify and talk about cultural pressures
related to body image, engage in meaningful conversations about body image, and
participate in an activity about body appreciation.

Activity Description:
How much time needed: 30 minutes plus
Materials Needed: Good Body worksheet, body affirmations (these should
be small slips of paper with different body parts on them: shoulders, arms,
fingers, ears, belly, knees, hair, etc.)
Handouts: Good Body, pp. 120-121

Instructions:
Ask group to identify pressures that are related to physical appearance.
Have a conversation around media pressure on women to appear a certain
way. Guide the conversation toward strength/creating change.
o Which body parts are women encouraged to change if they don’t fit the
stereotype?
o Where are we presented with images of the “perfect” woman?
o Who creates these messages about women’s bodies and why?
o What products are sold to help women fix their appearance?
o Who benefits from producing these products?
o Would women be stronger if they felt good about their bodies?
o How could you support other women in feeling good about their
bodies?
“Good Body” worksheet (p. 120-121): Give members of the group a chance to
fill out the good body worksheet, and then share their responses.
Body Affirmations: Pass a hat around the room with the body part slips of
paper in it. Each member should draw a slip of paper and think of something
she likes to do with that body part (I like to use my feet to walk on the sand
at the beach), or something she likes about that body part (I like that my eyes
have different colors in them)

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2. Title: What My Body Does For Me

Program: The Advocacy Program at Umbrella
Age Levels: Grades K-12, adults
Appropriate For: Groups, one-on-one, classrooms
Describe Audience: Males and Females
Objective: Create awareness around what influences our perception of our own
body image and to create awareness more on the importance of what our body
does for us as opposed to what our bodies look like.

Activity Description:
How Much Time needed: 30 minutes
Materials needed: “This is what my body does for me…” handouts: ½ sheet
per participant, laminated pages from various magazines showing how the
media influences individuals’ perception of their own body image through
pictures and words, Colored pencils, Markers, Crayons.
Handouts: “This is what my body does for me…”, p. 122

Instructions:
Discuss:
o What Body Image means.
o How you feel about your body.
 Recognize unhealthy body image.
 Recognize healthy body image.
o What can influence how you feel about your body?
 The media
 Peers
 Family members
o The Media and body image
 Look at the different laminated magazine pages and discuss the
message it is sending.
o How can this affect someone’s body image?
o Brainstorm how our body’s physical being does so much, for example:
 Hears, Cartwheels, Jogs, Breathes, Dances
o Using the markers, colored pencils, crayons, etc. ask the participants to
write what their body does for them on the paper, decorate if times
allows.
o Remind participants to refer back to their sheet from time to time.

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Bullying/Harassment

1. Harassment vs. Flirting Exercise
(WomenSafe; Chittenden Co. Collaborative Project - Women Helping
Battered Women, Women’s Rape Crisis Center, Project Safe Choices),
Middle School ……………………………………...……………………………………….9-10

2. Healthy Friendships
(Circle), Elementary/Middle School……………………………………..………11-12

3. Exclusion and the Dot Game
(Circle), Elementary School…………………………………………………………13-14

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