Teaching Healthy Romantic Relationships: An exploration of institutional strategies and assessment methods (original) (raw)

Incorporating Relationship Education into a College Class on Marriage

Family Science Review

Many couples experience difficulty from relationship distress and/or divorce. Some research suggests that teaching relationship education (RE) to emerging adults before many enter long-term committed relationships can reduce relationship difficulty and promote healthy relationship behaviors. Yet, very little investigation has been conducted with RE and emerging adults. This study incorporated important concepts from the Within My Reach RE curriculum into an existing college class on marriage and comparisons were made with a class who did not receive RE on several variables. Results showed that those in the revised class showed significant gains in relationship confidence, insight, and healthy decision-making over the control class. Implications for practitioners and researchers are provided based on study findings.

Best Practices in Relationship Education Focused on Intimate Relationships

Family Relations

Relationship education is widely used to help people develop and sustain healthy romantic relationships. We first provide a review on the current state of evidence and key issues in the field, laying a foundation for suggesting specific best practices in relationship education. We focus on services provided to couples but also address the burgeoning field of relationship education with individuals. Although there are many gaps in the knowledge informing best practices-such as mechanisms of effect and dose-decades of research and experience provide a strong basis for specific recommendations. The hallmark of an evidence-based, best-practice approach lies in making thoughtful decisions based on current knowledge, the goals of the effort, the population served, and available resources. Healthy romantic relationships and marriages are vital to the well-being of adults, families, and

Evaluation of the High School Relationship Curriculum Connections: Dating and Emotions

Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 2012

Interest in relationship education for high school students has grown since the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 provided funding for Healthy Marriage Initiative programs. This study used a pretest and posttest design and measures of relationship knowledge and attitudes to evaluate a relationship curriculum taught in required health education classes to a sample of 139 students. Comparison of students' pretest and posttest scores showed slight gains in knowledge about relationships. Analysis based on characteristics associated with risk and protective factors for relationship outcomes (gender, academic performance and parental divorce history) found significant differences. Implications for expanding high school relationship education and recommendations for social work involvement in these programs are discussed.

Relationship Education and Classroom Climate Impact on Adolescents' Standards for Partners/Relationships

Family Relations, 2014

The effectiveness of relationship education has been supported for youth in correcting faulty relationship beliefs and forming conflict management skills; however, there is very limited research addressing whether relationship education matters for building or modifying relationship standards for romantic partners or relationships. Furthermore, whether and how social climate could add to or moderate curriculum effects has not been considered. Using a sample of 1,808 students nested in 106 high school family and consumer science classes in a southern state, this study examined the impact of a general youth-focused relationship education curriculum and classroom social climate on one ideal standard for relationship Human Development and Family Studies, 203 Spidle Hall, Auburn, AL 36849.

Where's the Action? Understanding What Works and Why in Relationship Education

Behavior Therapy, 2012

The field of couples relationship education has come to a critical junction. We have generally demonstrated that our interventions work (at least in the short run) but to what extent have we shown that the skills and processes we teach are in fact responsible for the success of the intervention? In this paper we review progress made in understanding mechanisms of change in relationship education, explore limitations of this body of research, explicate the barriers that interfere with progress in understanding mechanisms of change in intervention research, and present recommendations on how to proceed from here. Although our goal in this paper is to focus more on issues in the field rather than to present a comprehensive review of the literature, we provide overarching research summaries to illustrate some of our points. We conclude with offering recommendations for the next generation of research in the couples relationship education field.

How Do Teens' Romantic Relationship Skills, Knowledge, and Attitudes Change with Age?

OPRE Report #2022-309, 2022

Healthy marriage and relationship education (HMRE) programs for youth provide youth education on relationships through classroom-based curricula. Commonly used curricula cover topics such as knowing when you are ready for a relationship, understanding the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships, avoiding teen dating violence, communicating effectively, and managing conflict. Some but not all curricula provide information on decision making about sexual activity and ways to avoid teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. However, teens also receive information on romantic relationships from many other sources, including their friends and families, the Internet, classmates, social media, and through their own relationship experiences. In addition, the participants in an HMRE program for youth might start the program with differences in their baseline relationship skills, knowledge, and attitudes. For HMRE programs to have their intended effects, curriculum developers and program providers need evidence on which relationship skills, knowledge, and attitudes teens are likely to develop on their own, and which can benefit from the support of an HMRE program.