Lesson 3: Respecting Boundaries

This lesson introduces the concept of the right to respect. Respect means that everyone should be treated like they are important and valuable. In this lesson, students will also learn that the right to respect and the right to safety include their body boundaries and their privacy. Privacy is different from a safe secret or unsafe secret. Privacy is internal and keeps others from seeing or hearing things that are personal. A safe secret is external and one that will eventually be told. An unsafe secret is external and is one that is harmful and you are told not to tell. A body boundary is defined as the personal space that surrounds each of us. Students will understand that when someone makes them feel uncomfortable, unsafe, or threatened, their body boundaries have been violated. Boundaries can be violated even if students feel like someone is physically too close to them. Students are reminded that they have the personal power to use their voice to report all body boundary violations to a trusted adult in their Safety NETwork.

The difference between tattling and reporting is illustrated as students see how an unsafe situation caused by a body boundary violation is resolved with the help of a trusted adult in a Safety NETwork. The steps of the Think, Feel, Act strategy, are used with a trusted adult to demonstrate how to assess the safety of any situation: Think about the situation, decide how it makes you Feel, and decide how will you Act.

Involving a trusted adult from the Safety NETwork reinforces the important safety strategy of telling until you are heard and helped.

Teacher Notes:

• Please refer to the Teacher Guide on this Safer, Smarter, Kids 4-5 page. This will guide the activities as well.

Materials Need:

• Lesson 3 Learning Log

• Parent letter for lesson 3

• Teacher Led Activity