Community Member Texting Scenario Activity

H&PE Curriculum Connections

Grade 7: A1.1, A1.2, A1.4, A1.5, A1.6, D1.1, D1.3, D2.2, D2.4

Grade 8: A1.1, A1.2, A1.4, A1.5, A1.6, D2.2, D2.3, D3.2, D3.3

Grade 9: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, C1.2, C2.2, C2.3, C3.2, C3.3

What Is It All About?

Knowing and setting healthy boundaries is key to all relationships - not just intimate ones. Learning how to establish, monitor, and maintain healthy relationships is an important life skill. Youth need to understand the different types of relationships that exist in their community, examine the structures of those relationships, and know how to establish and maintain these healthy social relationships. This Draw the Line scenario explores the nature of relationships between youth and their community, the power structures that exist that may prevent them from taking action when they feel unsafe, and the concept of consent. Students explore the importance of intervening in a safe and empathetic manner as a bystander.

During this activity, students investigate the use of technology to respectfully and appropriately communicate with others. Students practice empathizing with a friend whose consent is being violated by a community member and consider the safest and most effective ways of intervening as a bystander.

The video used for this activity has two parts.

In Part 1 of the video, Julie Lalonde presents the complexity of the issue that is presented in the Draw the Line Community Member Texting scenario including:

• The subtlety of these types of inappropriate text messages
• Power structures in communities that make it difficult for youth to navigate these situations
• The concept of consent and its application to this situation
• The importance of the role of bystander intervention

In Part 2 of the video, Julie summarizes the key lessons from the Draw the Line Community Member Texting scenario.

What Do We Need?

• Link to the Community Member Texting scenario video and projection equipment
• Draw the Line Community Member Texting scenario card or poster, or a projected copy of the card
• Guided discussion questions:
  • What makes a message inappropriate?
  • What stops people from asking for help or reporting a situation in which they feel unsafe or are being harassed?
  • How can we establish personal boundaries in our relationships with others?
  • How can we support someone who feels powerless to speak up for themselves?
  • What does it mean to “hold someone’s hand” as they report?
• Sticky notes or shared electronic document
• Student Worksheet
• Refer to Ophea’s Gender-Based Violence Prevention Education Resource Database for additional resources.

Opportunities for Assessment

During the Minds On, observe small-group conversation in order to assess student understanding of the dangers, for themselves and others, that are associated with use of digital technologies and appropriate communication.

During the Action, use students’ responses from the Student Worksheet to assess their understanding of the impact of sexual harassment and how to apply strategies to respond to such situations.

During the Consolidation, use the student Exit Card to assess student coping and self-awareness skills and their understanding of how to apply strategies for responding to such situations.

How Is It Done?

Minds On

Provide students with sticky notes or access to a shared document. Before watching Part 1 of the Community Member Texting scenario video with students, have them generate ideas about the different types of technology (e.g., texting, SMS, games, chat boxes in online learning platforms, apps) they use to communicate in a typical day or during the week, with whom they communicate, and why (e.g., texting a friend for social engagement, using a game chat room to share strategies, private chat during a group call to ask a question). Have students write down and post some of their examples.

Have students work in small groups to discuss the following:

• What makes a message inappropriate? (e.g., the subject matter, the person from whom it is received and/or the person receiving it, the platform or context in which it is received, the time it was sent)
• What do you consider to be “inappropriate content in a message”? (e.g., “It has foul language.” “It’s sexual.” “It suggests doing something I don’t want to do/say.” “It makes me feel uncomfortable.” “I don’t know the person that well.” “It’s a random message.” “It’s from someone I don’t recognize.” “It’s rude.”)
• Considering the audience, the relationship, and the content of the message, is it inappropriate regardless of any other context? Or are there situations where it might be okay?

Action

Present the Draw the Line Community Member Texting scenario card to the class.

Have students use the Student Worksheet (or a shared document, sticky notes, chart paper, Graffiti Wall) and discuss how their friend might be feeling (e.g., nervous, ashamed, afraid, uncomfortable, concerned about the consequences, at fault), what they might say to their friend, and what they might suggest their friend do.

Watch Part 1 of the Community member scenario video.

Have students revisit their small group dialogue and re-examine their initial ideas for solutions, based on what they heard in the video. Encourage students to add notes to their worksheet as needed.

Watch Part 2 of the Community member scenario video. Encourage students to pay attention to the importance of intervening in a safe and empathetic manner as a bystander. Encourage students to take notes in the section provided on their worksheet as they listen to Julie.

Before students answer the task posed by Julie (Identify three people you trust explicitly.), have them reconvene in their small group and complete question 2 of the Student Worksheet. Have groups choose one of the four examples provided on the worksheet (e.g., Sit and talk with your friend, Tell another community member or elder, Report it, or Generate your own next steps), and illustrate how they might respond to their friend and tangible ways to take action (e.g., using a role play, letter, email, SMS exchange, other agreed-upon format).

Consolidation

Have students work individually to complete their Exit Card on the Student Worksheet or record their responses (voice or video), encouraging them to anchor their responses to their understanding of consent and being a trusted friend.

Ideas for Extension

Before the activity: review the IDEAL Decision-making Model with students to guide their thinking about possible actions. This framework includes five steps:

• I – Identify the problem.
• D – Describe all possible solutions.
• E – Evaluate the pros and cons of each solution.
• A – Act on the best solution.
• L – Learn from the choices.

After the activity: Use the IDEAL Decision-making Model with students when exploring other Draw the Line scenarios.

Review strategies for using effective means of communication, affirming oneself, setting boundaries, regulating emotions, encouraging others to take responsibility for their actions, and supporting a person in need.

Watch additional Draw the Line videos, such as Introduction to Gender-Based Violence Prevention or Introduction to Consent, to extend discussions about taking action.

Have conversations about what consent looks like in a variety of relationships (e.g., sibling, partner, friend). Have students discuss what these relationships look like, sound like, and feel like.

Complete the Sticky Note Collage in the Ideas for Action: Growth and Development resource.

Have students create mock social media messages (e.g., to look like Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok posts) to express their opinions and the actions they would take with respect to inappropriate text messages and violation of consent. Note: Consider asking students to also highlight connections to safe, informed media literacy and digital literacy practices.

Consider using additional activities from Ophea’s Ideas for Action: Growth and Development resource.

Educator Notes

• Before starting a classroom conversation, be aware that some students may have experienced situations related to the topic, either directly or indirectly, in the past or present. This includes recognizing that some students might have already experienced sexual harassment, and some might have already been on the receiving end of the kind of text message discussed and perhaps did not respond “appropriately.” Therefore, it is important to identify resources for support (i.e., trusted adult, educator, guidance counsellor, social worker, social services, health nurse, and/or school liaison officer) that you can share discreetly or generally with students.
• Ensure students are aware of and can access referral services and resources if they need to. Consult the Working with Adult Team Members section in the Ideas for Action: Growth and Development resource for more information. See also Ophea’s Gender-Based Violence Prevention Education Resource Database for additional resources.
• Coordinate with school support staff (e.g., school guidance counsellor, social worker, principal) to ensure they are aware and available to support or refer students if needed during and after any discussion.
• Allow students to capture their feelings in a variety of ways (e.g., notes, pictures, doodles, drawings). Understand that students might have a lot of different feelings in reaction to this scenario. Help students unpack the feelings that come up and work through them in a healthy way.
• As a group, define the term role models and identify examples of positive role models.
• Be mindful of students who are unable to identify positive role models or examples of positive relationships within their community. This could be a sign that a student is living in a situation that involves violence or threat.
• Support students with strategies for identifying and managing their emotions in ways that allow them to focus on self-care and their overall well-being.
• Review effective means of communication and how to be affirmative.
• Remind students about the Better and Best Tips applicable before, during, and after the activity (refer to Tips for Constructive Classroom Conversations).
• We each have a responsibility to protect children and youth from harm. As a professional educator working directly with students and supporting others doing the same, you have a duty to report when you have reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is or may be in need of protection.