REAL relationships

Last term, we were busy running REAL workshops with 13-14 year-olds at schools around the Wokingham area. In fact, we’ve seen over 1,200 of them!

REAL (Relationships, Esteem, Aspiration, Lifestyle) supports the RSHE curriculum, which deserves to be covered in more depth. In REAL workshops, we talk about topics like what makes a good friendship or relationship, including issues around boundaries, consent and sexting – and we also explore self-esteem and identity – all things that young people want to discuss.

It’s all done in an engaging, interactive way of course, with games, activities, discussion and real life stories.

It was great as always to hear the Year 9s share their experiences, thoughts and opinions. Here’s what they thought of the sessions.

“I thought it would be awkward. It was interesting and not awkward at all.”

“The information wasn’t outdated. Real life stories were very good as well. Helped me see that it’s not just a story and these things could happen to me.”

“I really enjoyed the sessions, I think they added fun games in with teaching important lessons that all people over 12 should know.”

“I liked listening to the stories because they showed me a real example of consent and relationships.”

“The workshop made us all think about mature topics in depth.”

“I learned that consent is number one in every relationship if it’s either friends or partners.”

“I really learnt how to be in a good relationship romantic and friendship. It helped me know how to build and improve my connections with friends.”

“The hosts made sure it was a safe environment. I enjoyed being able to write down and express my thoughts. Thank you!”

Getting smart about photos

Sexting, or “sending nudes” is one of the pressures that young people are likely to face as they get older.

In 2020, Internet Matters found that almost a quarter of 15+ year-olds said they had been pressured or blackmailed into sending nude photos of themselves. Many others did it freely, with 35% of boys considering it a normal expectation in a relationship.

But one in six children said their photos had been shared with others, without their consent – resulting in devastating humiliation.

Teenagers’ brains are still developing, making it more difficult for them to consider the long-term implications of actions like taking and sending a nude photo to somebody that – in that moment – they trust.

That’s why we think it’s really important to discuss issues like this in depth early enough to teach young people how to make smart decisions – and to help them develop high expectations of their future relationships. We want to see them equipped to put boundaries and healthy respect in place as they get older.