On September 15, 2021, Annie and Mildred (both graduates from BRHS) came to KLA as representatives from the Tundra Women’s Coalition (TWC) to present on Teen Dating Violence and Accountability.
We learned “What love is?” and “What love isn’t?” We learned there is a healthy relationship cycle and an unhealthy relationship cycle. Within a relationship cycle, both cycles start in the Infatuation stage and progresses to the Tension stage. In a healthy relationship, one can move from tension to Communication. In an unhealthy relationship, one moves from tension to Explosion which can be dangerous. In a healthy relationship, effective communication starts with 1) clearly state the problem (in a respectful manner); 2) give your partner options (compromise); 3) allow the other person an opportunity to speak; and 4) do not bring up other issues (stick to the main thing). These effective communication practices can be used for any relationship such as family, friends, etc.
Lastly, we learned there are three elements of accountability. 1) Self accountability. This is self explanatory. 2) Internal accountability. This is when people within our circle i.e. family and friends hold us accountable for our actions. 3) External accountability. This is when people outside our circle i.e. strangers, police, social workers, etc. hold us accountable for our actions. We talked about our rights within a relationship and our responsibilities.
The students were very engaged with the presentation and there were two social workers present in case the topic triggered feelings for our students.
We want to thank TWC for taking the time to come out and present to our students. It was particularly nice to have graduates from Bethel Regional High School giving back to our community.
