The focus of the Choices & Consequences Module is to help youth mindfully evaluate their choices and consequences in the context of relationships. This module was designed using healthy vs. unhealthy relationships, legal rights and responsibilities, and the consent processes modules as foundational pieces. The emphasis of this module is to help youth take the time to think carefully about their choices and the ones that contribute to healthy relationships and others that perpetuate unhealthy relationships. The messages of trusting one’s own intuition and getting help from a trusted adult when making a difficult choice are also emphasized throughout the module.

Big Messages:

• Every choice has a consequence; they can be both positive or negative outcomes
• When you make a good choice, you feel good about it and about yourself
• A poor choice can always be followed by a better choice
  

Learning Goals:

Increase comfort and confidence in evaluating choices and consequences

• Recognize how our choices and their consequences inform our relationships with ourselves and others
• Use knowledge of legal rights and responsibilities to evaluate choices and consequences
• Define consequence and give examples of both positive and negative consequences
• Identify how to protect oneself from poor choices made by others

What The Evidence Says

(click here for full version of literature review)

Making choices and thinking through the consequences of those choices affect all aspects of relating to ourselves and others. This would include understanding and practicing how to set healthy boundaries and how to effectively resolve conflicts through effective communication. Interwoven into all of these elements is the ability to make healthier choices with regards to relationships and to reflect on the consequences of our actions on our relationships. Antle and colleagues (2011) evaluated a healthy relationships program that involved examining patterns in healthy and unhealthy relationships and practicing conflict resolution skills. They found that youth who received this program reported significant gains in relationship knowledge, communication, conflict resolution skills, and much lower acceptance of dating violence. It appears that receiving the program helped youth make better choices when navigating their relationships with one another.

Making healthy choices and thinking through the consequences is also hugely important for the concept of consent. Researchers have identified areas of ambiguity around youth’s knowledge about consent such as: not having a clear definition of what enthusiastic consent is, not understanding the differences between consent, sexual coercion and compliance, and not recognizing that consent needs to be both sought and given (Beres, 2014; Coy, et al., 2013, Peterson & Muehlenhard, 2007; Thomson, 2004, Vannier & O’Sullivan, 2011). Youth also need an understanding around their legal rights and responsibilities, which informs the consent process as well as how their behaviour can impact others and the consequences of such behaviours.

Note to Facilitator:

The facilitator has a legal obligation to report suspicions of child abuse to a child protection agency (in the case of Ontario, the Children’s Aid Society (CAS)). Please review over the information provided around disclosure and the reporting process.

Activities

Choices & Consequences Scenario Discussions
Choices & Consequences Swapping Scenarios
VIEW CURRICULUM CHART