Green Flags
Your friend disagrees with your opinion. Is this automatically a sign of an unhealthy friendship?
No. People can disagree and still have a healthy and respectful relationship.
Someone continues making jokes about you after you've clearly asked them to stop. Green flag or red flag?
Red flag. They're ignoring a boundary.
Your friend makes a joke that bothers you. What could you do before assuming the friendship is unhealthy?
Tell them how you feel and ask them to stop.
True or false: asking for help means you've failed to solve the problem yourself.
False.
Complete the sentence: Having an argument with someone means the relationship is ______ unhealthy.
Not necessarily.
Your friend realises that a joke upset you, apologises and doesn't make the joke again. What positive relationship skill have they demonstrated?
Respecting a boundary / taking responsibility.
Your friend says, "If you were really my friend, you'd do it." What are they doing?
Pressuring/manipulating you.
Two of your friends are fighting and both demand that you choose their side. What could you do?
Avoid being dragged into the conflict, explain that you don't want to choose sides, and encourage them to resolve it appropriately.
Name TWO trusted adults at school you could approach about a relationship problem.
teacher, Year Adviser, Head Teacher, Deputy Principal, Principal, counsellor/wellbeing staff or another trusted staff member.
What is a boundary in a relationship?
A limit someone sets about what they are and aren't comfortable with.
Name TWO features of a positive relationship.
Any two: respect, trust, honesty, communication, support, appropriate boundaries, feeling safe/comfortable.
Your friend gets angry whenever you spend time with other people and tries to decide who you can be friends with. Why is this concerning?
They are attempting to control or isolate you from other relationships.
A friend shares something private that you told them. What's a reasonable first response if you feel safe doing so?
Speak to them about what happened, explain why it upset you and establish a boundary.
Your friend tells you about a problem but asks you to keep it secret. You think someone may be unsafe. Should you promise to keep the secret?
No. If someone's safety is at risk, involve an appropriate trusted adult.
Which matters more when judging concerning behaviour: one isolated incident or a repeated pattern?
A repeated pattern is generally more concerning, although a single serious incident such as a threat can require immediate help.
Your friend tells you they're upset with something you've done rather than talking about you behind your back. Why can this be a positive behaviour?
They are communicating the problem directly and giving you an opportunity to resolve it.
What's more concerning: one disagreement with a friend or the same disrespectful behaviour happening repeatedly? Why?
Repeated behaviour. A pattern can indicate that the person's boundaries or wellbeing aren't being respected.
You've asked someone several times to stop doing something that makes you uncomfortable, but they keep doing it. What's your next step?
Seek support from a trusted adult/person rather than repeatedly trying to manage it alone.
Why can getting another person's perspective be useful when you're having relationship problems?
Strong emotions can make situations difficult to judge, and a trusted person can provide advice, perspective and support.
Name the THREE things from our Relationship Thermometer that we should think about when deciding whether a relationship is becoming unhealthy.
Patterns, boundaries and safety.
Two friends have a serious disagreement but eventually listen to each other, apologise where appropriate and move forward. What does this demonstrate?
Healthy conflict resolution. Positive relationships don't require people to never disagree.
Name THREE behaviours that could indicate a relationship is becoming unsafe.
Any three appropriate examples: threats, intimidation, controlling behaviour, repeated harassment, coercion/pressure, deliberately isolating someone, physical violence, ignoring serious boundaries.
Someone you know threatens you and tells you you'll make things worse if you tell anyone. What should you do?
Tell a trusted adult and seek help. Threats should not be kept secret because someone has pressured you to do so.
Your friend tells you that someone has threatened them, but they don't want an adult involved. What should you do?
Seek help from a trusted adult anyway if there is a genuine safety concern. Supporting a friend sometimes means getting appropriate help.
Explain the difference between a normal conflict and an unsafe relationship.
A normal conflict can involve disagreement, frustration or mistakes while both people remain safe and boundaries can be respected. An unsafe relationship can involve threats, fear, control, intimidation, coercion or repeated serious boundary violations.