• go to The Respect Institute

275 million children worldwide witness domestic violence every year (UNICEF). While 1 in 5 teens in a serious relationship report being hit, slapped or pushed by a partner (LoveIsRespect.org).
Half of teens admit to bullying someone in the past year (Josephson Institute of Ethics).
8.8 million children in the U.S. witness a crime in their home each year. (DOJ, 1997).
1 in 3 teens drop out of high school (EDE Research Center).
Teen suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among young adults (Centers for Disease Control).

Does this sound like thriving to you?

Our programs are designed to empower youth, families and community members with The Respect Basics to reverse all of these negative trends and to lead us toward a better world.

The Respect Rally is a half-day summit or assembly where middle school, high school, college students or just girls learn to boost their self-respect, improve relationships and become leaders of change.

The Rally is now delivered by the new organization: The Respect Institute!

Comments (0) | by Courtney on October 26

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Here is the status quo:

• 1 in every 2 females worldwide has been abused during her lifetime.
• 50% of teens in serious relationships say they've gone against their beliefs to please their partner, including going further sexually than they wanted.
• 1 in 5 teens who’ve been in a serious relationship report being hit, slapped or pushed by a partner.
• 3 out of 10 teen girls become pregnant.
• 1 in 3 students drop out of high school.
• 4 in 10 teen boys have a criminal record.

We believe respect is the remedy. When teens’ self-respect—and respect for others—is going strong, anything is possible. They make healthier choices, create respectful relationships, achieve their goals and become leaders who spread respect for all. To make respect the new status quo, we created the Respect: Keep It Going! Kit -- a program for middle school and high school students. Advocates can use the Kit to partner with teens to lead a respect-building program for 6 to 18 weeks. 

The

Comments (0) | by Courtney on February 13

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by Jen Uribe, Respect Rx Programs Assistant

September marked the launch of our new program: The Respect Rally, which inspire girls to change their worlds—inside and out.

After holding a Rally in Salem, OR., we led a Rally for Notre Dame High School San Jose, CA. As our volunteers, teachers and other supporters of Respect Rx were coming in and helping us out in the gym we could not wait to meet the 600 high school girls! As time flew by, it was finally time for the first slide of our rally, and the climate of the room could not have been more empowering.

There were 600 pairs of beautiful eyes staring onto stage, waiting to hear what the Rally leaders (Courtney, Respect Rx founder, and Jennifer Davidson, founder of Reality Check Coaching) were all about. Well it did not take long for them to fall in love with both of these empowering women and just seeing how both their positive energies work together. Once the Respect Rx team got the crowd going these girls were dying to speak out. The girls sat in pods of 12 and did activities focused on building respect in three categories: Myself, My Relationships and My World. After each activity, lines with more than 20 girls would form when we asked to come up and speak to their classmates. At one point girls even spontaneously broke into dancing around the gym in a big train to the song "Unwritten."

We could not have been more thrilled with how things went. It was all of our dreams come true. We could tell the girls were learning and yearning for more, which made every activity even more exciting. These girls were not only taking in all of our information but they were also teaching one another the core concepts of respect from their own unique experiences. This was incredibly inspiring both to the girls themselves and the Respect Rx team because this is exactly what we are all about: girls teaching girls!

We had girls write up their "Respect Promise" and here's what a few said:

To respect myself more, I will:

Appreciate and embrace what I have, take care of myself better, and think more positively about myself.

Accept myself for who I am, and not what others want me to be.

Look at myself everyday and tell myself I am beautiful on the inside and outside and no one can undermine me.

Overall, the day was spent with a variety of emotions from a variety of sources, but we can all agree that the rally was a huge success! We want to thank all of our supporters and we can't wait for our next rally, because we want to reach out to as many girls as we possibly can.

Comments (0) | by Jennifer on November 8

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Along with our fabulous Respect Rx Groups that are just for girls, may we also suggest: the RESPECT Book Club.

RESPECT Book Clubs are casual, fun and a place to be real with each other and share feelings and issues about self-respect, relationships and making healthy choices. You can create the club just for moms and daughters, girls and their big sisters or woman mentors, or you can modify the format and create a special dads and daughters version!

Some suggestions for getting started:

Step No. 1: Set up your book club. Before your first meeting, you’ll want to:

• Select an appropriate venue for the book club (library, members’ houses, school, etc).

• Recruit a dedicated group of mothers and daughters, for example.

• Pick a recurring date and time for the club to meet.

• Distribute information on how to get the book for those who haven’t already.

• Appoint a moderator to lead the first discussion. After that, rotate!

• Design a way to keep members informed about meeting details and reading assignments, such as an email group or a phone tree.

Step No. 2: Create a Respect Pact. In the spirit of the book, it’s important to set the tone for the group with a Respect Pact. You can design this pact in the group’s first meeting and read it at the beginning of every meeting as ritual. The pact can address:

• How you’ll show each other respect.

• How you’ll share responsibilities and organizational tasks.

• The way that daughters will support their mothers, and vice versa.

• The promise of privacy—what is said during book club meetings stays within the group (no post-club gossip!).

• What resources you’ll approve to be used in the meeting, such as trusted helplines or other books besides RESPECT when you're done reading it.

Step No. 3: Try the sample meeting format: Here’s one suggested way to set up each book club meeting:

• Form a circle with chairs or on the floor.

• Start things off by reading the Respect Pact (see above).

• Each week can focus on one of the 12 chapters in RESPECT. Come to the meeting having read the corresponding content for the week. You can also take turns reading sections of a chapter during the meeting.

• Start off with a discussion round, in which members can share how the content relates to their lives. If you’re reading the book during the meeting, have each person share after they’ve read. Make sure everyone has a chance to share and try to avoid giving advice if a personal issue comes up. Instead, remember that each girl and woman can figure out her own life. Listen, ask open-ended questions but don't try to fix each other.

• Engage the group in an activity, such as one directly from the book. You might do a group activity or a quiet journaling activity. Another option is to agree to do the journaling as an assignment for the next meeting.

• Close the meeting by reading Your Rights together.

xoxo

Comments (0) | by Courtney on June 5

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RESPECT was written for girls, but the book can teach all teens (and adults) how to build mutual respect. Here's how to use the book in the classroom or workshops for teens:

1. Build Self-Respect
Use The 7 Respect Basics to show teens how respect is connected to everything—from their choices to how they feel about themselves to their future success.

2. Foster Mutual Respect
Help students set higher standards for how to give and get respect using the do's and don'ts in Chapter 1. Also, work with students to create respect pacts for their classrooms (see Chapters 6 and 11).

3. Encourage Healthy Choices
Mentor teens about how to make self-respecting choices that honor their values, gut instincts, and boundaries. Chapters 1 through 3 and 8 are perfect for class discussions on how the mind-body connection contributes to a teen’s overall success and sense of self-worth.

4. Teach Media Literacy
Have a class discussion about media myths and stereotypes that fuel disrespect and gender inequality. Use activities from the "Take Back the Media" section in Chapter 4.

5. Promote Equal Rights
Advance equality and self-respect starting with a discussion of "Your Rights" and "Inside the –isms" (see Chapter 1). "REtroSPECT" sidebars throughout the book are also handy civil rights summaries that are great for kick-starting broader discussions.

6. End Sexual Harassment and Bullying
Set the tone for mutual respect by discussing with students the effects sexual harassment and bullying. Inform students about your school’s anti-harassment policy. Chapter 11 offers steps students can take to report harassment and to promote a safe learning environment for all.

7. Raise Awareness About Abuse and Dating Violence
Use the clear definitions and examples of abuse in Chapter 9, to discuss the effects of abuse and how students can get help, report crimes, or support a friend. Also discuss the difference between disrespectful and healthy relationships as described in Chapters 5 and 7.

8. Sponsor Self-Defense
To decrease violence, bullying and abuse, help teens learn how to de-escalate situations, how to defend themselves, and how to get help. Share the tips and strategies in Chapter 10. Also use the evidence presented to lobby your school to teach self-defense techniques in P.E. class.

9. Inspire Political Action
Using Chapter 12, you can show teens how to take action to spread respect and become future leaders. Teachers can supplement government and history lesson plans with activities listed in "Make Your Voice Heard" such as how to write letters to lawmakers or start a campaign for change.

10. Advocate Getting Help
Referencing "Help!" sidebars throughout the book, you can encourage teens to get help when it comes to dating violence, eating disorders, abuse, harassment, or everyday dilemmas they're going through. Teach students how to find reliable support and resources using the "More Info" section (page 204) as a guide.

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To learn more about school workshops, go to >
Events + Workshops

llustration by Catherine LePage © Free Spirit Publishing Inc. 2005

Comments (0) | by Courtney on February 1

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