I have decided to share The Relationship Literacy Program with the public. I published the curriculum book Relationships are Treasures in December 2007. It is an abuse / violence prevention - healthy relationship curriculum for middle childhood ages 8-12. The Relationships are Treasures curriculum is effective as a stand-alone curriculum in schools or as a supplement to existing prevention efforts. Here is the link to the full curriculum.
www.xlibris.com/RelationshipLiteracy.html I am offering on this site The Relationship Literacy Word Puzzle booklet – a part of the curriculum.

Today, because abuse and violence affect people from all cultural, socio-economic, racial, and ethnic groups, many may consider them to be normal—even inevitable--parts of daily, contemporary existence. Despite their pervasive nature and harmful impact, abuse and violence can be avoided in human relationships. Both are learned behaviors and both can be unlearned. Maintaining nonviolent, healthy relationships can be taught.

The Relationships are Treasures curriculum uses concepts familiar to both adults and youth to teach the prevention of abuse and violence in relationships, important self-management skills, and tools and principles necessary to effect and maintain healthier relationships.

The Relationship Literacy Program developed over ten years from mediating conflicts in inner-city communities and creating and facilitating anger management, violence prevention, and healthy relationship psycho-educational programs in schools, treatment facilities, and correctional institutions. In all of these different settings, participants found the Relationship Literacy Program comprehensive in scope, consistent with real life, culturally sensitive, and applicable to all types of relationships, whether family, peer, work, or some other.

The Relationship Literacy Program informs participants of diverse, often overlooked patterns of relationship abuse and violence and ways to prevent them. The program explores how to develop and sustain healthy human relationships while showing the connections between healthy relationships and personal and social development, tools to prevent abuse and violence, and ways to develop and maintain personal rights and responsibilities within relationships. The program teaches valuable self-management skills, both emotional and behavioral, and concepts, principles, and tools necessary to effect healthier relationships.

To prevent and treat interpersonal abuse and violence requires a comprehensive, socio-culturally sensitive, and developmentally appropriate approach. The Relationship Literacy Program takes such an approach to impact greater knowledge, attitude, and motivation in interpersonal relationships.

Brian C. Alston
Author/Developer
Abuse and Violence Prevention