Fostering Friendships - Enhancing Social Bonds in the Classroom
Speak presentation
1. Speak
Laurie Halse Anderson
Teen Age Depression: signs, symptoms and what to
do now
Healthy Relationships: what they look like
Sexual Harassment: examples and types
2. WHO AM I?
• BETH MICAL: FRESHMAN COUNSELOR
• bmical@mgsd.k12.nc.us
4. TEENAGE DEPRESSION:
WHAT IS IT?
• Depression is a response to a
stimulus or a situation.
• Examples: Disturbing event, death of
a friend or loved one, break up with
boyfriend or girlfriend, failure at
school
• What set off Melinda’s Depression?
5. TEENAGE DEPRESSION
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
• Poor performance in school
• Withdrawal from friends/activities at school
• Sadness and hopelessness
• Lack of enthusiasm, energy or motivation
• Anger, rage and over reaction to criticism
• Indecision, lack of concentration or forgetfulness
• Restlessness and agitation
• Changes in eating and sleeping patterns
• Substance abuse
• Problems with authority
7. TEENAGE DEPRESSION:
WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
• What can you do if you have a friend or family member that shows
these signs or symptoms?
• If you think you are at risk for depression, here are some things you
can do to help yourself:
• Avoid drugs and alcohol
• Be friends with people who have positive goals and are involved
in positive activities
• Have a good social support system
• Make healthy choices regarding dealing with stress,
relationships, drugs/alcohol.
• Eat a healthy, well-balenced diet.
• EXERCISE and get enough sleep.
• Seek help as soon as you feel out of control. DO NOT WAIT!
8. HOW IS TEENAGE DEPRESSION
DIFFERENT FROM JUST BEING
SAD?
• Everyone has ups and downs, and everyone experiences sadness.
• Things that can cause the sadness include an argument with a
friend, a breakup, doing badly on a test/project, not making a team,
moving to another town/school.
• These feelings of sadness are usually brief and go away after a little
time.
• Depression lasts for weeks, months, or longer and involves
STRONG feelings of sadness, discouragement, despair and
hopelessness.
9. healthy relationships:
WHAT MAKES A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP?
• MUTUAL RESPECT: Does he or she get how cool you are and why?
• Do they listen when you say you are not comfortable with something and back off?
• TRUST: A little jealousy is a normal emotion. How does he or she react to you talking to
other people?
• HONESTY: Are you telling the truth? Is he or she telling the truth? Ever caught him or her
in a major lie?
• SUPPORT: Can they be there in the good and bad times? Can they take you having good
times to celebrate?
• FAIRNESS/EQUALITY: Do you take turns choosing the movie? Do you hang out equally
with each others friends/family?
• SEPARATE IDENTITIES: Don’t lose yourself to the relationship. Don’t give up your friends
and activities. Be true to yourself.
• GOOD COMMUNICATION: It’s very important to talk about your feelings. Don’t keep
something bottled up because you think he/she doesn’t want to hear it or you’re afraid of
sounding silly.
10. UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS:
WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?
• It involves mean, controlling, disrespectful, or abusive behavior.
• One of the members uses verbal insults, mean language, nasty
putdowns, gets physical by hitting or slapping, or forces someone
into sexual activity.
• Ask yourself does he/she:
• get angry when I don’t drop everything?
• criticize the way I look or dress?
• keep me from seeing friends?
• want me to quit an activity even if I love it?
• ever raise a hand to me in anger as if to hit me?
• try to force me to go further sexually than I want to go?
11. ANY EXAMPLES OF THIS
IN THE BOOK?
• The “Marthas”
• What examples of an unhealthy
relationship did they show?
• Any others?
12. SEXUAL HARASSMENT:
IT IS A BAD WORD
• The Office of Civil Rights considers sexual harassment to be
unwelcome sexual conduct that hurts a student’s ability to participate
in school programs.
• But does it stop there?
• When does a dirty joke become a serious offense?
• Clear cut examples:
• A teacher tells a student they will give him/her an “A” if they will
kiss them.
• A coach tells a student that he/she has a better chance of making
the team if they have sex with them.
• Clear cut, right?
13. SEXUAL HARASSMENT:
WHEN IT’S NOT SO CLEAR
• A Hostile Environment: When it interferes with you doing the things you need to do: school
work, pay attention in class, walk through the halls, etc. When it happens again and again
and again...
• Some examples:
• Leering
• Whistling
• Staring at body parts
• Displaying pornographic or sexist materials or graffitti (ex: Suzy is a slut written on a
locker or bathroom wall.)
• Invading someone’s personal space
• Pressuring someone for a date
• Asking for sex
• Rubbing up against someone
• Telling offensive or sexual jokes or stories
14. how to fight back
• Tell someone: teacher, administrator,
counselor, friend, parent, coach.
• Don’t keep it a secret!
• Don’t accept the “boys will be boys” or “girls
will be girls”.
• Sexual harassment-unlike homework, zits
and SATs-is not an unpleasant teenage
experience you have to put up with.
