Designed to combat physical and sexual aggression against women and children, this prevention programme manual is based on the premise that the best opportunity for promoting healthy, non-violent relationships is to intervene during adolescence, when peer relationships and interpersonal style become firmly established. The proactive, competency-enhancing programme is designed to build strengths, resilience and coping skills in young people.
Carefully developed and tested in the field, the 18-session group training programme has three principal sections, covering informational, skill-building and social action learning opportunities. The manual provides a detailed curriculum for the programme, which is designed for eight to

PART ONE: HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
Philosophy and Goals of the Project
A Conceptual Model of Intervention
Intended Participants
Implementing the Program
Co-Facilitator Qualities and Characteristics
Safety Awareness concerning Young Women in the Program
Male Defensiveness
PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT OF THE YOUTH RELATIONSHIPS PROJECT
Rationale
Beginnings
Evaluation
PART THREE: PROGRAM SESSIONS AND EXERCISES
Introduction to the Youth Relationships Project Manual
SECTION ONE: VIOLENCE IN CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS: IT¿S ALL ABOUT POWER
Session 1: Introduction to Group
Summary
Session 2: Power In Relationships
Explosions and Assertions
Session 3: Defining Relationship Violence
Power Abuses
SECTION TWO: BREAKING THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE: WHAT WE CAN CHOOSE TO DO AND WHAT WE CAN CHOOSE NOT TO DO
Session 4: Defining Powerful Relationships
Equality, Empathy and Emotional Expressiveness
Session 5: Defining Power Relationships
Assertiveness Instead of Aggressiveness
Session 6: Date Rape
Being Clear, Being Safe
SECTION THREE: THE CONTEXTS OF RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE
Session 7: Date Rape and Learning How to Handle Dating Pressure
Session 8: Gender Socialization and Societal Pressure
Session 9: Choosing Partners and Sex-Role Stereotypes
Session 10: Sexism
Session 11: Media and Sexism
SECTION FOUR: MAKING A DIFFERENCE: WORKING TOWARD BREAKING THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE
Session 12: Confronting Sexism and Violence against Women
Session 13: Getting to Know Community Helpers for Relationship Violence
Sessions 14 and 15: Getting out and about in the Community
Social Service Agencies
Sessions 16 and 17: Getting out and about in the Community
Social Action to End Relationship Violence
Session 18: End of Group `Celebration¿

Dr. Wolfe holds the inaugural RBC Chair in Children¿s Mental Health at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and heads the CAMH Centre for Prevention Science. He is also Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Toronto. Since 2007 he has served as Editor-in-Chief of Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, past President of Division 37 (Child, Youth, and Family Services), and received a Diplomate in Clinical Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP). He has provided extensive assessment and consultation to child protective services, schools, and the court with respect to issues of child abuse and violence.