Esther Mertens

| 33 Study Protocol The themes are handled and discussed using a psychophysical approach within a safe, supportive and respectful environment. R&Wemphasizes the safe and supportive environment where students are allowed to make mistakes. Such an environment is expected to encourage students’ exploration and learning, addressing personal needs and problems, and establishing positive relations. Respect within the group and between students is created based on the principles and ethics of martial arts on which the physical exercises are based. Students learn basic self-defense skills in which it is supposed that they train their self-control, learn what to do in violent situations and work together respectfully. Additionally, they practice their non-verbal communication by making eye contact and reading the body language of their partner during the exercises. In the exercises, special attention is paid to students’ body awareness and level of arousal. R&W aims to make students aware that physical signs such as tensions in the muscles, a-rhythmic breathing, and increased heartrate are expressions of emotions, stress and feelings. It is expected that during R&W they learn how to actively relax, find the source of the tensions and connect to their self-control and emotion regulation. This is explained using the terms ‘rock’ and ‘water’. ‘Rock’ indicates a physical tense and firm position with low breathing (i.e., Being aware of one’s own opinion, thoughts and feelings and being able to resist pressure from others). ‘Water’ implies a relaxed but alert position with low breathing (i.e., Knowing one’s own opinion, thoughts and feelings and open to those of others). Students are encouraged to experience that the ‘rock’ and ‘water’ attitudes are on a continuum which they can use to regulate their behavior and interactions. The R&W program is implemented in the schools for two years. The program starts in 7th Grade with 14 weekly lessons of one and a half hour. In 8th Grade students receive 8 weekly lessons of one and a half hour (see Table 1 for an overview of the topics per lesson). The lessons are given to the class as a whole in large spaces such as a gymhall or drama classroom. The trainers are (mostly) physical education teachers of the schools whom have participated in the three-day training course provided by the Gadaku Institute. These trained and certified teachers are monitored and supervised during the study by coaches of the Gadaku Institute. These coaches have at least once a week contact with the R&W trainers in the schools by e-mail, telephone, or face-to- face depending on the needs of the trainers. They answer questions and give advice regarding the R&W program. Additionally, the coaches observe a lesson of the trainer and provide feedback based on that observation. During the lessons, the trainers explain, demonstrate and monitor the exercises indicating what behavior is desired and what is not by giving feedback. The skills and techniques learned in the exercises are repeated over the lessons to enable integration and internalization of these skills in students’ thinking and acting. After an exercise, students reflect in the group upon what they have learned from the exercise and how they could integrate this in their daily lives. Each lesson is ended with a physical condition exercise such as push-ups or jumping rope. In the first lessons, students set individual goals for themselves concerning these physical condition exercises. At the 2