Esther Mertens

34 | Chapter 2 end of the R&W lessons, in 7th Grade and in the 8th Grade, they evaluate if their goals are met or not. After each lesson, students complete homework assignments in their workbook. In this workbook a summary of the lesson and some questions are given to the students. This aims to stimulate the transfer of the taught skills to their daily lives and to practice the skills outside of the lessons. The physical exercises are performed with different partners which is thought to increase the coherence of the group in which the R&W program is implemented. Students learn how to work and play together as a class. During the exercises they have to control their strength, set boundaries and be respectful towards each other. It is expected that learning how to connect and listen to others while being calm and keeping their strength, they improve their social skills and increase the social support within the class. Control condition. Students will receive CAU: Current school policy to enhance socio-emotional adjustment and social safety of students. In The Netherlands, all schools have such a policy, since it is obligatory. However, the operationalization of the policy can vary widely. Some schools have a program or training other than R&W (e.g., lifestyle lessons), other schools have a policy on management level (e.g., anti- bullying contracts with students). Table 1 Overview of the Topics of the R&W Lessons in Year 1 and in Year 2 Year 1 (7th Grade) Year 2 (8th Grade) Lesson Topic Lesson Topic 1 Standing strong (Relaxation) 1 Refresh skills year 1 2 Standing strong together (Helping each other in confrontation) 2 Breathing (Relaxation) 3 Physical and mental pressure 3 Body language 4 Bullying (Ignoring) 4 Peer pressure and bullying 5 Bullying (Walking away) 5 Peer pressure (Sexual autonomy) 6 Verbal communication 6 Responsibility and making own choices 7 R&W in school 7 Sexual autonomy (Boundaries) 8 Breathing (Relaxation) 8 Positive thinking and visualization 9 Body language 10 Personal contact 11 Experiencing, respecting, and setting boundaries 12 Experiencing, respecting, and setting boundaries 13 Intuition 14 Dealing with intimidating group