Protective Behaviours Start-Up

Overview

This first lesson in the 4-lesson unit introduces protective behaviours by helping students notice feelings of safety and discomfort in everyday situations (online and offline) and practise basic help-seeking ideas. It builds toward analysing and rehearsing protective and help-seeking strategies across the unit.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• identify feelings that can signal safety or discomfort
• describe what protective behaviours look like in simple, everyday scenarios
• practise steps for seeking help when they feel unsafe or worried
• rehearse “stop, think, get help” as a class routine

Success criteria

Students can:

• explain how their body and feelings can show when something is safe or not safe
• match examples to “safe for me” / “not safe for me” and justify briefly
• name at least two trusted adults or help sources in their school community
• role-play a help-seeking response using respectful, clear language

Curriculum links

• Health and Physical Education: analyse and rehearse protective behaviours and help-seeking strategies used in online and offline situations
• Health and Physical Education: apply strategies to manage emotions and analyse how emotional responses influence interactions
• Health and Physical Education: analyse how behaviours influence health, safety, relationships and wellbeing of individuals and communities
• Health and Physical Education: investigate different sources and types of health information and how these apply to their own and others’ health choices (used here through identifying trusted help sources)

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook: Safety Sense Check. Teacher reads two short classroom “what would you do?” scenarios; students show thumbs up/down for whether they would feel safe and add one word about feelings (e.g. “worried”, “happy”). Students listen, record a feeling word on a sticky note, and share one reason with a partner.

2. 7–15 min · Mini-lesson: Protective Behaviours. Teacher introduces protective behaviours as actions that help keep you safe when you feel unsafe, unsure, uncomfortable, or pressured, including noticing your feelings early. Students complete a quick “My body clues” list: draw or write 2–3 signs they might notice (e.g. stomach drops, tense, want to look away).

3. 15–28 min · Guided Sorting: Safe/Not Safe. Teacher displays four scenario cards (3 offline, 1 online), mixing everyday events: a teacher asks for privacy support; someone shares an embarrassing photo without asking; a friend keeps asking for a secret; being included politely at play. Students work in small groups to sort cards into “safe for me” / “not safe for me” / “not sure”, then choose one protective behaviour that fits each category and share with the class.

4. 28–40 min · Skills practice: Stop–Think–Get Help. Teacher models a simple 3-step routine:

• Stop: pause and move away if needed
• Think: notice feelings and decide what feels safer
• Get help: tell a trusted adult using a clear message Teacher uses a sentence starter and demonstrates tone and body language. Students practise in pairs using role cards (e.g. “Someone asks me to keep a secret that makes me uncomfortable.”). Partners provide one piece of feedback using a “kind and specific” rule.

5. 40–52 min · Help-seeking ladder. Teacher draws a “Help Ladder” on the board (me → trusted friend → trusted adult at school/home → official supports such as school leadership or wellbeing team). Students write two rungs they can use and circle the one they will try first if they feel uncomfortable. Teacher emphasises that seeking help is the right action, not tattling.

6. 52–57 min · Reflection: One action I can take. Teacher prompts: “What does safety feel like, and what will you do when you don’t feel safe?” Students complete a one-sentence reflection in notebooks and submit for quick review.

7. 57–60 min · Closing. Teacher summarises key messages: feelings matter; protective behaviours help; help-seeking is normal. Students do a final silent check-in: show face card (safe/unsure/not safe) for how they feel about discussing safety.

Resources

• Scenario card set (offline and online) with age-appropriate examples
• “My body clues” worksheet or paper
• Sentence starter strips (e.g. “I feel… and I need help with…”)
• Role-play prompt cards for pair practice
• Help Ladder template
• Sticky notes, pens, notebooks
• Chart paper/whiteboard markers

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observes sorting discussions for correct reasoning about safety/discomfort
• Formative: teacher listens during role-play for use of the Stop–Think–Get Help routine and respectful communication
• Exit ticket (last 5–8 minutes): one sentence identifying a safety cue and one help-seeking action

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters and a word bank for emotions (e.g. worried, embarrassed, confused, calm, safe)
• Offer smaller-choice sorting (two categories first, then add “not sure” for more support)
• For EAL/SEN students: allow pointing to options, drawing instead of writing, and scripted role-play lines
• Extension for fast finishers: add an extra “protective behaviour” that could be used if someone else is showing discomfort