Offering Individual-Oriented Relationship

Education: Challenges and Opportunities

GALENA K. RHOADES, PH.D.UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

Traditional Relationship Education

Provided to committed couples, often in healthy relationships

In the 1990s, 30% of couples received premarital education

95% of this education was delivered through a religious organization

Components: Relationship assessment Communication skills Personality differences

Stanley, Amato, Markman, & Johnson, 2006

Effectiveness of Traditional Relationship Education

Samples: Middle-class, White

Couples who do relationship education generally: are satisfied with the services improve their communication maintain improved communication over time have a lower divorce rate

Carroll, J. S., & Doherty, W. J. (2003). Evaluating the effectiveness of premarital prevention programs: A meta-analytic review of outcome research. Family Relations, 52(2), 105-118.

Basic U.S. Relationship Statistics

Divorce rate: 36-60%, depending on education level

Children born to unmarried parents: 36.8% Median age at first marriage: 27.1 for men,

25.3 for women Median age at first birth: 24.6 60-75% of couples live together before

marriage 40-50% of women have ever cohabited

Bumpass & Lu, 2000; CDC, 2002, 2006; Raley & Bumpass, 2003; Stanley et al., 2004; U.S. Census, 2003

Gaps in Relationship Education

Services for: Individuals (vs. couples) Individuals not in relationships Unhealthy or violent relationships Couples with children by previous partners Populations with low income levels

Targets for Early, Individual-Oriented Relationship Education

What is a healthy relationship? SafetyPlanning for the futureMaking decisions about partners and relationships Communication skillsExpectations for relationshipsImpact of adult relationships on child well-beingManaging children and new relationshipsBarriers to marriageThe positive role fathers can playBuilding social support

Core Development Team

Authors:• Marline Pearson, M.A.• Scott Stanley, Ph.D.• Galena Rhoades, Ph.D.• PREP content and strategies

(conflict and communication skills, expectations)

Consultants:– Domestic violence experts, Anne Menard

and Michael Johnson, Ph.D.– Oklahoma Marriage Initiative, George

Young, Tony Russell, and Scott Roby – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

program instructors– Women receiving TANF– Pilot classes– Sociologists, policy experts, Kristin

Seefeldt, Ph.D. and Kathryn Edin, Ph.D.

Overarching Goals

• Help those in viable relationships to cultivate, protect, and stabilize their unions, and to marry if desired.

• Help those in damaging relationships to leave safely, at some point.

• Help those desiring a romantic relationship and/or marriage in the future to choose future partners wisely.

Core Philosophies

“Sliding vs. Deciding”

“Our love lives aren’t neutral.”

Initial Target Population

• Women in welfare programs– Presence of children– High financial stress, chaos– Threats to personal safety (neighborhoods and

partners)

• Now used with other populations– E.g., Men, prisons, college students, religious

organizations

Structure of Curriculum15 hours of core material

Three major sections:

1. Understanding Healthy Relationships, Risks, and Making Decisions• Sliding vs. deciding• Knowing yourself first

2. Building and Maintaining Healthy Relationships• Safety• Communication skills

3. Moving Forward toward Goals “Within My Reach”• Planning for the future• Managing children and relationships• Infidelity• Barriers to marriage

Safety• Messages about safety throughout

– Keeping workbooks safe– Leaving safely– Help for domestic violence

• Unit on domestic violence– Recognizing warning signs– Intimate terrorism vs. arguments-that-get-physical– Getting help and support

Instructor Materials (Spanish versions available)

Participant Materials (Spanish versions available)

Structure of Units

• Lecture• Discussion• Group activity• Workbook activity

“Relationships/marriages today are like…”

Structure of Curriculum

16 hours of core materialThree major sections:1.Knowing What You’re Made Of:

• Sliding vs. deciding• Personality, hidden issues, family background

2.Being a Great Buddy• Communication skills, stress and anger

management, prejudice, domestic violence, suicide prevention, alcohol

3.Decide, Don’t Slide into Love• Expectations in relationships, mate selection,

commitment

Benefits of Individual-oriented Relationship Education

AccessEducation on violenceEducation on the transitions and decisions that

come before a commitment to marryEducation on relationship choices and children’s

well-beingCommunication skills apply to many

relationshipsGateway to other services

Contact Information and Additional Resources

www.relationshipeducation.info

Galena Rhoades: grhoades@du.edu, www.portfolio.du.edu/grhoades

PREP, Inc. www.PREPInc.com www.WithinMyReach.com

BECKY F. ANTLE, PHDELI A. KARAM, PHD

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLEKENT SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPY PROGRAM

Relationship Education Across Louisville:

Within My Reach Implementation and Results

SKILLS DEMONSTRATION

Within My Reach

WITHIN MY REACHTM ©PREP for Individuals, Inc., 2005

1. Seek a Good Match.

2. Pay Attention to Values.

3. Choose a Real Partner, Not a “Make-over” Project.

4. Don’t Try to Change Yourself to Be Somebody Else.

5. Expect Good Communication and Don’t Run From Conflict.

6. Don’t Play Games, Pressure, or Manipulate Someone.

7. Have a Bottom Line.

SEVEN PRINCIPLES OFSmart Love

These principles, as presented here, are from the work of Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott. See Parrott, L. & Parrott, L. (1998). Relationships. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Used with permission from The Zondervan Corporation.

WITHIN MY REACHTM ©PREP for Individuals, Inc., 2005

THE FOUR COMMUNICATIONDanger Signs

1. Escalation

2. Put-Downs/Invalidation

3. Avoidance/Withdrawal

4. Negative Interpretations

WITHIN MY REACHTM ©PREP for Individuals, Inc., 2005WITHIN MY REACHTM ©PREP for Individuals, Inc., 2005

Participant Workbook Pages 40 - 41

WITHIN MY REACHTM ©PREP for Individuals, Inc., 2005

Speaker:1. Speak for yourself. Don’t mind-read!2. Keep statements brief. Don’t go on and on.3. Stop to let the Listener paraphrase.

Listener:1. Paraphrase what you hear.2. Focus on the Speaker’s message. Don’t rebut.

Both:1. The Speaker has the Floor.2. Speaker keeps the Floor while Listener paraphrases.3. Share the Floor.

RULES FOR THESpeaker Listener Technique

RELATIONSHIP EDUCATION ACROSS LOUISVILLE

FUNDED BY THE US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, OFFICE OF FAMILY ASSISTANCE

Implementation Issues

Relationship Education Across Louisville: Implementation

Grant will use the Within My Reach curriculum from PREPServices are provided by through the 8 Neighborhood Place

sitesExisting staff at the NP sites have been trained by national

experts in Within My Reach Each NP site will offer 2 workshops per year to clientsApproximately 850 adults will be trained over the 5 years of

the grant “Training Booster Sessions” are offered to both adults and youth

to reinforce concepts from workshops, discuss issues with utilization of skills in current relationships

Facilitators and other grant/agency staff will refer clients with complex relationship needs to services in the community

Advisory Board of professionals with an interest in healthy relationships Facilitate collaboration between these key agencies and

professionals Identify existing and develop needed relationship services for

the community

Evaluation Results

Participants and Training Satisfaction

A total of 400 adults have completed the WMR program.

The majority of participants are female (80%) and African American (71%). The average age was 33.5 and number of children was 2. Approximately 33.3% were employed full-time.

Training satisfaction was very high, with a mean score of 66.2 out of a total possible score of 75 or 4.45 on a 5-point scale.

Learning

Learning was measured using a 25 item multiple choice knowledge test administered pre- and post-training.

There was a significant increase in participant knowledge from pre- to post-training. The average pre-test score was 32% correct, and the average post-test score was 55%.

Communication Skill Acquisition

There was a significant decrease in conflict engagement and the demand-withdraw dynamic.

There was a significant increase in the mutual cooperation approach for communication.

Communication and Conflict Resolution measured through standardized scales such as Communication Patterns Questionnaire (Noller & White, 1990) and Conflict Resolution Styles Inventory-Partner (Kurdeck, 1994)

Relationship Quality

For the WMR training, there was a significant improvement in relationship dynamics (Dyadic Adjustment Scale and Relationship Dynamics Scale) at six month follow-up. Dyadic Adjustment Scale

measures positive dynamics while Relationship Dynamics Scale measured negative patterns.

Relationship Quality measured through Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Spanier, 1976); Stanley-Markman Relationship Dynamics Scale (Renick et al, 1992).

Domestic Violence

There was also a significant reduction of physical violence and emotional control in relationships at six month follow-up.

Relationship violence measured through Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy, & Sugarman, 1996); Need for Control Scale (Bledsoe & Sar, 2004); and Controlling Behaviors Scale (Graham-Kevan & Archer, 2003).

Implications for Practice

Knowledge + SkillsCumulative Lasting ImpactBatterer BenefitsFocus on Strength and Health in Safe Group

SettingErasing Stigma/Potential for Follow-UpPrevention and Advocacy for Family and

Friends