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      Respecting boundaries in friendships

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can explain how to respect personal boundaries.

      Key learning points

      1. We all have personal boundaries.
      2. We should respect other people's boundaries.
      3. In healthy friendships, we should feel free to state our boundaries.
      4. We should expect other people to respect our boundaries.
      5. We should support our friends to maintain their boundaries.

      Keywords

      • Personal - in this context, something to do with ourselves

      • Boundary - an imaginary line separating what we will and won't allow

      • Maintain - in this context, putting in effort to keep a relationship healthy and working

      Common misconception

      People who maintain their boundaries are overly sensitive or lack a sense of humour.

      Everyone has personal boundaries, whether they are aware of them or not, and these boundaries vary from person to person. All boundaries are valid and should be respected equally.

      Teacher tip

      Use relatable role-play scenarios to help pupils recognise and respect personal boundaries.

      Content guidance

      Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying

      Supervision

      Adult supervision recommended

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the words with their correct definitions.

      Correct Answer:equality,treating everyone the same and giving them the same opportunities
      Correct Answer:discriminate,to treat a person unfairly because of their characteristics
      Correct Answer:trait,a particular part of you

      Q2.
      Who should we ask for help around peer pressure?

      Correct answer: a parent/carer
      the person pressuring us
      Correct answer: a trusted adult at school
      a younger sibling

      Q3.
      Which statements are true?

      Correct answer: Our families should respect our boundaries.
      Differences among friends are always a negative thing.
      Correct answer: Sometimes we need to walk away from unhealthy friendships.
      Unhealthy friendship traits are known as green flags.

      Q4.
      Match the behaviour to whether it is a red flag or a green flag.

      Correct Answer:respecting our boundaries,green flag
      Correct Answer:discriminating against us,red flag
      Correct Answer:celebrating differences,green flag
      Correct Answer:using kind words,green flag
      Correct Answer:putting us under pressure,red flag

      Q5.
      There are nine protected under the Equality Act 2010.

      Correct Answer: characteristics

      Q6.
      We must always get before touching someone's body.

      Correct Answer: consent, permission

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the words with their correct definitions.

      Correct Answer:personal,in this context, something to do with ourselves
      Correct Answer:boundary,an imaginary line separating what we will and won't allow
      Correct Answer:maintain,in this context, putting in effort to keep a relationship healthy

      Q2.
      Which statements are false?

      Correct answer: Only some people have boundaries.
      We all have personal boundaries.
      We should respect other people's boundaries.
      Correct answer: People who maintain their boundaries need to be less sensitive.

      Q3.
      Match the behaviour with whether it is part of a healthy or unhealthy friendship.

      Correct Answer:feeling free to state our boundaries,healthy
      Correct Answer:feeling bad for stating our boundaries,unhealthy
      Correct Answer:supporting us in maintaining boundaries,healthy
      Correct Answer:ignoring our boundaries,unhealthy
      Correct Answer:respecting our boundaries,healthy

      Q4.
      Our personal boundaries aren’t able to control how other people towards us.

      Correct Answer: behave, act, are

      Q5.
      Which of these is an unhealthy personal boundary?

      "I don't like hugs, but high fives are ok!"
      "I won't have conversations with someone who talks over me."
      Correct answer: "If my friend is upset, they must tell me what's wrong."

      Q6.
      Who should we tell if someone is ignoring or trying to change our personal boundaries?

      our younger cousin
      Correct answer: a trusted adult
      our imaginary friend
      our pet hamster

      To help you plan your 6 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Respecting boundaries in friendships, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...