ALTDAP LaunchPad · facilitator sheet
Track 05: Peer Pressure, Decision-Making & Refusal Skills
8 modules. In an emergency call 112.
Allow 30 to 45 minutes for each module, including the quiz.
Before the session
- Read the module yourself first, and do the quiz.
- Know who your school's safeguarding lead is, and how to reach them today.
- Have the emergency page ready. In an emergency the only number to call is 112.
- Decide where a learner can go if they need to step out. Never leave them alone if they are upset.
During the session
- Say at the start: nobody has to share anything personal, and anyone can pass on any question.
- Agree three rules: listen, no shaming or laughing at anyone, and what is said here about real people stays here, except where someone's safety is at risk.
- Use made-up examples. Do not ask learners for their own stories, or about anyone they know.
- The private tasks are the learner's own. Do not collect, mark or read them.
- Watch for a learner who goes quiet, withdraws or looks frightened. Check on them kindly, privately, after the session.
If a learner tells you something serious
- Stay calm and listen. Do not interrupt, and do not show shock.
- Do not promise to keep it secret. Say: "I am glad you told me. I need to get you the right help, so I will have to tell the person whose job is to keep children safe."
- Tell them it is not their fault, and that they were right to tell.
- Do not question them for details, do not ask leading questions, and do not confront anyone.
- Write down what they said, in their own words, as soon as you can, with the date and time. Do not add your opinion.
- Tell your safeguarding lead the same day. If a child is in danger now, call 112 and stay with them.
- If the person who may be harming them is the safeguarding lead, or someone you would normally tell, go to the head or proprietor, or another trusted adult in authority, and keep going until someone acts.
- Do not discuss it with colleagues or learners who do not need to know.
After the session
- Note anything that worried you, and tell your safeguarding lead, even if it seems small.
- Look after yourself. Hearing something serious is hard. Talk to your lead or a trusted colleague, without naming the child.
Never
- Never promise secrecy.
- Never blame a learner, or suggest they did something to cause it.
- Never ask a learner to share personal experiences, in front of the group or alone.
- Never investigate, confront the person, or contact the family yourself before your lead decides.
- Never photograph, audio-record or post anything about a learner's disclosure. Writing down what they said, for your safeguarding lead only, is right.
The modules
Module 1Understanding Peer Influence
Covers
- Peer influence is normal
- It can help or harm
- Why pressure works
The one thing to leave them with: Feeling pulled to go along is normal. What you do next is your choice.
Private task: Think of one friend who has a good influence on you. Write what they do that helps, without using their name. (The learner keeps it. Do not collect or read it.)
Module 2Knowing Your Values and Your Limits
Covers
- Values
- Limits
- You are allowed to have limits
The one thing to leave them with: Decide your limits when you are calm, so you do not have to invent them under pressure.
Private task: Write your top three values and three limits you will keep, in your own words. (The learner keeps it. Do not collect or read it.)
Module 3Making Decisions: Stop, Think, Choose
Covers
- Stop. Think. Choose.
- Useful questions
- Get advice
The one thing to leave them with: The pause is a superpower. Most bad choices happen when we skip it.
Private task: Think of a decision you are facing. Write the three steps for it: stop, think (two options and what could happen), choose. (The learner keeps it. Do not collect or read it.)
Module 4Spotting Pressure and Risky Situations
Covers
- Kinds of pressure
- Warning signs of a risky situation
- Trust that uneasy feeling
The one thing to leave them with: The earlier you notice pressure, the more choices you have.
Private task: List two places or situations where you might feel pressured, and one early warning sign for each. (The learner keeps it. Do not collect or read it.)
Module 5Refusal Skills: Saying No in Many Ways
Covers
- A good no is clear, calm and short
- Ways to say no
- Body language and tone
- If it keeps happening
The one thing to leave them with: Refusing is a skill, and skills improve with practice. You can say no and still be a good friend.
Private task: Write three lines you could use to say no: one simple, one with a short reason, and one firm. (The learner keeps it. Do not collect or read it.)
Module 6Leaving Safely and Getting Help
Sensitive topic: be ready for a learner to tell you something
Covers
- Make an exit plan before you need it
- Never accept a ride from someone who is not safe to drive
- Telling an adult is not snitching
- If someone needs urgent help
The one thing to leave them with: Leaving early is a good decision. You never have to wait until it gets worse.
Private task: Write your exit plan: how you would get home, your code word idea, and the trusted adult you would call. (The learner keeps it. Do not collect or read it.)
Module 7Pressure in Groups and Online, and Standing Up for Others
Covers
- Groups and group chats
- Being a bystander
- Choosing friends
The one thing to leave them with: One person who says no, or who stands by someone, can change what a whole group does.
Private task: Think of a time you could stand by someone. Write one thing you could say or do, and one adult you could tell. (The learner keeps it. Do not collect or read it.)
Module 8Being a Positive Influence and Your Personal Plan
Covers
- Lead by example
- Support a friend who is struggling
- Your personal plan
The one thing to leave them with: Strong people ask for help, set limits and look out for others.
Private task: Write your five-part personal plan. Tell a trusted adult what is in it, if you would like their support. (The learner keeps it. Do not collect or read it.)