Discipline for Violence Prevention
- Violence Prevention
- Self Assessment
- Developing and Enhancing Emotional Intelligence
- Top 10 Stress Strategies
- Mediation/Conflict Management - Goals and Objectives
-
Using Conflict Recognition and Resolution Skills as Violence
Prevention
- Procedures for Mediation
- Role and Function of the High School Student Volunteer
- The Resilient Individual Exercise
- Planning for Violence Prevention
- Systematic Story Telling
Violence Prevention
Dr. Sally Pisarchick, author, is the director of Project Prepare, a
preschoolgrant with the Ohio Department of Education, and Project Support, which
useshigh school students as academic and social tutors. This noted
lecturercurrently teaches courses at Kent State University.
Questions for thought:1. What are some "tried and true" systematic strategies for violence
prevention?2. What can teachers do about violence prevention? I. What We Do Know
- Start early
- Develop philosophical base
II. The Needs of Children
- Are attached to caring adults
- Act appropriately
- Demonstrate conflict resolution skill
- Are relatively free of a stressor
III. The Needs of Administrators
- To be part of every solution
- To facilitate professional effectiveness
- Commitment to child achievement
- Zero tolerance for violence
IV. The Keys to Success V. The Needs of Teachers
- Staff development
- Free-wheeling environment
- Administrators who value teachers
- Coordination of school policies
VI. Suggested Guidelines VII. Systematic Strategies for Violence PreventionVIII.
Comprehensive Action Plan
- Cooperatively driven
- Open, on-going
- Includes evaluation and monitoring
IX. What Individuals Can Do To Prevent Violence X. Develop Standards
Self Assessment
To the degree you feel you are knowledgeable about the issues below or
currentlypracticing in your position, check the appropriate numbers.
(1) awareness only (2) practiced somewhat (3) expert
No. |
Issue |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
The resilient child (and adult): The nature and needs of students
at-risk.
|
2 |
Ensuring equity and mutual respect for all types of diversity while
rejecting any form of violence as a form of conflict resolution.
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3 |
Parents, administrators, teachers and student involvement in problem
solving, making connections.
|
4 |
Communications skills, decision making, questioning techniques,
listening skills.
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5 |
Cognitive structures of behavior change/management (purpose and nature
of discipline).
|
6 |
Strategies once disruptive behavior has begun - victim, bully and
bystander: Preventing violence from escalating (evaluate, isolate,
evacuate, negotiate).
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7 |
Systemic mechanisms for keeping schools "user friendly." Building upon
established pupil services and "prevention programs."
|
8 |
Collaborative consultation with students, professionals, parents and
community to build community.
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9 |
Conflict recognition and resolution; negotiation/mediation: skills and
mechanisms.
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10 |
Social skill development/anger, impulse control. Teaching
responsibility, self determination, self advocacy.
|
11 |
Creative non-violent problem solving, academic and curricular
techniques, learner accommodations, etc.
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12 |
Stress management as a mechanism to respond to post traumatic
syndrome.
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13 |
Diffusing potentially volatile situations, i.e., crisis management
physical/mental/emotional.
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14 |
Developing an Action Plan. Making a commitment to non-violence. |
*For the purpose of this assessment we define expert as someones the
techniqueshis or her job and could comfortably teach others the necessary
information orskills to implement such strategy. You may use the above
assessment to chartyour own new directions. OR If you wish to make a
contribution to thedevelopment of new methods and materials on violence
prevention, please submitideas regarding any issue in which you consider
yourself expert. If your ideasare published you will be given credit.
Name______________________________ Address____________________________
City, State & Zip_____________________ Job Title
___________________________ School System ______________________
Telephone _____________Fax__________
|
Return to: Sally E. Pisarchick, Ph.D. 14605 Granger Road Maple Heights,
OH 44137 (216) 587-5960 Ext. 233 (216) 587-5356 (Fax)
|
Developing and Enhancing Emotional Intelligence
The Development of Emotional Control
Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify feelings and eal with
thefeelings appropriately. Students can learn optimism as an inoculation to
preventdownward spiraling emotions. Negative/escalating interactions
characterized byintolerance and/or hostility to negative expressions of children
or adolescentsmay results in the railure of the student to develop internalized
forms ofcontrol or appropriate expressions or responses of emotions. Learning
theprocesses of a democratic environmnet and opportunities to practice
peaceful,even when problem solving is necessary. Withdrawn and/or hostile
aggressivechildren fail to attend to and/or accurately interpret others
intentions. Theysometimes erroneously assume hostile intent. They lack skill in
social problemsolving and verbal response strategies. They often don't "get it."
-
Some students must be taught the skills of integration of affect (how to
recognize internal cues).
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Language must be expanded to enable them to label feelings with appropriate
terms.
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Cognition: many have not developed skills for self monitoring. Either
because they just do not understand or have not experienced sufficient role
models. Awareness of "self talk" and skills to cancel negative murmurings
and replace them with positive affirmations can be learned.
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Action (translate strong negative feelings into socially adaptive behavior).
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The role of the parent is critical. Teachers (the school system) must be
aware and alert to cues of emotional deficits.
-
Famility characteristics of students with continued behavior problems -
- dysfunctional family boundaries
- over protection
- lack of conflict resolution
- parental asymmetry
- marital relationship subordinate to parental role
Top 10 Stress Strategies
Strategies
-
Manage-To-Prevent: Building into everyday curriculum
management skills related to holistic living, people, time and money.
Prevent learned helplessness.
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Work-It-Out: Under stress kids tend toward unwanted,
unwarranted and unnecessary action. Avoid discipline issues by recognizing
and responding to excess energy that may become misdirected. Get them up
moving, large muscle groups, raising respiratory rate and therein altering
blood and brain chemistry. *Breathing
*Yoga stretch *In desk or beside desk
isometric exercises
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Talk-It-Out: Magic circle, masks, truth sticks or symbols
to use as a stimulator to speak truth. Stage carefully to avoid self or
other attack.
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Music Hath Charms: Develop a library of tapes to determine
and shape mood and tempo climate. Ask students to suggest/contribute. Adapt
a class "musical signal" for serenity or other desirable emotional postures
that may calm of cue. For somedepressed kids it is just as important to step
up the pace as to cool it down. Build specific selections into ritual.
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Touch-It-Out: Create an opportunity for physical contact.
Play or ritual activity in which kids can safely touch each other, i.e.
high-five, hand clasp with partner, serial back massage, hand-to-hand
communication, etc.
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Read-It-Out: Bibliotherapy, "dead poets soecity", select
needs-based appropriate stories to directly and indirectly entertain and
inform.
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Teach-It-Out: Bring as much novelty, variety and excitement
into the curriculum to make it come alive, i.e. social studeis, Patrick
Henry, et al. Direct didactic (moral or lesson).
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Write-It-Out (or draw depending on age): Use whatever
medium, i.e. finger paint, crayons, cloth, newspapers and magazines for
collage, etc. That excites, motivates, or opens channels of locked
communications.
-
Snap-It-Out: Picture you. Catch-it-with a camera. A
Polaroid can be used to "stage" or catch mug shots to drive home - happy,
sad, calm, on task (or whatever body messages that children need to better
understand).
-
Help-Em-Think-It-Out: Positive or successful thoughts when
depressed or sad. Review strong points. Teach/practice writing or reciting
several things in which child is successful. List areas in which child has
accomplished something worthwhile of which (s)he can be proud; list areas of
improvement. This list can be posted or kept in a private place to be used
to reduce anxiety and motivate toward new goals.
Mediation/Conflict Management - Goals and Objectives
Conflict is a daily reality. Our needs, values, goals and opinions
naturallyclash with those of others. Some conflicts are minor, can be easily
resolved orsimply overlooked. Conflicts of greater magnitude and with major
implicationsrequire a strategy for successful resolution. The laternative is
destructivetension and deepening enmities. The school-parent relationship is
potentially alengthy one. This relationship has a substantial bearing on the
quality andeffectiveness of the student's education. Thus, it must be addressed
and cannotbe ignored or left to go away. While it is true that individuals can
possess anatural ability in the area of conflict resolution, it is also true
thatconflict resolution can be taught, learned, practiced and refined.
Definition:
conflict occurs when two or more parties believethat what each wants is
incompatible with what the other wants. A number ofassumptions can be made about
conflicts:
- Conflict is an inevitable and important human process.
- Conflicts are likely to increase in times of change.
- Conflicts can lead to both creative and destructive results.
- Most people hold negative perceptions of the word "conflict."
- Many perceive conflict to be the result of failure on someone's part.
- There is no best way for dealing with conflict.
-
Properly managed and constructively channeled, conflict can help maintain
vigor and creativity in any field.
-
Constructively managed conflict is a key ingredient in the quality of
special education programs for systems and individuals.
Some Positive Results of Conflict:
- Better ideas are produced.
- People are forced to search for new approaches.
- Long-standing problems surface and are dealt with.
- Points of view are clarified.
- People's creativity is challenged.
- Relationships and communication are improved and enhanced.
-
Essential rather than peripheral or irrelevant issues are differentiated.
Some Negative Results of Conflict:
- Some persons may feel demeaned, defeated.
- The distance between people may be increased.
- A climate of distrust may begin or be intensified.
- The end-product is impaired.
- The tendency toward narrow, subjective self-interest is reinforced.
- Negative and often irreparable conflict and harm can lie ahead.
Goals of Conflict Management:
- Recognize differences.
- Understand differences.
- Open and improve communication
- Develop new and different perceptions
- Develop new and different team cooperation
- Undertake well-informed decision-making.
- Develop mutual appreciation of opinions and positions.
- Search for agreement or positive outcome.
Using Conflict Recognition and Resolution Skills as Violence Prevention
Conflict Recognition and Resolution
Authenticity - Egocentricity = Charisma
Goal:
Enable students to develop a personal action plan to improve their
attitude,knowledge and skills of collaboration through conflict recognition
andresolution. To break negative cycles, and needless power struggles in
theclassroom, on the playground and other social situation.
Objectives:
Teachers will enable students to:
- Identify sources of conflict in personal relationships.
-
Develop and identify and gain greater insight into their own behavior as a
member of the class, the team or a reciprocal friendship.
- Recognize and carefully select appropriate heroes.
-
Develop appropriate anger managements skills such as stress reduction,
recognizing personal anger cues, rethinking old behaviors, developing new
positive self-talk scripts, and replacing negative reactive behaviors with
calm proactive behavior.
Activities
- Presentations
- Demonstrations
- Develop action plan
Additional resources
Procedures for Mediation
Ground Rules
-
Mediator establishes ground rules. Each party agress that mediation is
viable and they will honor agreements.
- Mutual respect is required and will be honored.
- Agree not to interrupt each other.
- Agree to remain seated.
Phases in Mediation
- Phase I:
- Introducation - Mediator explains Ground Rules and procedures.
- Phase II:
- Telling the Story - Parties tell what happened.
- Phase III:
- Understanding the Problem - Parties talk to each other.
- Phase IV:
-
Alternatives Search - Parties think of many solutions, one possible solution
is agree upon.
- Phase V:
- Resolution - Agreement is written.
- Phase VI:
- Evaluation or Monitor - Criteria for success agreed upon.
Role and Function of the High School Student Volunteer
The actual work of the high school student volunteer will be largely
determinedby the sponsor based on factors such as needs of students and/or
receivingteacher, time and place volunteer work is to be carried out, interest
and skillsof the individual volunteers, etc. The following compilation is merely
suggestedactivities that might be considered. The list is broken down into
twocategories, i.e., support that is directed primarily to the sponsor, and
supportthat is directed to the student with disabilities. The construct is
somewhatartificial since in most instances, both should benefit. It is clearly
inkeeping with the underlying principals of Project Support i.e., SUPPORT
forindividuals with disabilities and the professionals who serve them. You
mightconsider sending the list to prospective receiving teachers. Teachers who
havenever used a HSTVs before may have some anxiety regarding what to have the
HSTVdo. They may not consider all the "back-up" work that HSTVs do until the
teacheris ready and organized enough to use them as instructional tutors. The
list isnot all inclusive. You may have other ideas not listed here. Please share
anynew and creative way you work with HSTVs on the feedback form in the
addendum.
The Role and Function of the High School Teen Volunteer
1. Teacher Support |
2. Target Student Support |
Creating or preparting special instructional materials, preparing
bulletin boards
|
Instructing students in the proper use of programmed materials and
equipment, e.g., scissors, computers, teaching machines, etc.
|
Typing/word processing |
Assistaing students with their clothing. |
Laminating/duplicating materials |
Assisting students in learning to play and work together. |
Putting away learning materials when not in use. |
Playing with and supervising students on the playground. |
Keeping track of classroom supplies, maintaining emergency kit. |
Supervising students during lunchtime/library visits, assembly, film
showings, etc.
|
Filing/organizing resources and materials. |
Listening to students read and tell stories |
Keeping health and attendance records, measuring students' heights and
weights.
|
Reading and listening to students, playing games with students. |
Collecting money for lunch, milk, class project. |
Role-playing stories with children. |
Picking up supplementary materials from stockroom, library, etc. |
Leading group singing. Playing musical instruments for students. |
Setting up/operating mechanical/AV equipment. |
Taking students to the nurse's office, cafeteria, etc. |
Scanning teacher/professional journals for ideas. |
Assisting students in the practice of good manners. |
Organizing games for recess and lunch hour. |
Assisting students on field trips, library visits, assembly, film
showings, etc.
|
Preparing classroom for next day. |
Helping students care for classroom pets and/or plants. |
Monitoring classroom for a few minutes when teacher is called out of
class.
|
Assisting students in finding information. |
Working to keep the classroom environment comfortable, clean and
inviting. Check room temperature, lighting, fresh air, etc.
|
Helping students who fall behind others to catch up. Assisting
student(s) who have been absent.
|
Developing teaching games. |
Explaining teacher's directions to students. |
Responding to phone calls, running errands for the teacher. |
Assisting students in moving from one activity to another. |
Monitoring room or hall. |
Demonstrating art techniques for students. |
Data keeping (record, observe and report) |
Working with small groups on special class projects. |
Accompanying teacher on field trips, to assembly, library, cafeteria,
etc.
|
Interesting gifted students in enrichment materials. |
The Resilient Individual Exercise
Name:____________________________________JobTitle:______________________________
SchoolDistrict_____________________________Gender_______________Age______________Phone
(w) __________________ (h) __________________ Grew up in (circle one)
Fill out identifiable data only if you are comfortable. Passages: You are
whatyou ever were. Your view of yesterday, today, tomorrow. 1. On a separate
pieceof paper draw the floor plan of the home you lived in when you were aged
10(year you were 10 _______), and any outbuildings i.e. garages, barns,
playhouses, etc. that particularly stand out in your mind. 2. In the margins
aroundyour floor plan jot notes, phrases, messages, scripts of memories. 3. What
doyou recall knowing/hearing by age ten regarding the following: a. View
ofmyself, my personality, looks, abilities:
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
b. "Our"family economic status ___________________________________________
religion_______________________________________________________________
ethnicbackground _______________________________________________________ c. My
view ofmyself as a gendered being i.e. girls are...boys are...girls do...boys
do...__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
d. Theperson to whom I turned for comfort, support
assistance._____________________________________________________________________
e. My bestfriend(s) ____________________________________________________ f. My
generalresponses to violence, interpersonal conflicts and/or uncomfrotable
socialsituations
_____________________________________________________________________g. Did you
experience any particular enormous overall stressors in life i.e.physical,
mental, social, emotional, if so
what_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What isyour current prevailing response to violence in the
schools?_____________________________________________________________________ 5.
To whator whom do you attribute your prevailing views regarding conflict,
aggression?_____________________________________________________________________
6. Whatare you now doing about Violence
Prevention?_____________________________________________________________________
7. What doyou plan to do about Violence Prevention i.e. what action will you
take or haveyou taken?
_____________________________________________________________________8. How can
insight into your own behavior enable you to better understand yourstudents?
_____________________________________________________________________
Planning for Violence Prevention Criteria for Effective School-Based
Violence Program
School__________________________Name: (if
desired)_________________________Approx. number of students_________Job
title:_________________________________Following are several criteria for
slecting or creating an effectiveschool-based equity program. Directons: Check
out any projects in yourclassroom, building, or district. Use the following
criteria to gather data.(Circle all that apply.)
Yes |
No |
N/A |
I don't know |
Classroom Level |
Isolated Free Standing Program |
Program Building Level |
District Level |
1. What is my role in the project? Am I commited to personal involvement
in any specific program(s)?
|
2. How will I measure my impact? Focus on results. What type of
assessments?
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3. How does the project fit with the school mission; my own personal
msision? Does it suit my interests, needs, work style, etc.?
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4. Is the proejct built on sound research? It is important to keep all
personnel on the "same page." Begin by collecting the latest research
data and sharing it with planners in advance of the first planning
meeting.
|
5. Is the project comprehensive? Piecemeal programs will have less
impact that leads to K-12 comprehensive, systematic, sequentially
developed attitudes, skills and knowledge.
|
6. Is the project centered on behavior change? The program must be
action oriented. What will teachers do differently? What will students
do as the result? What skills must be mastered to create greater
community and commitment?
|
7. Is there a parent involvement component? Schools must be "user
friendly" to families as well as students. One must begin by keeping
parents informed. However, it must move to resources so that parents can
gain the necessary skills to implement changes in the home.
|
8. Is cultural equity a central part of the project? How can your
programs draw upon the strengths of diversity within the district? What
efforts are being made to speak to all students?
|
9. Is the project "teacher friendly?" If teachers do not find the
program satisfying and workable it will fail. What mechanism is used to
provide a forum, use the ideas, and energies of interested teachers?
|
10. Is the project cost reasonable? In this age of graeter need and
shrinking resouces the efficacy of any program may depend on the cost.
Questions go beyond dollars. What is the cost to the individuals
involved in the implementation, their energy, self esteem, comfort with
change, etc.? What staff development will be required?
|
Adapted from criteria of drug education curricula, the W. T. Grant corsortium
onthe School-Based Promotion of Social Competence, in Hawkins, J. D., Catalano,
R.F.; et al. Communitys That Care, San Francisco: Jossey, Bass, Inc. 1992;
andComprehensive Health Education Foundation (1994).
Systematic Story Telling
Management Through Story Telling
- Tell stories to make a point. Tell storeis to bring fun to learning.
- Use props to invite interest or deepen an impression.
-
When telling a story about one or your students, colleagues, administrators,
etc., always begin with a heroic deed. Relate how s/he went beyond the call
of duty to get a particular job done.
- Make sure it's true. Verify all facts.
- Stick to one idea or theme.
-
Keep it short. People are more willing to read something they can get
through quickly, and then they're more apt to remember and repeat it.
- Use names. People like to see their names in print.
-
Make sure others see the story. Post it on the bulletin board or send
everyone a copy. Be sure to give a framed copy to the person who is
recognized. Think of it as an honor.
-
Invite students to write stories. When they decide to write about another
person make sure they get permission.
- Display and use stories when possible and practical.
-
File stories under topical categories. Use stories from the past that really
worked on such issues of success as reduction of tardiness, truancy, verbal
or physical aggression, etc.
-
Use story development, writing, sharing, in some part of every day
curriculum. Storytelling works. It is a part of our heritage. All cultures,
ages, genders, races, disabilities, levels of education have used
storytelling as a teaching/learning tool.
Source: Adapted from Managing by Storytelling Around (1995) by David
Armstrong,CEO of Armstrong Investment.
Violence Prevention/Reduction
For more information |
Teacher's Workshop
1250 Overlook Ridge Bishop, GA 30621
|
Call: 1-800-991-1114 |
Email us at: [email protected]
|