Managing Conflict and Preventing Violence Lesson 1

1. Managing Conflict and Preventing Violence Lesson 1 • 1. Everyone has conflicts with other people • Conflict is a normal part of everyday life. • Conflicts occur when 2 or more people disagree about: • How to meet their individual or group needs • How to use available resources • Ideas, facts, or opinions Examples: page 3 mml1

2. We cannot avoid conflict, everyone has conflicts with other people • We can choose how we handle conflict • How we handle conflict determines whether or not violence occurs

3. 2. In today’s world, violence is unavoidable • Violence is all around us: TV shows, movies, video games, fights in the hall, etc. • Violence is more avoidable than we think, we have choices

4. 3. Violence is learned, therefore it can be unlearned • Many times people respond in a violent way because it is the only way they learned to respond • Everyone can learn to respond to conflicts and other situations without using violence

5. 4. Violence is only one possible outcome of a conflict. It can usually be avoided • This is a true statement • By learning and using skills to resolve and manage conflicts without harming others violence can be avoided

6. 5. You’ve got to stand up for yourself to get respect, even if it means fighting • It is important to stand up for yourself and be respected • There are many ways to achieve this goal without hurting others • Fighting can be avoided and self respect maintained • Resorting to violence is an admission of failure

7. 6. Fighting is one way to SOLVE conflicts • NOT a true statement • Fighting is one way to RESPOND to conflict • It does not solve the conflict

8. 7. You have a responsibility to keep yourself safe and to do what you can to protect the safety of others • We have a responsibility to ourselves and others to learn how to be safe from violence for ourselves

9. 8. T.V. , movies, and video games do not affect the violence in the real world • FALSE – IF we see violence frequently we become used to it • It becomes more acceptable and normal • We may even think it is permissible

10. 9. Alcohol helps people relax, therefore they are less likely to fight • FALSE – Alcohol is a depressant • It affects the brain and inhibits ability to think clearly • It may change personality and cause person to get angry and fight

11. 10. Violence can be physical or verbal • TRUE – Language we use can hurt people • Names, threats, insults, all examples of verbal violence • NON-VERBAL- Laughing at others, shunning others • violence can be – physical, verbal, non-verbal • All do damage and do not solve conflicts

12. 11. It takes more courage and skill to solve a conflict than to fight • It takes courage and clear thinking to walk away from a confrontation • It takes skill to know how to try and solve a conflict

13. 3 stages of conflict • Stage 1 – Conflict (ignition) – lights toe fuel and lifts rocket off the launching pad and into space • Stage 2 – escalation – rocket goes into orbit • Stage 3 – Violence – The rocket circles earth until ready to reenter the earth’s atmosphere