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Staying
Cool When Things Heat Up
Developed for young adolescents, this
brochure acknowledges the common experience of conflict and encourages
teenagers to think about and use methods of resolving conflict that
do not involve fighting. Particularly violent youths are unable to
identify alternative methods of conflict beyond either fighting or
running. This brochure attempts to introduce some basic concepts.
The core message is that it takes more courage to walk away than to
fight, and teens (both male and female) need to learn when and how
to walk away. The information is a digest of many commonly used conflict
resolution curricula designed for high schools. If the local high
schools use a conflict resolution curriculum (they go by many different
names), this material may seem redundant to patients. Even so, hearing
it from a clinician is an important reinforcement. For older high
school students or more sophisticated teenagers, the information may
seem basic.
Additionally, there is important information for bystanders (those
who encourage their peers to fight). Bystanders play an important
role in promoting violence, and programs designed for reducing the
participation of bystanders appear to be effective in reducing violence.
How to Use This Tool
- During the initial assessment of a teenager, use the FISTS (Fighting. Injuries. Sex. Threats. Self-Defense.)
mnemonic to assess an adolescent's risk for involvement in violence.
For those teenagers who report participating in violent behavior
(being in more than one fight in the past 12 months), the clinician
could say, "Your physical exam shows that you're very healthy,
but I'm worried about all of the fights you're getting into."
- For those patients who do not report violent behavior, the clinician
might say, "Your physical exam looks good. I'm also glad to
hear that you haven't been getting in a lot of fights. I would
like you to have a look at this brochure, it may help you in the
future."
Note: Youths who are often involved as bystanders in fights may find themselves
more directly involved in the future. The safest behavior for a young
person is to try to avoid being in or around fights.
- This brochure could be introduced at a time when talking
about the teenager's after-school activities or other community
involvements. It is often very easy to have teenagers open
up with their concerns about the level of violence present in
their community.
- The brochure is also helpful for patients to identify ways of
helping to stop a fight without placing themselves in physical
danger. Those youths who try to separate others physically
often find themselves involved in a fight.
Helpful Hints
- The advice given is largely derived from teenagers living in rural
and suburban areas. In that way, the advice is field proven.
When introducing the brochure, it is worthwhile to say that the
information comes from other teenagers.
- Some clinicians like to leave this brochure out in the waiting
room so patients can read it prior to seeing them.
- It is appropriate to arrange a follow-up visit for some patients.
- This brochure is especially good to use when talking with
school or youth groups. It provides a safe way of introducing
the concepts involved in preventing peer violence.
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