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CREATING A CLIMATE FOR CHANGE BEGINS WITH…

KINDNESS  
What it is… What it isn’t…
  – support   – pressure
  – consideration   – disregard
  – compassion   – disinterest
  – understanding   – judgment
RESPECT  
What it is… What it isn’t…
  – esteem   – contempt
  – appreciation   – scorn
  – honesty   – manipulation
  – equality   – inequality
INVOLVEMENT  
What it is… What it isn’t…
  – interest   – indifference
  – attention   – neglect
  – inclusion   – rejection
  – connection   – separation

Kindness is Catchy . . . Grab It!

Love Is… Love Isn’t…
Responsibility
Hard work
Pleasure
Commitment
Caring
Honesty
Trust
Communication
Sharing
Compromising
Closeness
Vulnerability
Openness
Respect
Friendship
Recognizing Differences
Jealousy
Possessiveness
Pain
Violence
Obsession
Being selfish
Cruelty
Dependency
Giving up yourself
Intimidation
Scoring
Fear
Proving Yourself
Manipulation
Control
Power

What Can You Do ?

  Get involved with school and community efforts to end violence in relationships.
  Encourage organizations that you participate in to sponsor educational workshops for youth and adults on date rape, sexual harassment and domestic/dating violence.
  Encourage your school to begin a comprehensive program to educate students on violence prevention.
  Be a role model. Do not support the stereotypes that encourage dominate-submissive relationships. Model kind, respectful behavior. Speak up when others are being treated disrespectfully.
  Seek professional help or counseling if violence exists in your family or relationship.
Encourage others around you in violent relationships to seek help.

What Is Violence?

PHYSICAL: Any use of size, strength, or pressure to hurt or control someone else.
  Physical contact between people – pushing, slapping, biting, choking, grabbing, shoving, pinching, kicking, pulling, burning, shooting, stabbing, restraining, forced sex, banging head on wall, abuse of animals, hair pulling, murder
  Use of object – throwing things, breaking personal items, driving recklessly, punching walls, threats with objects
  Use of size or presence – chasing, stalking, clenching fists as a threat, standing in the doorway to prevent exit
VERBAL: Any use of words or voice to control or hurt another person.
  Threats to kill, threats to use violence, accusations, name calling, yelling, insults
EMOTIONAL: Any action or lack of action meant to control or hurt another person.
Controlling access to money, intense jealousy, isolating from friends and family, threatening to leave the other person, threatening to end friendship, threatening suicide, ignoring, laughing at you, manipulation with lies

Assertiveness Techniques

Reduce your chances of being a victim of violence

Assertive Body Language Includes:
  Body posture – standing straight, tall, and erect gives a stronger, direct and clear message.
  Facial expression – The expression on your face should match your verbal message. When saying “no”, let your face match the verbal message.
  Eye contact – Eye contact makes the verbal message stronger. Look directly at the person to whom you are speaking.
Verbal Assertive Skills Include:
  Say “NO” – Actually say the word “NO” rather than using weaker phrases such as “I don’t think so.”
  Speak firmly – The way you say “NO” or the way you refuse makes a difference in whether you are taken seriously. A firm statement is more effective.
  Avoid excuses – An excuse is a passive response.
  Be repetitive – Repeat a “NO” statement several times.
  Use I statements – Statements using the words “I” put the other person less on the defensive than using the words “you” when saying “NO.” “I” statements help people to say “NO” at difficult times.
  Refuse to discuss the matter further – After utilizing other techniques, if the other person refuses to listen to you, you have the option to refuse to discuss the matter further.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

  Did you know: National Statistics on Teen Rape
  The National Center Reports that over 700,000 women are sexually assaulted annually. Of these, approximately 61% are under the age 18 (AMA, 1995).
  The National Women’s Survey of 714 adult women found that 32.2% had been raped between the ages of 11-17 (National Victim Center, 1992).
  Women between the ages of 16 and 24 were three times more likely to be raped than women in other age groups. (Harlow, 1991).
North Dakota Statistics on Teen Rape
(compiled by NDCAWS/CASAND, 2000)
  57% of all sexual assault victims reported to the 19 sexual assault crisis centers throughout ND were under 18 years old at the time of their victimization.
  428 teens sought services from sexual assault crisis centers throughout ND.

TOGETHER WE CAN WIPE OUT SEXUAL ASSAULT!

INTERNET SAFETY

Some things to think about.

  Keep your identity private.
  Use a screen name instead of your real one (even when you go into chat rooms).
  The person you are talking to could be a 49 year adult pretending to be a teen.
  Never meet face to face with someone you met online.
  Don’t give out your password to anyone online.
  If you feel uncomfortable in a chat room or anywhere online, get off the computer and tell someone.
  If someone is asking you to do things you are uncomfortable with, tell an adult.
Facts on Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is a serious problem
  Males and females experience sexual harassment regardless of their appearance, age, race, marital status, or socio-economic class.
  Even though a person may not speak up if they are being sexually harassed, sexual harassment hurts.
  If you think something is sexual harassment, it probably is.
  In a North Dakota survey, 83% of boys and 93% of girls reported experiencing sexual harassment in their school. The most frequently report was student to student harassment.
 
The types of harassment students reported included:
sexual remarks gestures
touching propositions
jokes  
  Directly or indirectly, sexual harassment is humiliating and degrading to everyone.
  Harassers are very likely to be harassing more than one person at a time or have a history of sexually harassing others.
  Remember, no one deserves to be sexually harassed.
 

Adapted from Reaching and Teaching Teens

 

Everyone can do something to reduce
and stop sexual harassment.
Speak up when you know
sexual harassment is happening.

Working Together to Create Safe Schools

  Be an example to other students by showing respect for others in your school.
  Settle arguments with words, not fists or weapons.
  Report crimes or suspicious activities to the police, school authorities, or parents.
  Learn safe routes for traveling to and from school, and know good places to seek help.
  Don’t use alcohol or other drugs, and stay away from places and people who do.
  Get involved in your school’s anti-violence activities or look at helping start them.

You have the power to make a difference, use it!


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