Developing Communication Styles Refusal Skills 8 th Grade

Developing Communication Styles & Refusal Skills 8 th Grade Lesson 7 D

COMMUNICATION STYLES AGGRESSIVE PASSIVE ASSERTIVE

PASSIVE l Unsure l Non-confrontational l Doesn’t matter l Wants the other person to be happy l Doesn’t want to disappoint

ASSERTIVE l Clearly and convincingly communicates intentions l Gives alternatives to the suggested activity l Seeks a win/win scenario

AGGRESSIVE l Forceful and hard-line l Serious eyes, raised eyebrows, strong stance and voice l Insistent and uncompromising Aggressive does not mean violent!

Effective Communication Means More Than Words Can Say! What you say Listening How you say it COMMUNICATION Body Language Appearance

Sometimes getting assertive or aggressive can offend someone. It’s okay to offend someone if they are trying to push you to get involved with risky behaviors!

Refusal Skills Use communication and refusal skills to avoid negative peer pressure

Why Is It Hard to Say “No? ” l Teens may have a hard time saying “No” because l They l They want to be cool. don’t want to lose friends. think the activity isn’t that big of a deal. think everyone is doing it. think they will hurt their friend’s feelings.

Ways to Refuse l Yes-No-Yes l “Yes” to the relationship l “NO” to the behavior l “Yes” to an alternative l Say “NO!” l When Yes-No-Yes doesn’t work l When the activity is illegal or dangerous l You MUST be firm in your NO response

Ways to Refuse If you are being pressured to sneak behind the bleachers to make out, how could you use the Yes-No-Yes technique?

Express Yourself: Taking Care of Me l “I took a beer from the fridge, let’s share it!” l “We’ve been going out for 2 weeks, let’s have sex. ” l “The sales clerk is not paying attention. Just steal it!” l “I have some of my brother’s cigarettes. Let’s try one, it can’t hurt!” l “Math class is so boring. Let’s skip!”