Lesson 5-2 Factors That Contribute To Violence

 From your health folder: Open Unit 5 Student Journal  Pg. 7 Lesson 2 Journal Entry  Describe what you feel is the most serious consequence of violence for targets, for perpetrators, and for bystanders and explain why?  “Every act of violence affects us all.”  Do you agree with this statement, why or why not? Bell Ringer

 Some people believe that everything that happens in our world, both good and bad, affects every one of us.  From a distance or directly.  No matter how far away from or close to an act of violence people have been, most have felt empathy for those who have been its targets.  What if it had been me? What if this had happened to my family, my friends, my community, or our country? Motivate

 The effects of violence are even more real when it happens to you or to those you care about…  … but it would be unhealthy to think about violence or live in fear of it all the time  Understanding more about how violence happens can help motivate people to take the steps to prevent or stop it as much as possible. Understanding Violence

 Why violence happens is a complicated question, because many things can contribute to violence, and the reasons behind violence can be complex.  Today, you’re going to be exploring some of the things or factors that can contribute to violence.  In the last lesson, you suggested reasons a person might become a perpetrator of violence. Can you recall what some of those were?  What about reasons a person might become a target of violence? Summarize

 Attitudes – views people hold about themselves, others, or the world.  Behaviors – things they do to put them at risk of committing or being a target of an act of violence.  Environment – surrounding that can make violence more likely. Review list of reasons and how they relate to these factors. TE pg. 22 Factors That Contribute to Violence

 Now work with a partner to think of as many of the different factors that can contribute to violence as you can.  Answer one of these questions:  What are some attitudes or views people might hold that could contribute to or make violence more likely to happen?  What are some behaviors or things people might do that could contribute to or make violence more likely to happen?  What kinds of things in the environment might contribute to or make violence more likely to happen?  Be ready to share your lists Activity

 Vengeance  Lack of respect for differences  Need for personal power or control  View that violence can solve problems or settle differences  Bias, prejudice, or hate toward another person or group  Strong emotions  Hate  Anger  Frustration  Jealousy Attitudes That Contribute to Violence

 Poor communication or conflict resolution skills  Poor coping or stress- management skills  Impulsiveness or lack of self- control  Alcohol or other drug use  Gang involvement  Playing violent video games or watching a lot of violence in the media Behaviors That Contribute to Violence

 Limited resources or opportunities to improve one’s circumstances  Messages from family, peers, community, and media  Social or peer norms that model a general acceptance of violence  Choices or actions of others  Lack of a personal support system  Misinformation, rumors, gossip  Lack of positive role models  Large groups of people experiencing strong emotions (“mob” mentality)  Access to guns and other weapons Environment That Contribute to Violence

 Violence is more likely to happen when people view another person or group as a threat, or don’t respect others through their words or actions.  It can also happen when people don’t know how to deal with strong feelings in healthy ways, and they cat impulsively or suddenly out of anger, jealousy, or fear.  Not knowing how to find the resources they need to achieve the future they want for themselves, or the skills to communicate to others what they want and need, deal with stress or resolve conflicts are all things that can push people toward violent behaviors. Summarize

 Being around violence in the home, school, or neighborhood, or being exposed to violence in video games, TV shows, and movies can make people more likely to see valence as a way to handle conflict, especially if they view the behaviors they witness as models for their own choices.  If violence is tolerated or allowed within a family, school, or community, it sends a message that this is an acceptable way to deal with strong feelings or disagreements.  When an environment such as a school or community doesn’t fee safe, some people resort to violence as a way to feel in charge or protect themselves. Summary Continued

 Which of these factors do you think most often contribute to violence that happens in a school setting?  Lack of coping or communication skills  Intolerance of differences (appearance, abilities, sexual orientation)  Large numbers of diverse teens gathered in one place  Social and academic stressors  Reluctance to seek adult help or report potentially violent situations  Spillover of community problems  Use of alcohol or other drugs on school grounds or at school sponsored events  Presence of weapons  Gang Activity Relate Factors to School Violence

 Violence can have serious consequences when it happens at school.  This is why schools have rules and policies intended to help prevent or stop violence and respond to it in the safest ways possible when it happens.  We’ll be looking at our school’s policies around different types of violence in future classes. Explain

 How does using alcohol or other drugs affect a person’s choices and actions?  How can the use of alcohol or other drugs contribute to violence? Ask & Discuss

 Impair judgment and lower inhibitions  Act impulsively when making decisions  Be less likely to think about the consequences of their actions  Easier for strong feelings or disagreements to lead to violence  Makes a person less likely to be able to defend himself or herself from violence  Some people become more passive and withdrawn Explore Influences Of Alcohol/Drugs

 How can the presence of guns or other weapons contribute to violence and the likelihood of people being injured? Ask & Discuss

 Those who own guns are trained and use them for hunting or sports  Take proper precautions  Keep them locked up when not used  Sometimes having access to a gun or other weapon can make a person act more recklessly  People who have weapons may be more willing to challenge others or take risks  The presence of a gun or other weapon can add to the fear and other strong emotions that increase the danger of a situation  Increase likelihood of serious injury or death  Increase seriousness of criminal charges that can result from the violence. Explore Influences Of Weapons

 May be a way to fit in or only available option  Join a gang as a way to belong, make money, take risks, or receive protection from bullying or other harassment.  They often participate in regular teen activities such as hanging out and playing games or sports. Exploring Influences Of Gangs

 Gang violence directed at other gangs often results in collateral damage.  When uninvolved people are frightened, injured, or killed by the gang’s violent activities, or when family members or friends of gang members are threatened or harmed.  Use of alcohol and other drugs  Rivalries with other gangs  Initiations  Disagreements  Drug selling or other criminal activities  Loyalties  Defend or expand territory  Revenge  Respect Gang Involvement Contribute to Violence

 With your partner, review your lists of attitude, behaviors, and environmental factors that can contribute to violence.  For each factor, suggest things you could do to help change that attitude, behavior, or environment to avoid or prevent violence See TE pg. 32 for key Review Violence Prevention Strategies

 Stopping violence is about m ore than just avoiding or limiting the consequences of violence.  The ways people view and treat each other every day also play a big role.  When people acknowledge the way they are different as well as the same, and treat each other with respect, it can go a long way toward preventing violence.  Treating others the way you would like to be treated is very important!  You can learn positive ways to cope with strong feelings, such as anger, fear, or shame, and to resolve disagreements with others.  Offering support when someone else is having strong feelings, or correcting mistaken ideas that least to prejudice can also help.  One of the most important things is to not behave in violent ways or tolerate violence when it happens.  The more you know about violence the more you’ll be able to avoid it. Summarize

 Understand the factors that can lead to violence.  Know the consequences of violence.  Avoid places or situations in which violence may happen and don’t spend time with people who accept violence or act in violent ways.  Ask for help when you think you or others are in danger of violence.  Don’t just accept violence or think there’s nothing you can do about it. When people accept or don’t care about violent actions, it makes it possible for these things to continue. It’s important to:

 Can young people truly make a difference in preventing violence problems? Why or why not? Close