You already know how important assertion is in bullying prevention. But, sometimes taking that first step is the hardest part when you’re trying to do something important like become more assertive. It’s overwhelming to think about and remember everything you must do in order to have success becoming assertive. You [...]
By now, you know that you must develop an assertive communication style in order to prevent bullying. But while it’s easy to make goals, actually achieving your goals is the hard part. Maybe you don’t know the first step, or any of the steps to become assertive. Or, perhaps you [...]
Identify your communication style through this personal inventory in order to start communicating assertively. Now you can see the importance of being assertive as well as avoiding aggression and deference. A main reason for this is that the assertive communication style is key in bullying prevention. Now take a minute [...]
Change Isn’t Easy, but It’s Worth it. “An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion, unless acted upon by an outside force.” That’s Newton’s First Law of Motion. Basic science tells us that resistance is a common response to change, whether we’re talking [...]
Assertion is a way of communicating with other people. But, as you can probably guess, it’s not the only way to communicate. While assertive people can communicate or send messages openly and clearly, people with aggressive or deferring communication styles cannot. Aggression (anger) and deference (fear) are negative communication styles [...]
Interpersonal assertion plays an essential part in bullying prevention. Assertion involves insisting on one’s own rights without taking away the rights of others. This skill helps people clearly explain their wants, needs, and feelings to other people. It also provides a way for people to get what they want without violating, [...]
Have you ever been in a situation where you just didn’t know how to respond? For example, maybe someone just told you that her father died. What could you possibly say or do that would make her feel better in that situation? You’re probably worried about offending her or sounding [...]
Find a person who is a good listener, and they will likely have many friends— people want to be around a good listener. To be a better listener, we must take time for others. In a world of change and pressure, it takes a real effort to take time to [...]
Often times, bullying occurs because people don’t know how to accept others into their environment. This makes teaching acceptance key for bullying prevention. Acceptance is the ability to see that others have a right to be their own unique self. They have a right to their own feelings, thoughts, and [...]
By now, you know that empathy lies at the heart of bullying prevention. Empathy opens communication and understanding while building strong relationships. Being able to empathize though is just the first step. The real goal of practicing empathy is to get people to actually care about one another. The idea [...]