Chapter 6 Building Healthy Peer Relationships Section 1

Effective Communication Learning to communicate effectively takes practice. With practice you can master the skills of effective communication. These skills include “I” messages, active listening, assertiveness, and using appropriate body language.

“I” Messages A statement that expresses your feelings, but does not blame or judge the other person.

Active Listening Effective communication must be a two-way process. There must be a listener as well as a speaker. The listener must do more than hear what is said- they must be actively involved in the conversation. An active listener responds to what is being said.

To become an active listener you should do the following: Show Interest Encourage the speaker Comment on what the speaker is saying Avoid judging Summarize with the speaker Go in depth with the speaker Keep on topic

Assertiveness Are you passive? Aggressive? Assertive? Assertiveness involves more than just what you say. How you say something, or the tone of your voice, also communicates your message. People who are assertive tend to have healthier relationships than those who are passive or aggressive. Passive behaviors show lack of respect for yourself. Aggressive behaviors shows lack of respect for others.

Body Language You can also communicate information or feelings through body language. People are often unaware of the silent messages sent by their body language. Sometimes a persons body language will reflect how they really feel, but body language can also contradict how you really feel. Differs from culture to culture (eye contact)

Cooperation To successfully meet a goal, people must work together as a team. Cooperation is important in all relationships. Cooperation builds strong relationships that are based on mutual trust, caring, and responsibility.

Compromise Compromise is a skill of give-and-take. Both people must be willing to sacrifice to get something in return. When you are willing to compromise, you let the other person know how important the relationship is to you.

Chapter 6 Section 1 Review 1-6 20 points Due tomorrow

Section 2 Friendships The Importance of Friendships People look to their friends for honest reactions, encouragement during bad times, and understanding when they make mistakes. Friends offer a sense of belonging. They are a handy reminder that there are other people who understand and care about you. Interacting with others helps you to build self-esteem and to learn about yourself.

Types of Friendships Some friendships are casual and some are close. Some are with friends of the opposite sex. Each type of friend is valuable for different reasons.

Casual Friends Casual friendships often occur because people go to the same school, live in the same neighborhood, or have interests in common. Short-term- offer the chance to have fun, try new things, and learn to get along with a variety of people.

Close Friends People tend to build close friendships with others who share similar goals, values, or interests. No matter how a friendship forms, most people agree on 4 qualitities that are important in a close friend. Loyalty Honesty Empathy Reliability

Friends of the opposite sex Opposite-sex friendships develop more often now than in earlier generations because of changes in gender roles. Many people now choose activities and behave in ways that traditionally were reserved for member of the other gender. In choosing friends today, most people look for males and females with interests as same as their own.

Problems in Friendships Even in the strongest friendships, problems occur. Some possible problems in friendships are envy, jealousy, cruelty, and cliques.

Envy and Jealousy Envy can occur when one person has something that the other person desires. The source can be looks, talent, possessions, or popularity. It is normal to feel jealous or envy at times, but if the feelings linger, it can cause problems.

Cruelty Sometimes a friend may be cruel when you don’t deserve it. Your friends behavior may have nothing to do with you at all. They may be facing problems at home, at school, or elsewhere. Unfortunately, sometimes people transfer their ill feelings onto their close friends. If a friend is cruel, confront them, tell them that you will not tolerate being mistreated. Desire to help your friend.

Cliques Being a member of a clique can give a person a sense of belonging, but it also can deprive a person of forming friendships with a variety of people.

Chapter 6 Section 2 Review 1-6 20 points Due tomorrow