1. No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched.

2. Cases in Aphelion 2008 Terms 1 & 2: Fighting Bullying Open defiance
Rudeness / Disrespect / Insensitivity
Causing bodily harm
Stealing
Howling
Lateness

3. Aggression
How to prevent it?

4. Reasons Seeking attention
Wishing to distract attention from potential failure at a learning task
Trying to control another student or teacher
Attempting to secure a position in the status hierarchy
Wanting to burn off excess energy
Being bored and wanting to get ‘something going’
Ignorance: using ‘home’ or ‘street’ behavior in school

5. Impulsivity
Managing it

6. How to make aggression less likely to occur?
Peer Mediators
Anger Management
Conflict Resolution
Disagreeing Agreeably: Modeling
Disagreeing Agreeably: Practice
Self-Control: Modeling
Social Skills
Teambuilding
Class Building
Silly Sports and Goofy Games
Regular Exercise
60 Beats per Minute Music
Prepare Responses
Think Time
Take a Walk

7. Peer Mediators
Train students to be effective mediators of peer conflicts
Students have legitimate ‘power’ (influence) in classroom
Can be a force for creating solutions

8. Anger Management Learn practical steps to deal with anger (Education)
Example: School counselor

9. Conflict Resolution
Students trained to be peer mediators: 8 modes (STOP HAAC) – Choose 1 at any one time
S: Share
T: Take Turns
O: Outside
P: Postpone
H: Humor
A: Avoid
C: Compromise
C: Chance

10. Disagreeing Agreeably: Modeling
Use polite disagreement gambits (functional phrases) to express your own disagreement

11. Disagreeing Agreeably: Practice
Students to practice the gambits
For example:
I beg to differ….
I understand your point of view; in my opinion….
Let’s agree to disagree on that….

12. Self-Control: Modeling
Learn from good role models: Impulse control techniques:
Stay calm
Calm ways in responding to frustration, threats and anger in others
Take deep breaths
Move and talk more slowly and deliberately
Focus on the feelings of others or desired outcomes

13. Social Skills
Learn skills you need to work effectively in groups and to interact with others
For example:
Taking turns
Sharing materials
Listening to others
Disagreeing without arguing

14. Teambuilding Teambuilding activities (E.g. school camps)
Help students to know and like each other
Help students to understand and respect individual differences
Establish bonds
Less likely to be aggressive towards others

15. Class Building Create a sense of community Class building activities
Results:
Students get acquainted
Students identify with other classmates
Students value differences

16. Silly Sports and Goofy Games
Put more ‘play’- create non competitive environment
For example:
Silly sports
Goofy games
(EOTA, EOYA)

17. Regular Exercise Releases endorphins ‘Feel good’ hormones
Less likely to react to frustrations or threat with aggression
Calmer
Learn better in school
For example:
PE lessons
EP3 lessons

18. 60 beats per minute music Music at 60 beats or slower is calming
Music with no words played at a relatively low level
Bring calming music into classroom

19. Prepare Responses Set PROCEDURES for responding to aggression
Practice these procedures before any aggressive outburst occurs
For example:
“Think Time”
“Take a Walk”

20. Think Time Powerful Take time to think BEFORE you react
You don’t always need to come up with a solution on the spot
Gambits:
I’m going to respond to you, but not right now.
Let me think about that and get back to you.
It would be good if we both took some time to think over what to do.

21. Take A Walk
COOL DOWN WALK

22. Preventing Angry Outbursts
9 Steps

23. Step 1: Monitor Frustration Levels
Read non-verbal signs of frustration (tightened fists, tense body, scowls, lowered eyebrows)
If above signs mount for a student, especially one with previous outbursts, OFFER TEACHER / PEER HELP
Find an alternative task
Return to previous task later on

24. Step 2: Break up learning tasks
Three 15-minute sessions on a topic
Break up difficult learning sessions
= reduces probability of frustration
= reduces probability of angry outbursts
= reduces probability of boredom
Provides outlet for excess energy

25. Step 3: Apply Rules and Favors Equally
Rules apply to all
Fairness

26. Step 4: Disagreeing Agreeably
Use gambits
DON’T use retaliation
“I see it differently”
“I would say that a little differently”
“I see how you could use it that way. From my perspective…”

27. Step 5: Anger Control Techniques
Count to ten
Commune with nature e.g. garden
Distraction
Drink a glass of water
Exercise
Get adult help
Journal
Go to a cool down centre
Listen to music
Meditate
Play a game
Recall a pleasant experience
Self talk: This too will pass; next year I won’t even remember this
Talk it over with a friend
Walk away
Play with a pet

28. Step 6: Teacher Disclosure
Share with students what works best for us
Students learn to find their own methods

29. Step 7: Verbal Gambit: Avoiding Escalation
Preparation: work out how you would want to react if confronted with an aggressor
Learn what to do
Learn what to say
Practice procedures
“Right now we are too worked up to talk it over. Let’s do it later.”
“I just need to go sit down before I do or say something I will regret.”
“We both are angry right now. Let’s get a drink of water and calm down.”

30. Step 8: Class Discussions: Responsible Anger
Have students to discuss times when it is natural to feel anger
Talk about times anger motivates us to solve social problems
Let students discover anger is neither right or wrong – WHAT WE DO about our anger can be RESPONSIBLE or IRRESPONSIBLE
Students to talk about things they can do to express anger responsibly
Sample scenarios: basis for discussions (See Samples)

31. Step 9: Journal Reflections
Journaling
Help students to reflect on responsible alternatives to aggression

32. Expressing Anger
Appropriately

33. Teacher Input What we do when we get angry! Responsible Ways!
BE A RESPONSIBLE PERSON EVEN WHEN YOU ARE ANGRY

34. Verbal Gambits: Expressing Anger
Learn Verbal Phrases to express your anger appropriately
For example:
“I felt angry when you….”
“I really don’t like it when…”
“It doesn’t help me when you…”

35. Behavioral Gambits: Expressing Anger
Responsible Behaviors
Practice! Practice! Practice!
Control your IMPULSE to hit!
For example:
Role plays
Tabling the matter
Taking a walk
Discussing the issue with authority
Paraphrasing with other person’s feelings

36. Cool Down Area A non-punitive proactive place
You can regain your composure there
Low stimulation area
Dim lights
No interaction with others
Quiet individual tasks e.g. drawing, writing, reading

37. After you have fully cooled down
Writing an apology
After you have fully cooled down