Prevention Talk: Prevention at work
Too Good for Violence, Social Perspectives is the prevention education program currently taught by Twin County Recovery Services, Prevention Educators in Greene County Schools. It is part of a group of evidenced -based prevention programs developed by the Mendez Foundation to address the issue of escalating violence and substance use in young people. The program delivers a series of 7-10-character education lessons designed by prevention specialists to prepare children and teens to make healthy choices and avoid unhealthy behaviors. The goal of the program is to reduce risk factors for aggressive behaviors replacing them with protective factors. These protective factors provide students with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to make the positive changes that are necessary to help them avoid aggressive behaviors. These very same protective factors that prevent kids from engaging in substance use.
While the delivery method is school based, effectiveness is increased when the family and community are involved as equal partners. We are all affected by our environment, so inclusion not only makes good sense, but is backed up by research proving the premise. Students are twice as likely to remember and use the lessons taught in school when families and communities are involved in the learning process (Mendez grade 8 Teacher’s Manual; Too Good for Violence, Social Perspectives pg. 5). Collaboration with families and community is one of the program’s key elements that enhances the effectiveness of the program by raising awareness of healthy life skills and promoting unity within the school and community.
The Social Perspectives approach is designed to help the child or adolescent develop social and emotional competency built on skills and character traits. Conflict Resolution, Anger Management, Respect for Self and Others and Effective Communication are foundational principles through which students learn empathy, and kindness. These skills and character traits are basic to non-violent behavior. Cooperation is an integral construct of Social Perspectives. Participation in cooperative learning activities strengthens the skills and attitudes necessary for working together peacefully (Mendez grade 8 Teacher’s Manual, social Perspectives pg. 21) Courage, Fairness, Honesty, Responsibility, Self-Discipline and Caring round out the list of traits that equip youngsters for the challenges facing them in their growing years and into adulthood.
Home Work Out assignments bridge the gap between school and family by involving students and adult family members in home activities directly related to lesson themes. These fun projects strengthen the bonds between child, parent, and school. Positive bonding between child, family, school and community is an extremely powerful protective factor, one that is essential to develop so we can increase the positive factors and reduce the negative factors in children’s lives and their environment. Community norms greatly influence young people in the choices they make. Norms are standards of accepted behavior that can be both positive or negative, in other words risk or protective factors. Norms are often based on misperceptions which although totally inaccurate and misleading, are nevertheless accepted as true. People often base their attitudes and behavior on norms. Exposure to and acceptance of negative norms can create feeling of helplessness, insecurity, hopelessness for the future, and fear. Depression and anxiety accompany these feeling and some turn to drugs for relief. Too Good for Violence and its sister program Too Good for Drugs address the issue of negative norms by correcting misinformation and establishing healthy positive norms. When children and teens become aware of and accept the positive norms Too Good teaches, they are strengthened and develop the resilience that enables them to live peaceful non-violent drug free lives. The power to reduce the grip of drugs and violence in our society is in our hands.
Reach Helen M. Exum at helene@twincountyrecoveryservices.org.
