Icebreaker Role Play Vignette

Each person escalates the argument, using the following steps as a guide:

 Did you bring all the handout materials, some seem to be missing? or I’m not sure all the handouts are in the packets.

 I thought you brought them or I thought they were all there.

 This material is very important to the success of the training, and you are not doing your job.

 You are being unreasonable, and this is not the place to be discussing this.

 If you weren’t such an idiot, we wouldn’t have to have this discussion (becoming louder and angrier).

 Who are you to call me an idiot? You are the screw-up (even louder and angrier).

 Yeah, what are you going to do about it (using body language to convey a threatening posture)?

Preventing and Reducing Adolescent Violence Role Play & Case Vignettes © 2003 The Research Foundation, Center for the Development of Human Services Differences Between Male and Female Violence Vignettes

Read the following vignettes to the participants:

Derrick, Jake, and Willy are talking about how DJ dissed Derrick to a whole group of kids at school earlier that day. Derrick is very hot about this, calling DJ names. He asks Jake and Willy to go with him to where DJ hangs out so he can challenge him to a fight.

In another place, Vanessa, Amber, and Ashley are talking about how Rachelle was telling kids at school that Vanessa had stolen her CDs, something Vanessa denies. Together they plan how they will tell everyone in school tomorrow how Rachelle wanted to go out with Cedric, but he laughed at her and told his friends how pathetic she was. They will then suggest that everyone ignore Rachelle and not sit with her during lunch.

Youth and caseworker roles.

Situation: Bobby/Bobbie got into trouble at the after-school program for physically fighting with another youth, Shawn/Shawna. Shawn/Shawna had tripped Bobby/Bobbie causing him/her to fall on the floor dropping belongings all over the place. All the other kids had laughed. Bobby/Bobbie felt humiliated, got up and started punching Shawn, until restrained by staff. The center called you to come and get Bobby/Bobbie, and you sit down to talk with him/her when you get “home.”

Bobby/Bobbie: still very angry and defensive, justifying what he/she did. Reports that he/she had no control over actions due to the angry feelings. When asked what he/she wants, the only response is to “beat the crap out of Shawn/Shawna.” He/she has no ideas about what could have been done instead. He/she will grudgingly agree that the caseworker has some good ideas, if the ideas address his/her humiliation and anger but will not listen to suggestions to not respond at all. Although suggested non-violent alternatives make sense, Bobby/Bobbie does not believe that he/she can control angry feelings enough to use non-violent responses. He/she does agree to try suggestions for calming down.

Parent/Worker: tries to suggest different anger management and problem solving skills, using the Anger Management Role Play Observer Worksheet, Anger Management Training Components and Eight Step Social Problem Solving Model handouts as a guide. The goal is to help Bobby/Bobbie identify a specific plan of action for the future that will address the situation without him/her getting into trouble. Suggested non-violent alternatives include assertive verbal responses (“Tripping me is a lousy thing to do. Don’t do it again!”), humorous or sarcastic verbal responses to get others to laugh at Shawn/Shawna (“Usually your big, fat feet only trip you up. At least I didn’t have to smell them.”), and bringing in adult authorities, particularly if there is ongoing harassment. A barrier to using these non-violent responses might be difficulty controlling an angry outburst. Suggest deep breathing, counting, picturing Shawn/Shawna getting in trouble, and talking to a supportive friend afterwards in order to help maintain control.

Two volunteers are asked to demonstrate negotiation and assertiveness skills using the following as a guide:

Two adolescent siblings (or both in same foster home/residence) have a conversation that includes the following:

1. Greetings (Whassup? How ya doing?)

2. “ A’s” good grade: (“A” (use first names) tells about getting a good grade on a test at school.)

3. “ B” compliments “A.” (Dude, that’s great!)

4. “ B” reminds “A” that he/she promised to help set up for a holiday party at the community center that they go to. “B” is on the party committee.

5. “ A” says that he/she forgot (I totally forgot. I was planning on going roller skating with my friends.)

6. “ B” controls anger gets an angry, frustrated look on his/her face, starts to say “you promised” in a loud and angry voice, and then takes a deep breath and forces self to say, “I was counting on you to help”, using a moderate tone of voice.

7. “ A” stops self from interrupting “B” starts to say, “don’t tell me what to do,” but stops self, allowing “B” to continue.

8. “ B” tells “A” how much his/her help means (saying “It really felt good to be able to count on your help. It’s too much work for me to do by myself. I really need you to help me on this.”)

9. “ A” asks if they can finish the set up early (saying, “I really wanted to meet up with my friends, but if we could finish the set up by 8:00 p.m., I could help and still meet my friends for skating.”)

10. “ B” agrees that they can start earlier and finish by 8:00

11. Both thank the other for accommodating their needs.

Situation: Setting a curfew for the adolescent.

Ineffective approach: Adolescent complains that 10 p.m. curfew is too early. Parents do not agree, mother arguing that 10 p.m. is appropriate and father telling her that she is overprotective, but giving up because mother always have to have her way. (Father then walks away.)

Mother sets 10 p.m. curfew ignoring input from adolescent, who complains, saying that his/her friends are able to stay out until midnight, and that parents treat him/her like a baby. Mother responds, saying that they had this discussion last month and agreed to a 10 p.m. curfew, but it has never been enforced because she goes to bed early and father never punishes adolescent. (No specific consequences are discussed.)

Adolescent asks to stay out later than 10 p.m. on Saturday since he/she has been invited to go to a school dance that doesn’t end until 11 p.m. but mother says no. Adolescent asks father to intervene, but father only says that mother has to have her own way.

Effective approach: Adolescent complains that 10 p.m. curfew is too early. Father asks adolescent what he/she thinks the curfew should be (adolescent suggests midnight). Mother explains how they are concerned about where the adolescent is and what he/she is doing. They think just hanging out on the street corner until midnight is too late.

Mother thinks 10 p.m. is a reasonable time. Father tells mother that he thinks that the adolescent is responsible enough to stay out until 11 p.m. but will support mother’s decision. Parents agree that 11 p.m. on weekends is curfew, but mother feels that the adolescent should be home by 9 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday, and father agrees.

Adolescent asks about staying out later on Saturday, since the dance does not end until 11 p.m. Parents agree that if the adolescent asks permission beforehand to attend a chaperoned event (or be at someone’s house with parental supervision), they may allow a later curfew. They do approve a midnight curfew for Saturday, since adolescent wants to stop for something to eat with friends.

Parents remind adolescent that if he/she is late, that the consequence is a 9 p.m. curfew on the next weekend night.