Communication and Injury Prevention

Intentional and unintentional injury can come in the form of violence, accidents/bodily harm caused by drugs or alcohol, or just going along with a risky idea.

Being able to effectively and confidently communicate can prevent injury.

Nonverbal Communication

The majority of communication comes from non-verbal cues.

Important things to remember to make you look like you mean what you are saying are: eye contact, posture, tone of voice, and facial expression.

If you are trying to stand down a bully or refuse drugs, not paying attention to these things can make you appear to not really mean what you are saying.

Refusal Skills

• Humor- Some situations can be diffused by using humor to lighten the situation.

• Give Reasons- Give the person a reason why it's a bad idea. Backing it up with a reason gives it more power.

• Make an excuse and stick to it- Whatever excuse you pick, make sure it is reasonable and stick to it.

• Plain, firm “No.”- Sometimes “no” is all you need, just be firm. Remember the nonverbal cues.

• Suggest an alternative- The person suggesting a potentially harmful idea may just be bored. They may take you up on your offer if the alternative is a good one.

• Ignore- Act like you didn't hear the suggestion and change the subject. You are conveying that you don't even think the idea is worth your time.

• Repeat yourself- Sometimes, you just have to stick to your guns until the other person gets the idea.

• Leave- Sometimes, just walking away is the best thing to do.

• Thanks, but no thanks- Be polite, but still show them you mean “no”.

• Numbers- You and your friends should back each other in saying “no”.

Responding with Empathy

• Active listening- You must listen to what the other person is saying. Don't simply nod and give just yes or no answers. Really listen to what they are saying and restate in your own words what you think they are saying and go deeper to show you understand.

• Put yourself in the other person's shoes. If someone comes to you talking about a problem, they are looking for understanding. You must listen to what they are saying and convey to them how you think they are feeling and show you understand. Don't fall into the trap of automatically trying to fix their problem, they want your understanding.

• How does this relate to injury prevention? If a person is coming to you talking about being depressed, etc. your listening and understanding may be the thing that helps them cope with their situation and prevents them from causing harm to themselves later on. If someone comes to you contemplating suicide after you talk to them tell a counselor or other adult so they can get the help they need.

Sources

• http://at-risk-youth-support.suite101.com/article.cfm/top_ten_refusal_skills_for_teens

• http://www.enotalone.com/article/2830.html