Choice 2 FLOW
Violence Reduction and Peacemaking Practices for Schools and Communities
Program Mission
This program is conducted by East Texas Baptist University’s Department of Behavioral Sciences faculty and students who have been trained in the critical and creative thinking skills necessary:
- To train participants to successfully cope with environments where interpersonal conflict occurs (including occasions of violent, destructive, and nonproductive behaviors) and to facilitate the creation of a safe, peaceful environment characterized by clear communication and mutual respect (including stress management and violence prevention strategies).
- To apply cooperative conflict resolution strategies to instances of interpersonal conflict and to reduce socially inappropriate violent and destructive behaviors including bullying and instances of micro-aggression.
- To teach cooperative conflict resolution strategies and other peacemaking skills (including brief introductory programs and extensive advanced programs in peer mediation).
- To facilitate the creation of comprehensive (proactive and reactive) peacemaking programs as systematic strategies to reduce violent and destructive behaviors in schools, churches, correctional facilities, and community settings.
Program Goal to assist communities and educational institutions in assessing and meeting their specific violence reduction/peacemaking needs. This program will include comprehensive strategies for reducing the stress and chaos associated with violent, destructive, and nonproductive behaviors including bullying and other interpersonal conflict issues.
Program Components for School and Community Settings
- Choice 2 Flow Listening Post—a practical, immediately applicable program combining listening skills and a generic creative problem solving format for application with students, teachers, and other school personnel. Teams will address personal and system issues with helpful listening skills and facilitating creative problem-solving strategies such as improved interpersonal communication and brain-storming for solutions.
- Choice 2 Flow Awareness Training—an educational program available at the classroom or campus level designed to teach the basics of active listening and creative problem-solving to students, teachers, and/or other persons as it relates to bullying and other social skills challenges in the educational setting. Advanced training is also available in conflict resolution strategies such as peer mediation.
- Choice 2 Flow Stress/Chaos Reduction Training—Anxiety reduction/relaxation training and cooperative, communication training for students, teachers, and other persons designed to help create a safe and peaceful environment conducive to empathetic, peacemaking alternatives to bullying and other social skills challenges.
- Choice 2 Flow Mentoring Program—an after-school program providing the Choice 2 Flow Listening Post and a mentoring/teaching strategy for students with social skills deficits. Program will include relaxation training, listening and empathy training, and personal coping strategies for reducing bullying via effective communication and cooperative, conflict resolution applications.
- Choice 2 Flow Needs Assessment—an individualized needs assessment program for students, teachers, and other school personnel designed to determine peacemaking services relevant for each educational institution. (Recommended first step for all programs).
This program will be available to you as a potential resource in your educational or community setting beginning in January 2013. Please contact us for more information.
Program Contact Information
Robert (Bob) Benefield
Professor of Psychology and Criminal Justice
1 Tiger Drive
East Texas Baptist University
Marshall, Texas 75670
903-923-2089
rbenefield@etbu.edu
Laurie Smith
Professor of Sociology
1 Tiger Drive
East Texas Baptist University
Marshall, Texas 75670
903-923-2090
lsmith@etbu.edu