Higher-level aggression
Featured in the The Assertiveness Skills Pack training manual
By Joanna Gutmann
Category: Communication Skills
Credit price: 3 download credits (Single user)
If every-day aggression is sarcasm, the small insult, the ‘joke’ that’s mildly offensive, higher-level aggression is more likely to be argument and/or verbal attack. The strategy for handling aggressive behaviour usually includes the following stages (assuming that, despite each stage, the aggression continues): 1. Listen to what the person is saying, ignoring the anger, personal insults, and so on. Try to identify the core problem. 2. Ask closed and open questions to gain sufficient information to deal with the problem. For example, ‘When did it happen?’, ‘Who said they could not do it?’, ‘Could you give me an example?’ 3. Acknowledge their position, and state why yours is different. For example, ‘I can see it has been a problem to you, but I see the position differently’. 4. If your statement of position is not noted, it may help to restate it, slowly and clearly, emphasising key words. If you think previous agreements are being broken, this is the time to point it out. 5. If you feel you are getting nowhere, it may be necessary to warn the other person that, if they continue to behave aggressively, you will walk out, or hang up and continue the discussion later. It is important that this is said calmly and politely. 6. It may be necessary to carry out the action warned of above. Alternatively, you can put the argument aside and try to get to any underlying problems. For example, ‘We seem to always argue over the work ratio of our departments; can we be clearer on why these problems occur?’ At this point it is necessary to return to Stage 1 of the process, but this will hopefully bring any underlying feelings to the surface and open the channels of communication. The length of time spent at each stage varies and, in many instances, the interchange may stay at one particular stage for some time.
Participants consider example of higher-level aggression, and learn how to maintain assertiveness in the face of such behaviour.
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers to enable participants to develop strategies for behaving assertively in the face of higher-level aggressive behaviour
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 12 |
| Typical Duration: | 00:50:00 |
| No of Pages: | 11 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers with all staff who wish to increase their assertive skills. All participants should have completed ‘Rights in assertiveness’, and must have taken part in ‘Behaviour styles’, or have undergone basic assertiveness training, to provide them with the background information and understanding to support this activity.
Download the training activity, Higher-level aggression as featured in the Fenman training manual; The Assertiveness Skills Pack