Chapter 20. Providing Information and Enhancing Skills | Community Tool Box

• What is conflict resolution?

• Why should you resolve conflict?

• When should you resolve conflict?

• How should you resolve conflict?

What is conflict resolution?

Conflict, arguments, and change are natural parts of our lives, as well as the lives of every agency, organization, and nation.

Conflict resolution is a way for two or more parties to find a peaceful solution to a disagreement among them. The disagreement may be personal, financial, political, or emotional.

When a dispute arises, often the best course of action is negotiation to resolve the disagreement.

The goals of negotiation are:

• To produce a solution that all parties can agree to
• To work as quickly as possible to find this solution
• To improve, not hurt, the relationship between the groups in conflict

Conflict resolution through negotiation can be good for all parties involved. Often, each side will get more by participating in negotiations than they would by walking away, and it can be a way for your group to get resources that might otherwise be out of reach.

Why should you resolve conflict?

The main goal of negotiation with your opposition is to come to an agreement that benefits all parties.

Some other good reasons to negotiate are:

• To understand more about those whose ideas, beliefs, and backgrounds may be different from your own. In order to resolve a conflict, you'll need to look at the conflict from your opponent's point of view and learn more about this person or group's perspective and motivations.
• To ensure that your relationships with opponents continue and grow. If you make peace with your opponents, you increase your own allies in the community. Successful negotiations pave the way for smooth relationships in the future.
• To find peaceful solutions to difficult situations. Full-blown battles use up resources -- time, energy, good reputation, motivation. By negotiating, you avoid wasting these resources, and you may actually make new allies and find new resources!

When should you resolve conflict?

Conflict resolution is appropriate for almost any disagreement. Our daily lives offer plenty of opportunities for negotiation - between parents and children, co-workers, friends, etc., and as a result, you probably already have a variety of effective strategies for resolving minor conflicts. But for more serious conflicts, and conflicts between groups rather than individuals, you may need some additional skills. How, for example, should you structure a meeting between your group and your opponent? When should you settle, and when should you fight for more? How should you react if your opponent attacks you personally? Read on for more information on specific conflict resolution techniques.

How should you resolve conflict?

There are seven steps to successfully negotiating the resolution of a conflict:

1. Understand the conflict
2. Communicate with the opposition
3. Brainstorm possible resolutions
4. Choose the best resolution
5. Use a third party mediator
6. Explore alternatives
7. Cope with stressful situations and pressure tactics

1. Understand the conflict

Conflicts arise for a variety of different reasons. It is important for you to define clearly your own position and interests in the conflict, and to understand those of your opponent. Here are some questions to ask yourself so that you can better define the conflict.

Interests

• What are my interests?
• What do I really care about in this conflict?
• What do I want?
• What do I need?
• What are my concerns, hopes, fears?

Possible Outcomes

• What kinds of agreements might we reach?

Legitimacy

• What third party, outside of the conflict, might convince one or both of us that a proposed agreement is a fair one?
• What objective standard might convince us that an agreement is fair? For example: a law, an expert opinion, the market value of the transaction.
• Is there a precedent that would convince us that an agreement is fair?

Their Interests

• What are the interests of my opposition?
• If I were in their shoes, what would I really care about in this conflict?
• What do they want?
• What do they need?
• What are their concerns, hopes, fears?

Interests play an important role in better understanding conflict. Often, groups waste time "bargaining over positions." Instead of explaining what the interests of their position are, they argue about their "bottom line." This is not a useful way to negotiate, because it forces groups to stick to one narrow position. Once they are entrenched in a particular position, it will be embarrassing for them to abandon it. They may spend more effort on "saving face" than on actually finding a suitable resolution. It is usually more helpful to explore the group's interests, and then see what positions suit such interests.

Example:

Your parent group wants the local high school to change its American history textbook. You feel that the textbook doesn't represent the history of African-Americans, Latinos, and Asian-Americans in the U.S. adequately. You come to the School Committee and say, "The only textbook that works for us is The People of the United States, and that's final!" You have presented a position rather than your interests. By drawing a bottom line, you're stuck in one position. If you don't convince the School Committee to choose this textbook, you'll lose.

A more effective way to approach the School Committee would be to state your interests. You might say, "We're concerned about the under-representation of racial minorities in the current U.S. history textbook, and would like to find an alternative." By communicating your interests, rather than one position, you are leaving some room to negotiate while still being firm and clear about your goals.

Often, the same interest can have many positions. For example, the School Committee might vote to supplement the history textbook with a packet of articles about minorities; add mandatory units on slavery, the Harlem Renaissance, and Japanese internment camps, or offer a new course about minorities in America. These are different positions that address the same interest.

2. Communicate with the opposition

Now that you have thought through your own interests and those of the other party, you can begin to communicate directly with your opposition. Here are some tips for productive talks:

• Listen. Their opinions are important to you, because their opinions are the source of your conflict. If something is important to them, you need to recognize this. Recognizing does not mean agreeing, of course!
• Let everyone participate who wants to. People who participate will have a stake in a resolution. They will want to find a good compromise.
• Talk about your strong emotions. Let the other side let off steam.
• Don't, however, react to emotional outbursts! Try an apology instead of yelling back. Apologizing is not costly, and is often a rewarding technique.
• Be an active listener. Rephrase what you're hearing as a question: "Let me see if I'm following you. You're saying that... Have I got that right?" You can still be firm when you're listening.
• Speak about yourself, not the other party. In the textbook example, you might say, "I feel angry to know that my children are reading this old-fashioned textbook," rather than, "How could you choose such a racist book?"
• Be concrete, but flexible. Speak about your interests, not about your position.
• Avoid early judgments. Keep asking questions and gathering information.
• Don't tell the opposition, "It's up to you to solve your problems." Work to find a solution for everyone.
• Find a way to make their decision easy. Try to find a way for them to take your position without looking weak, but don't call it a way for them to "save face." Egos are important in negotiations!

3. Brainstorm Possible Resolutions

Now that you know what the interests of both parties are, and how to better communicate with the opposition, you can start thinking about solutions. Look at all of the interests you have listed, for you and for your opponents, and look for common interests. Often both parties share many interests -- for example, both groups may want stability and public respect.

Before you hold a brainstorming meeting, think carefully about how you'll set up the meeting. Write a clear purpose statement for the meeting. Try to choose a small group of 5-8 people total. Hold the meeting in a different environment from your usual setting. Make sure the setting is an informal one where people feel comfortable and safe. Find an unbiased facilitator, someone who can structure the meeting without sharing his or her own feelings about the conflict.

To begin brainstorming, decide whether you want to brainstorm with your opposition, or with only your group. In either case, you will want to establish some ground rules.

• Work on coming up with as many ideas as possible. Don't judge or criticize the ideas yet -- that might prevent people from thinking creatively.
• Try to maximize (not minimize) your options.
• Look for win-win solutions, or compromises, in which both parties get something they want.
• Find a way to make their decision easy
• During the meeting, seat people side by side, facing the "problem"-- a blank chalkboard or large pad of paper for writing down ideas. The facilitator will remind people of the purpose of the meeting, review the ground rules, and ask participants to agree to those rules. During the brainstorming session, the facilitator will write down all ideas on the chalkboard or pad.

4. Choose the best resolution

After the meeting, you will need to decide which resolution is best. Review your brainstorm ideas. Star the best ideas - these are what you will work with during the conflict resolution process. Set a time to discuss them and determine which idea is the best.

The goal here is to use both groups' skills and resources to get the best result for everyone. Which resolution gives both groups the most? That resolution is probably the best one.

5. Use a third party mediator

As you are brainstorming and choosing a good resolution, you may want to use a third party mediator. This is a person who is not from your group or your opponent's group, but whom you both trust to be fair. Your mediator can help both sides agree upon a standard by which you'll judge your resolution. Standards are a way to measure your agreement. They include expert opinions, law, precedent (the way things have been done in the past), and accepted principles.

For example:

Let's say you're building a new playground for your town's elementary school. You disagree with the superintendent about what kinds of materials you'll use to build the playground. The superintendent wants to use chemical-treated wood, but you feel it's unsafe. A mediator might read the current guidelines of the lumber industry and tell you which kinds of wood are considered safe for children. Maybe you and the superintendent will agree to follow the lumber industry's advice--in other words, to use that as the standard.

Your mediator could also, for example, run your brainstorming session.

Here are some other possible jobs for a mediator:

• Setting ground rules for you and your opponent to agree upon (for example, you might both agree not to publicly discuss the dispute)
• Creating an appropriate setting for meetings
• Suggesting possible ways to compromise
• Being an "ear" for both side's anger and fear
• Listening to both sides and explaining their positions to one another
• Finding the interests behind each side's positions
• Looking for win-win alternatives
• Keeping both parties focused, reasonable, and respectful
• Preventing any party from feeling that it's "losing face"
• Writing the draft of your agreement with the opposition

Perhaps Harriet is considering quitting her job because her boss wants to transfer her to another office. The mediator might say, "It sounds like Harriet doesn't care about transferring to the downtown office. What she's worried about is losing rank. Harriet, do you agree with that? Ms. Snell, do you understand Harriet's concern? How can we assure Harriet that she won't lose rank if she agrees to transfer?"

6. Explore alternatives

There may be times when, despite your hard work and good will, you cannot find an acceptable resolution to your conflict. You need to think about this possibility before you begin negotiations. At what point will you decide to walk away from negotiations? What are your alternatives if you cannot reach an agreement with your opponent?

It is important that you brainstorm your alternatives to resolution early on in the negotiation process, and that you always have your best alternative somewhere in the back of your mind. As you consider possible agreements with your opponent, compare them to this "best" alternative. If you don't know what the alternative is, you'll be negotiating without all the necessary information!

In order to come up with an alternative, start by brainstorming. Then, consider the pros and cons of each alternative. Think about which alternative is realistic and practical. Also think about how you can make it even better.

At the same time, don't forget to put yourself in the shoes of your opposition. What alternatives might they have? Why might they choose them? What can you do to make your choice better than their alternative?

Roger Fisher and Danny Ertel call this alternative your BATNA -- Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement. You can read more about BATNA in their book Getting Ready to Negotiate.

7. Cope with stressful situations and pressure tactics

So far, we've talked about how to negotiate with a fairly reasonable opponent. However, you need to be prepared to negotiate with all kinds of opponents, both reasonable and unreasonable. What if your opponent is more powerful and influential that you are? What if they refuse to meet or talk with you?

All of these situations are stressful, and intended to put extra pressure on you to make a quick decision in the opposition's favor. When a situation like this takes place, stay calm and go slow. Don't get angry or make a rushed decision. Instead, talk about the pressure tactic without judging.

Here are some possible situations:

My opponent is more powerful

If you have already decided on your best alternative, you have nothing to fear. You can walk away at any time, and go that route instead. Think about everything that you can do, and that your mediator can do. Although you may be less powerful, at least you will be negotiating with all the available information.

My opponent won't budge

In a situation like this, you may be tempted to do the same thing: "If you won't change your mind, neither will I!" However, you will fail if you insist on sticking to your position. Instead, treat your opponent's position as a real possibility. Ask lots of questions. Listen to their logic. Understand what their interests are, and what it is that they really want. Learn what their criticisms of your idea are. The more you know about where they're coming from, the better a resolution you can create.

In Summary

In conflict resolution, the best solution is the solution that is best for both sides. Of course, that's not always possible to find, but you should use all your resources to solve your conflict as smoothly as you can.

What is conflict resolution?

___Conflict resolution is a way for two or more parties to find a peaceful solution to a disagreement among them

Why should you use conflict resolution?

___You want to come to an agreement that benefits all parties

___You want to understand more about those whose ideas, beliefs, and backgrounds may be different from your own

___You want to ensure that your relationships with opponents continue and grow

___You want to find peaceful solutions to difficult situations

___You want to save your energy for more productive activities than battles

___You know when you should resolve the conflict

___You have decided if the conflict is between individuals or groups (or an individual and a group)

What are the seven steps to resolving conflict?

___You understand the conflict:

• You understand both sides' interests
• You have considered the possible outcomes of the negotiation
• You have considered possible mediators and objective standards to help resolve the dispute

___You are ready to communicate with the opposition:

• You are willing to negotiate with the opposition in order to find a resolution
• You want to learn from your opposition
• You want to turn your opposition into an ally

___You are prepared to brainstorm for possible resolutions

___You have selected the best resolution

___You have found a third party mediator and/or objective standard

___You have set a best alternative for yourself if negotiations fail

___You are ready to identify and cope with stressful situations and pressure tactics

Tool: Determining interests of both parties

This tool will help you access what is important for you and what is important for your opponent. Filling in the questionnaire you can examine your best alternatives to find a solution to your conflict.

My Interests

• What are my interests?
• What do I really care about in this conflict?
• What do I want?
• What do I need?
• What are my concerns, hopes, fears?

Possible Outcomes

• What kinds of agreements might we reach?

Legitimacy

• What third party, outside of the conflict, might convince one or both of us that a proposed agreement is a fair one?
• What objective standard might convince us that an agreement is fair? (a law, an expert opinion, the market value of the transaction?)
• Is there a precedent that would convince us that an agreement is fair?

Their Interests

• What are the interests of my opposition?
• If I were in their shoes, what would I really care about in this conflict?
• What do they want?
• What do they need?
• What are their concerns, hopes, fears?

Exploring alternatives

What's my best alternative to negotiations?

• Pros
• Cons:

Ways to make my alternative even better:

What's their best alternative to negotiations?

• Pros:
• Cons:

Ways to make their alternative less appealing:

 

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• How can community builders communicate with parents about prevention issues?

• What can parents do to prevent their children's risky or dangerous behavior?

As community builders and health care workers, we need to think about how to help families stay healthy. And one of the greatest struggles families have in keeping healthy is preventing children and teenagers from becoming involved in activities that are dangerous or risky. Many families struggle to prevent their children and teens from getting involved in drugs, becoming pregnant before they are ready, drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, losing too much weight, joining violent gangs, or becoming involved in other harmful activities.

Parents care deeply about their children and want the best for them. They want to learn about prevention strategies, so that they can stop their children's risky or dangerous behavior before it starts.

As community builders, we can help. We can develop prevention education programs in our communities that are interesting and accessible to parents. We can reach out to families in all segments of a community. We can provide support and counseling to families.

However, no matter what we do, we have to start with the basics. In order to reach parents, we need to learn how to communicate with them about important and sensitive issues. Many parents want information about prevention but often don't know how to get it. Sometimes parents feel defensive about their children or intimidated by "professionals." As community builders, we need to think about how to overcome parents' mistrust in order to communicate important information to them.

Additionally, we have to help parents understand what they can do to prevent risky behavior in their children. For example, what can parents do so their children will come to them when they need to talk or get some guidance? How do parents set limits with their children that are workable? What do parents tell their children about the realities of sex and relationships, drugs and alcohol, or violence?

How can community builders communicate with parents about prevention issues?

As community builders, we are eager to help families. But sometimes helping families around prevention issues is not an easy job. Parents are often wary of "helpers," and sometimes for good reason. Sometimes people in the social services, usually with the best of intentions, approach parents with unconscious criticism or unwanted advice.

In order to be truly helpful to parents and families in the area of prevention, we need to learn how to appreciate and empower parents, rather than to "correct " them. We have to understand what parents are up against, and then offer support and information.

Once you develop trust with parents, they want your help. You are needed!

Parenting is a tough job. With extended families not as prevalent as they used to be, parents are often on their own and without help. Many parents are stretched financially; some live with constant worry about meeting their family's basic needs. To make matters worse, our society often blames parents for not doing a better job, rather than giving parents the resources they need to do their jobs well.

However, even though many parents are up against great odds, we know that they care deeply about their children. Ask any parent to talk about their children--if you listen long enough and can get beneath the surface, parents will usually describe their children as their most precious gifts.

Most parents wish they could do better than they are doing. Parents long to give their children a better start in life than they had. For parents, there is usually a wide gap between what they want to give their children and what they can actually give, given the present conditions in our society.

With all the longing to do better, coupled with the criticism directed at parents by society at large, it is no wonder that parents might feel bad about themselves and defensive about their parenting.

Therefore, as community builders we have to figure out how to help parents, given the defensiveness and mistrust that is often an obstacle. We have to think of ways to communicate which will build trust and draw on the expertise and knowledge of the parents. Here are some steps you can take to communicate effectively with parents.

How do you communicate with parents about prevention?

Treat parents with respect

It's simple and essential, but easy to forget. You have to respect people in order to build trust and get information across. You have to assume that parents are intelligent, caring, and motivated to do well by their children. If you communicate an attitude of disrespect or superiority, people will pick up on that and will not trust you enough to use your help.

Listen without judgment

Listening is one of the most important elements of building trust. Listening without judgment is a valuable tool. Parents rarely have enough time and space to talk and think about their children. If you can listen to parents without judgment, you will be providing parents with an important avenue in helping them think about many aspects of their children's lives.

Also, people have to be listened to well, before they can really hear information that is given to them. Many people, but parents especially, are so distracted by worries and stresses that they have to talk for a while before they can clear their minds enough to take in new information.

As you listen to parents, there may be times when emotions will surface. If this happens, it can be a good thing. Don't try to distract people from crying as they tell you their stories. Crying can help heal people, and clear out a space for them to think more clearly about a tough situation.

Appreciate parents and the job they are doing

Parents can always use some encouraging words. Parents live in constant doubt about whether they are doing an adequate job. If you tell parents specific ways that they are doing well with their children, that can help them. Any sincere observation will help lighten the bad feelings that sit on families much of the time. From the parent's point of view, there aren't too many good things you can say to them about their parenting and about their children.

Build on the expertise of parents

As you begin to give information about prevention to parents, build on the expertise parents already have. Ask them what they already know about prevention. Ask them what works with their children. They may know, for example, that their teenager is more open to communicating after she has been home from school for an hour or two, rather than when she first gets home.

Parents don't always have all the answers. Like all of us, parents make mistakes and do things that don't always work. However, parents already know a lot about their children. Connecting new information about prevention with what they already know will help parents become more engaged and empowered in using prevention strategies.

Offer basic information about prevention to parents

Parents want dependable information about prevention. They want to learn about addictive substances, unsafe sex, and other dangers.

The more you can answer their questions as a way of giving information, the better.

Remember, less is often more. Information about drugs, for example, is important, but don't overwhelm parents with too many facts and statistics. Give them strategies that they can put to use. For example, learning how to set limits with children may be more useful to parents than learning minor details about the origin of each drug.

Also, don't unnecessarily scare parents. These topics are already sobering enough. People can't function very well when they are paralyzed with fear.

Offer opportunities for parents to get together

Getting parents together for a potluck, a forum, a discussion, or a support group can be a real help. Having a chance to relax and talk to other parents facing similar struggles can cut the isolation that many parents face. It can be a real relief to know that you aren't the only one going through a difficult time. Bringing parents together can help ease tensions, and will often lift spirits.

An ongoing parent meeting or support group can especially help parents over an extended period of time. In a support group, people meet regularly to talk about the ups and downs of parenting. In these groups each person gets a chance to talk and be listened to while she tells her story and sorts things out in her mind. People in a group usually develop trust over a period of time and often feel increasingly safe to talk about important and difficult issues.

Support groups can help parents maintain closer connections with their children. Parents need to unleash some of the built-up stress that accumulates. It is more constructive for parents to unload their worries and angers in a support group, than to aim them at their children.

Support groups can also remind parents how much they love their children, and can help parents unravel difficult problems. Support groups can give parents reassurance and support around one of the most difficult jobs in the world.

You can also set up parent "listening partnerships" in which two parents can give each other ongoing support. In these "listening partnerships" parents meet together once a week or so and take turns listening to each other talk about their lives and their children. As with a support group, trust builds over time and parents become more willing to talk about the key issues in their lives and in their parenting.

Encourage parents to advocate for their children when necessary

Although there is a lot that parents can do to help their children within the family context, there are some problems that also have to be addressed in institutions. For example, if a parent feels that his child is not achieving in school because of racism there, that problem has to be addressed within the school setting, not at home.

Many parents may be afraid to go to schools, school boards, or other institutions with their concerns. They may lack the skills and confidence to speak with a principal or to attend school committee meetings. As a community builder, you can encourage parents to voice their opinions. You can also refer parents to community leadership training programs that could empower parents to advocate for their children.

So, now you are able to communicate with parents effectively and help them in sensitive areas. What do you tell them? How can they help their children stay clear of drugs, alcohol, violence, and other harmful activities? What information can you give parents? Read on and find out.

What can parents do to prevent their children's risky or dangerous behavior?

Below are some general guidelines that parents can use in preventing their children's and teens' risky or dangerous behavior. As a parent, you will notice that some of these steps will also help your children grow and blossom, not just keep them out of trouble:

• Stay connected with your children and teens
• Talk to children about your values and expectations
• Give your children information
• Help your children learn to make decisions
• Get the help you need

Stay connected with your children and teens

Staying connected with your children is key in prevention. Children need a trusting relationship with their parents. A solid connection to parents makes all the difference in the world for children and teens who are exploring the world and trying to figure out hard questions. This doesn't mean you will never have fights and disagreements. Family relationships often get messy. It does mean you think of ways to keep in touch and grow together. That way when problems arise, children will be more likely to come to you rather than resorting to dangerous activities.

What is important to remember is that children want to be close to their parents. They may not show it directly, and they may not show it at all, but children want to be close to their parents more than anything in the world.

Here are some ways to keep connected with your children and teens:

Listen

Just as parents need someone to listen to them, children need to be listened to as well. Listening is one of the most important jobs a parent can do in staying close to children. Listening to children builds trust and keeps our children close to us.

But sometimes it is not easy to listen to our children. Our worry about them leads us to interrupt them or give advice too quickly. Sometimes our anxiousness pushes us to ask too many questions, instead of letting them talk at their own pace.

Also, children don't always communicate with words. Children often communicate through their actions, their play, and by showing their emotions. Young people need us to listen to them in all the ways they speak to us.

Sometimes your child may need to play a silly game with you to demonstrate what is on her mind. Older children may need you to hang out with them and listen to music before they will start talking. Sometimes a young one or a teen needs to cry for a long time before he can talk about what is difficult. The more you can listen to children on their terms, the more they will trust you and come to you with their needs, questions, and problems.

Appreciate your children

Children, like all of us, need to be appreciated. Children need to be reminded over and over that they are doing well, that they are good, that we care about them, and that we are so happy that they belong to us. Even the most indifferent looking teenager loves compliments. Sometimes a compliment from a parent is the only nice thing a teenager hears all day. Saying something like, "I'm so lucky to have you for my daughter," can turn around a grumpy, lonely teen into a cheerful one.

Play with your children

Playing with children is a great way to stay connected to them. Children love to play with their parents. For children of different ages, the play will vary greatly, but however they play, playing builds trust with parents. Whether it is a game of Frisbee or cards, some rough and tumble play, a game of dolls, or simply reading a book together, children want to connect with their parents by playing with them.

Sometimes it is difficult to play with children. We sometimes are too exhausted. Still, if we make the effort to play with our children, even for a short time, they notice and it builds strong connections.

Set up one-on-one "special time" with your children

Parents are busy. We never have enough time to be with our children. We are constantly interrupted and distracted. Setting up a "special time" to be with our children when we will not be interrupted is a great way to stay connected.

For anywhere between ten minutes a day to an hour or more a week, you can:

• Spend some uninterrupted time with your child where you do activities that they want to do
• Follow their lead in playing
• Try not to refuse activities that you may not usually be excited about doing. For example, you may not like to play video games - however, if your daughter wants to play video games during her special time, try to do so, even if you don't usually enjoy it.
• Enjoy your child thoroughly - focus on how well they are doing, not their difficulties

Help children express their emotions

Children, just like the rest of us, have emotions; if your children show you their emotions, that is healthy. The more they can show you how they feel, the closer you can stay connected and the happier your children will be.

Your child will often show emotions when you least expect it. Sometimes they will get upset right after they have a really fun day. Or their emotions may bubble up after having an especially close time with you. If that happens, it's okay. It just means you've provided them with enough safety and reassurance that they can show you some of the bad feelings they carry around day-to-day.

Also, emotions aren't always grim. Sometimes your child or teen needs a good laugh to help him pull out of a funk. A good cry can often lift a crabby mood.

But how do you deal with anger, the toughest of emotions? Remember, underneath that fury is often a frightened, lonely child. If you can get closer to an angry child, instead of sending him to his room, he may just open up and tell you how scared he really is.

Be affectionate and show your caring

Being affectionate and showing caring every day is important to children. As parents, we often forget to openly show our children how much we love them. Still, our children need the reassurance on a daily basis. Often they will rebuff our displays of affection, but that doesn't mean they don't want them.

Don't give up when your child and you temporarily disconnect

At times, we lose our connection with our children. The stresses of life often pull parents and children apart, making it hard to stay close. A few angry words can temporarily distance parents and children, making it difficult for each one to remember how much they love the other.

When this happens, don't forget that your child is hoping you will come back to him. He wants you. You can always reestablish a connection with your young one. It may take some work, but it can be done. Try these:

• Do something fun together, and don't talk about difficult topics during that time
• Get some help and attention for yourself, so you can try again with a refreshed spirit
• Go after your child persistently, following her around, and playfully begging her to be with you
• Play with your child
• Resolve the differences between you and your child when both of you are in a good mood

If you and your child have been disconnected for a long time, reconnecting may take some time. If so, don't become discouraged. The efforts you make will add up and make a difference in the long run, even if the results don't show themselves immediately.

How to keep close with pre-teens and teens

Sometimes pre-teens and teens are especially hard to stay connected to. They appear to be uninterested in their parents. Often, they don't tell you what is going on with them when you ask.

Teens do want to be close to their parents; but you have to figure out different strategies for staying connected. Instead of playing board games or pretend games, they may need you to just hang out with them, until they are ready to talk. Sometimes, just being in the same room with them, while they are doing their homework or reading magazines, will set the stage for talking about important things. They may start talking about not being popular in school or how nasty their algebra teacher is. In some ways teens require more time from parents, not less.

Also, it's good to hang out with your teens and their friends. Most adults stay away from groups of teens. We are afraid they don't want us to be with them, or they will make fun of us. However, if you are willing to be with them on their terms, teens want to hang out with adults. You may have to be the object of some jokes, and you may have to ask a lot of questions about their music - or anything else they're interested in. If you do, they will rely on you more. Even your children's friends might come to you when they need to talk to someone.

Talk to children about your values and expectations

Communicate and model your values

It is helpful to tell your children your views, your values, and your moral beliefs. From the time they are very little, right on through their teenage years and beyond, your children will look to you as their guide for what is right and wrong. The more clearly you can communicate your thinking about how you see the world, the more they will have guideposts while they travel a sometimes bewildering path to adulthood.

As you teach them your values, ask them for their opinions and thinking. The more you help them figure things out for themselves, the stronger their convictions will be.

Of course, children always study their parents closely to see if they act according to what they say and teach them. If they point out your failings, don't take it too hard. It just means they expect the best of you. If you, yourself, are having a hard time with addictions or vices of any kind (and most people have some kind of vice, even if it's chocolate), talk openly about your struggles with your child. The more honest you are about your difficulties, the more your children will be honest with you about their struggles.

Tell your children what you expect from them

The clearer and more specific you are with your child or teenager about your expectations around drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sexual activity, gangs, etc., the more they will be able to follow your guidance. For example, if you tell your child to never use drugs, that may not be clear enough--they may not think of alcohol as a drug.

Think carefully about many situations and make your policies clear. If your child needs a ride home from a party, and everyone has been drinking, what should she do? Can they have a drink of wine at dinner with the family? Can they chew tobacco, but not smoke cigarettes? The more specific you are ahead of time, the more likely your children will be able to make sound decisions when confronted with a confusing situation.

Give children information about drugs, alcohol, tobacco, weight loss, unsafe sex, etc.

Children and teenagers need you to give them information. If they don't get the information from you, they will get it from much less reliable sources--their peers, TV, movies, and other carriers of misinformation. You will probably have to educate yourself about these topics in order to do this.

At the end of this section, there are resources listed that you can use. Also listed are organizations that you can contact that will help you find appropriate resources for you and your children.

Many guides and books have been written for teaching children and teenagers about drugs, alcohol, and violence prevention. As you are choosing literature, you might ask the referring organization or salesperson if research has been done to test whether that book or guide has actually been successful at preventing dangerous behavior among children and teens.

The best way to give young people information is to answer their questions. If they don't come to you with questions, ask them questions. For example, you can ask them if their friends have problems with drugs, alcohol, gangs, etc. Listen to them before you give them information. Remember, less is more--only give them a little information unless they ask for more.

Try to be reasonable as you give information to your children. For example, give them facts about drugs. If you threaten your children or unnecessarily scare them, they may not trust your judgment. It is hard to be relaxed when talking about a topic that has so much potential danger; but if you can relax, your children may be more willing to listen.

Help children build skills in making decisions

Encourage sound decision-making

We want our children to be able to make good decisions in their lives. In order to prevent your children from becoming involved in dangerous activities, you need to help them build a solid foundation for decision-making.

How do you build this foundation? One way is to give them lots of practice in making decisions. The more they practice making decisions for themselves, with guidance from you, the better their judgment will become.

Of course, we don't want to have our children make decisions that might bring them harm, even when they are learning and practicing. So it's often useful to let children practice decision-making about issues that do not have harmful consequences. For example, maybe they could choose their baby sitter (from an approved list), or choose their after-school activities, or choose which clothes to buy (within your budget ).

You can also let them make decisions that will teach them important lessons. For example, once in a while you might let your six-year old eat all the candy he wants, so he knows what that feels like. A stomachache can be a natural consequence that can teach an important lesson. Or you might let your pre-teen stay up as late as she wants on a Saturday night.

What is most important is that as you let your children make decisions, you stay close to them and continue to be involved. For example, if they decide to watch a scary movie, stay with them while they watch it and talk with them while the movie is going on.

As your children go through the decision-making process, ask them what they are thinking and how they feel about it. Help them think through the pros and the cons of a decision. Your daughter or son may be trying to figure out if they should stop dating someone. Listen to them think it through and ask questions like, "What do you like about this person," or "Is there some reason you don't trust this person?" Try to let them make the decision themselves, rather than taking over the decision -making process.

At times our children will make decisions that are truly not good for them. Then we have to intervene and set limits or make the decision for them.

Set sensible limits

There are times when our children are not able to make wise decisions for themselves. Sometimes they do not have the information and experience to understand that there might be a danger. Other times they act uncooperatively; or they act in ways that are hurtful to themselves or others.

Setting limits helps protect our children. It also shows our children that we care about them enough to take a stand; we won't let them do things that will lead them to more hurt.

When we set limits for our children, it is helpful to not blame them or attack them for their difficulties. You can set a firm limit and still show caring for them.

Sometimes, as you set a limit a blow-up will occur. This can often be a positive thing. Children and teenagers need to blow up every now and then. Parents are the safest target for a blow-up. Young people need a place to show someone how badly they feel. In fact, according to child specialist Patty Wipfler, "When you've forged a strong connection with your child, he feels safe enough to tell you about the times he's felt hurt, and the hurt will often be blamed on you." In other words, if your child blows up at you, it is not necessarily a sign of your failings; it can be evidence that you succeeded in establishing enough trust with your child so that they can show you their biggest difficulties.

Also, set limits that make sense. If your teenager is not able to come home at the time you both agreed on, choose a limit that will help him get back on track. You might say, "If you remember to call me to check in at 9:00 p.m. for three weekend nights in a row, you can stay out till 11:00 on weekends instead of 10:00. "

Keep your child's environment safe

Don't tempt children into making a decision that is harmful. The less access they have to drugs and alcohol, the less likely they will be to use them. Just as you used to keep medicines or toxic cleaners away from them when they were babies, it makes sense to keep alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs away from children and teenagers.

Teach refusal skills

You may need to help your children think about how they can refuse drugs, alcohol, tobacco, unsafe sex, or other harmful activities when they feel peer pressure to do so. Ask your child if they've had experiences when other kids have pressured them to use drugs, smoke cigarettes, or do anything that they really didn't want to do. Encourage them to talk about what that experience was like.

You can also do role-plays with your child or teen so they can get some practice in handling difficult situations. For example, you can play a person who is pressuring your child to use drugs--while your child tries different ways of handling the situation. Or change roles and you play your child, and your child can be the pressuring peer. Making this activity fun and comical can lighten up a potentially tense topic. Any way to talk, joke, or play around with the topic of peer pressure will help your child think about what to do when a real situation occurs.

Get the help you need

In order to be able to help your children, you may need some help too. It's hard to pay attention to children when you are exhausted, worried, and emotionally drained. Do what you need to do to take care of yourself. Remember you are important, too.

One way to get help for yourself is to join a parents support group or a listening partnership. (See explanations above.) Support groups and listening partnerships can give you a place to unload the stresses of parenting, make it easier for you to enjoy parenting, and can you take care of yourself.

In Summary

Children are our greatest resource. There is nothing more important than the health and well-being of the children in our communities. In order to keep our children healthy, community builders and parents need to work together to prevent children from becoming involved in activities that are either immediately dangerous, or have consequences that can seriously limit their lives in the future.

If you are someone who is interested in children, you can do something to make a difference. You can reach out to parents and offer them support, respect, and information. If you are a parent yourself, you can get the information, and support necessary to help your children. You can also reach out to other parents and offer them encouragement, caring, and information about how to get help.

Communicating with parents about prevention:

___You empower parents rather than correct them

___You treat parents with respect

___You listen to parents without judgment

___You appreciate parents and the job they are doing

___You build on the expertise of parents

___You offer information and assistance to parents about prevention

___You offer opportunities for parents to get together

___You encourage parents to advocate for their children when necessary

___You get additional help for parents and families when necessary

Parents preventing their children's risky or dangerous behavior:

___Stay connected with your children and teens:

• Listen
• You appreciate your children
• You play with your children
• You set up "special time" with your children
• You show affection and caring
• You help children express their emotion
• You persist when your child and you temporarily disconnect
• You appreciate yourself, even when you cannot do all these things

___Talk to children about your values and expectations:

• You communicate and model your values
• You tell your children what you expect from them

___Give children information about drugs, alcohol, tobacco, weight loss, unsafe sex, violence, etc.:

• You give them accurate information
• You encourage them to ask questions

___Help children build skills in making decisions:

• Encourage sound decision-making
• Set sensible limits
• Keep your child's environment safe
• Teach refusal skills

___Get the help you need and support you need as a parent

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

 

You're an adult, walking through the shopping mall, when you see a bunch of teenagers horsing around. You're amazed at their energy--or maybe, you're appalled by some of their antics. You wish (for the hundredth time - you have kids of your own) that you could channel that energy into something productive.

Or maybe you're a teenager, and a girl at school just committed suicide. She wasn't a good friend of yours, but still--you feel really bad. You wonder what you could have done, or if there were signs you just missed. You even look on the Internet for some information on teen suicide, but you need more than facts. You want to find a way to make sure that this doesn't happen again at your school. You know that some of your friends feel the same way--but what can you all do?

Either as a concerned young person or an interested adult, one option open to you is starting a youth organization. Organizations that are run by or for youth can offer a lot to your community. Think of all of the organizations you already know about--you've probably been involved in some yourself, at one time or another. There are groups centered around almost every topic you can think of, with a huge variety of goals. Here's a grab-bag of examples:

• Boy Scouts
• Soccer leagues
• SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving)
• A student chapter of Amnesty International
• A class that volunteers in the community
• A teen advisory panel for a city-wide health organization

Youth organizations can be started by young people themselves or by interested adults. In this section, we'll try to look at the steps in developing a youth organization from the perspectives of both groups. We'll start with a look at what a youth group can be, and at the overall advantages of starting one. Then we'll talk briefly about who should start such a group, and the unique advantages of an adult organizing the group or of the young people doing it themselves. Next, we'll look at the right time for starting such a group, and then at how you should go about doing it. Finally, we'll wrap up with a section for adult mentors, with special tips on working with young people.

What form can a youth organization take?

A youth organization can be almost as broad--or as narrow--in scope as an organization for adults, or for the community as a whole. Youth organizations can be run through schools, in churches, in neighborhoods, or at local rec centers. They may operate on a local, national, or even international level. They can be organized and run by young people themselves, or they might be developed by adults such as coaches, ministers, or staff of the local YWCA. A local youth organization can also be one branch of a larger group; for example, a local coalition to decrease substance use might have a youth advisory board that offers suggestions as to what they think will work to stop young people from drinking.

In this section, we are going to concentrate primarily on youth organizations that are developed specifically to improve the community--for example, health organizations such as Students Against Drunk Driving--or groups that are formed to increase participation in civic life. However, many of the ideas that we discuss here can be easily translated to any type of student group, such as youth theater or sports teams.

One example of a successful youth organization is CityKids. CityKids is an organization with branches across the United States. Their mission is to engage and develop diverse young people to positively impact the world.

Their goals are:

• Having a safe space for youth
• Promoting open youth-to-youth communication
• Multicultural bridge building
• Enhancing leadership development among young people

The group does many different things to try and attain these goals. For example, they hold a weekly "Coalition" meeting where they bring together diverse groups of young people to explore cultural, racial, and sexual issues. The group is involved in many aspects of youth's lives, and offers opportunities for leadership development and guidance for both education and careers.

An off-shoot of CityKids is the CityKids Repertory Company, in which young people transform feelings and experiences about youth issues into music, dance, and drama. They perform their skits in their neighborhoods and at schools, community centers, and prisons. They have performed on stage, and some of their work has been developed into videos and shown on television. For example, the group developed Kayla's story, a video that documents a fictional teen pregnancy. The video is distributed across the nation.

CityKids is a successful example of young people choosing issues they find important, finding a safe space, and helping one another strengthen their community. The organization helps them gain leadership skills and a close-knit peer group, and it sends a positive message to youth throughout the community.

Why establish youth organizations?

Participation in a youth organization has many advantages for the youth themselves, as well as for the entire community. Of course, the most obvious advantage of membership is that youth organizations provide young people a forum to fully, effectively deal with an issue that is especially important to them, such as youth violence or education. However, there are a lot of other advantages to youth groups. We list some of these advantages below.

Advantages for young people:

• Being part of a group can help young people develop important personal and interpersonal skills. These include the ability to think critically and solve problems, and the assumption of personal and group responsibility.
• It can also help young people gain self-confidence and self-esteem. Contributing to a group can help them see themselves as being able to really help other people, and having something important to offer.
• It can help reduce the risk of becoming involved in unsafe activities, such as using drugs and alcohol. Being involved in community activities has been shown to be a protective factor--that is, it helps young people to make healthy choices. That's because by being involved in an organization, they can develop a "safe" identity, and are less likely to participate in unsafe activities (such as becoming sexually active before they are ready) to feel they belong.
• Young people involved in organizations can develop job skills, including organization, the ability to run meetings, and experience working with a wide variety of people. These skills that young people learn from being part of a group can help them be better prepared for any job they might choose.
• Often, organizations give youth a "safe space" that they wouldn't have otherwise--a place where they can express themselves through arts and activities, or just by being able to talk openly with peers and caring adults.
• Youth organizations offer opportunities for leadership that young people might not get otherwise.
• Young people involved in organizations can receive information on staying safe and healthy from their peers or adults they know and respect. They then pass on this information to other young people. In this way, youth organizations offer a credible way for young people to learn about staying healthy, because they can learn about it from friends they admire, rather than adults or other outsiders whose opinions they might not value.
• Young people can develop a strong support network of other young people who make healthy choices, and who can help convince them to stay healthy, too.

Advantages for the community:

• Youth organizations can help change public perception of young people from being "the problem" to an important part of making life better in the community.
• Involving young people in the community helps them see themselves as part of the whole; they really do become less likely to cause problems and more likely to want to look for solutions.
• By involving young people, the community is allowing them to carefully develop their leadership potential, so that as they grow and learn they can become thoughtful, prepared leaders of the society.
• Other community organizations can often partner with youth organizations, to mutual benefit. Young people can bring a tremendous amount of life to an organization; often, their energy, enthusiasm, creativity, and perspective are invaluable to members of larger community initiatives that choose to actively involve them.

Who should establish youth organizations?

As we said above, youth organizations can be started by two broad groups of people: young people themselves, or an adult who cares about them. Both options make sense in some circumstances, and both offer their own unique advantages. Let's look at some of the ideas behind both groups starting youth organizations.

Adults

Adults who begin or sponsor youth organizations can come from almost anywhere. Most commonly, they include teachers, coaches, ministers, parents, and staff of social service agencies. Sometimes, they don't have any direct tie to young people, but have experience or expertise they'd like to pass on. ("I was a mom at 16, and I'd like to help new teen parents survive all of the challenges.")

Wherever they come from, what adults who start youth organizations do (or should ) have in common is their commitment -- to youth, to helping people, and to the group's goals.

Being an insider (someone the local young people know and respect, such as a popular teacher) can make it much easier to start a youth organization. Insiders often find it easier to plan activities that are interesting to youth. They know the area, know the kids, and know what's likely to work. (They also may have a better idea of what students will probably just think is "lame.") Also, young people might be more attracted to programs started by insiders because they know and trust them. If the adult sponsor is from the same area or ethnic group, the young people might feel that they have a better chance of the adult understanding what they are going through, and the circumstances that they have to deal with on a daily basis. This is especially true when groups are involved in sensitive issues, such as drug abuse, violence, or teen sexuality.

Of course, people from outside the community can come to the community to work, and they sometimes bring great success. Often, these people do work that is connected to a national organization like the YMCA or the Girl Scouts. While they will have to overcome the challenges of becoming known and respected by young people in the community, these outsiders can bring a recognized name and successful programming to new communities. Another advantage of having an outsider start a youth group is that she can bring new energy, a new perspective, and additional resources to a community.

Regardless of whether the adult is an insider or an outsider, having an adult organize or sponsor the group can add credibility to the youth organization, helping young people gather both respect and resources. For example, most young people haven't ever written grant applications, while an adult sponsor may very well have done so. For this reason, most youth organizations might want to at least have an adult with whom the group is affiliated. It can open doors that are usually (unfortunately, and unfairly, but realistically) closed to young people working on their own.

Key Club is an international organization dedicated to community service that was founded through the Kiwanis Club in 1925. Every Key Club conducts an active program of service for school and the community. Projects are centered around a different theme every year.

The club's objectives are to develop leadership, to serve school and community, and to help young people prepare for useful citizenship. Each Key Club is sponsored and overseen by the local Kiwanis club, with Key Club members attending Kiwanis meetings and vice versa. Students involved in Key Club work to improve their community through an established international network, drawing on each other for support and ideas on community development.

Young people

Of course, young people are usually all too aware of the issues that affect them, whether those issues include violence, suicide, or anything else. They also know what's really happening much better than most adults hired to lead a student organization. They may work together and form a formal organization, such as SADD, or something much less formal to stay informed and get things done without a lot of resources.

Riot grrrl is an attempt to develop an "all girl" sub-culture. It's a feminist network that developed in the underground music communities of Olympia, Washington and Washington, DC. Originally formed by the members of the bands Brat Mobile and Bikini Kill, the organization now supports activities that are not only music related, but focus on racism, classism, sexism, and supporting young women in staying safe and healthy. Although the network is very informal, information is distributed and networks are set up through paper and electronic "zines," self-published independent texts devoted to various issues and hobbies. The zines often enclose notes requesting feedback and personal interaction with readers. Many zines cover sensitive topics, such as rape and child abuse, and young women can write the zines to seek support.

Riot grrrl is a good example of an informal network that addresses issues that are important to youth. Since all of the work is done by young people themselves, it serves as a great way to empower the young people who develop it and those who just surf by their web pages.

When is a good time to establish an organization?

Really, there's probably not a bad time, especially if young people are interested in starting a group. But some time periods and events lend themselves particularly well to mobilizing young people to improve their communities. These times include:

• When a dramatic, disturbing, or significant event occurs in the community, such as some of the recent teen murder-suicides that have occurred at high schools across the nation
• At the beginning of the school year, when young people are anxious to get to know each other, to belong, and to learn what's going on
• When new information becomes known. For example, a local group may survey young people and find that a large number of them report getting drunk on a regular basis. This information might be the stimulus to start a group to try to curb youth drinking.
• When current organizations are not meeting community needs
• When a group wants to create broad, significant community changes. This is a good example of a time when it makes sense to include young people in a larger group, such as starting a youth advisory board for a city-wide organization.
• To respond to threats to the community, such as increased violence
• When a significant issue specifically concerning youth needs to be confronted

How do you establish youth organizations?

Decide what type of youth organization you want to form

If you are a young person yourself, you may already know what type of group you would like to form. But at the very least, you'll probably want to ask your friends and other young people how they feel about that issue. Ask very direct questions, such as:

• What problems are so important to people our age/to our community that you would join a group to change them?
• What is the biggest concern for young people today?
• What's the real cause of the problem?
• What do you think should be done about the problem?
• Do you know of anything going on right now to solve the problem? (This question is a good way to learn about things you might not know are going on, that you could team up with to be more effective.)

You might also talk to people who are potential sponsors to see what their suggestions are, and how they feel about your ideas.

Adults, too, might have specific ideas (or grant money) to work on a particular issue in a particular way. However, if you're an adult, it's even more important to get feedback on what you are thinking about doing. Are young people interested in what you want to work on? Would they be willing to commit time and resources to it? Is it something they believe in?

Adults, like young people, will probably also want to get support from others in the community. They may be able to donate space or resources that you need. Also, if you're organizing a youth group for the first time, they might have some great tips as to what is most effective in working with young people in your community.

One option you will want to consider is whether or not you want the group to be affiliated with a national organization. For example, if you know a group of young people interested in human rights, should they start a local chapter of Amnesty International, or should they develop a small local organization that focuses on the treatment of migrant workers in your area? Many national and international organizations exist that can offer support and resources to a fledgling organization. However, your group may feel it wants more autonomy, or isn't interested in being part of a large, impersonal-seeming organization. The answer may be clear from the start for your group, but it's important to make sure the question is raised before you begin your work.

Decide where the organization should be based

Where the organization is based has a lot to do in determining who will join. Many of your meetings and other activities will be held there. You may get resources, such as money and supplies, depending on where you are located. And possibly most important, a lot of people who join the organization may join because they are already affiliated with the organization's home base -- they're students at the school, or members of the church, or so on. It's important to realize, too, that some young people may not join an organization because of where it's located. For example, a high school dropout may not want to come back to her old school for any reason.

Very commonly, youth organizations operate out of schools, churches and synagogues, social service agencies, or informally out of someone's home. Each of these options--as well as others you might come up with--will have advantages and disadvantages. You'll want to think this through before you decide where to set it up.

Maybe this isn't even a question for your group. If you want to convince young people who have dropped out of school to return to class or obtain their GEDs, a high school clearly isn't the place to find participants. However, for a coach who is interested in forming a chapter of SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving), the local high school is absolutely the best place to do it. Not only is the group, by nature, a student organization, with many of its activities run in conjunction with other school activities (such as prom), the coach will have most credibility at her school, where she and the students already know each other.

However, the situation isn't always as clear-cut as those above. For example, your organization might have been given some seed money to work with young people that came with very loose guidelines. If you want to, you could base the group at the high school (where a lot of kids are), at your organization (you really don't have much room, but at least you know where everything is), or maybe you should partner with the local YMCA, where a lot of the kids hang out. What do you do?

When the proposed location isn't absolutely clear, then those people who are starting the organization might want to sit down and discuss what makes most sense for the group. You might start by brainstorming all of the possible places where you could host the group, and then list the advantages and disadvantages of each. Members of the group might discuss:

• Would this place be willing to host us?
• Would the young people we want to recruit feel comfortable going there?
• Would there be any financial costs to our group?
• Would this place be willing to help us out with resources?
• Is it a place that agrees with (or at least, isn't opposed to) what we are doing? (For example, a Catholic school might not be the ideal location for safe sex education that included a discussion of birth control.)
• Do members of our group have strong ties to this place?
• How difficult would it be for young people to get to this place?

Often, after looking at these questions (and others that members of your group might think of), answers to this problem become completely clear.

Recruit members (and, if necessary, adult assistants)

Of course, you can't have an organization--youth-based or otherwise--without members. And so your next step is to get the word out about what you are doing. How you will do this will depend on who you want to recruit. Do you want to recruit only students? Members of your parish? Young people from all over town? The process of recruiting members can be as simple as making an announcement in an assembly or after church or as complicated as running a campaign with radio public service announcements getting the word out across town.

With all the possibilities, however, it's important that you don't forget plain old word of mouth. Getting kids to talk up your group is the best way to ensure that you have the members you want and need. This is often especially true when dealing with "at-risk" youth, who may not even be at school or church when you make your announcement.

As we mentioned above, if your group has been started by young people, you might decide to involve adults as sponsors or facilitators. In that case, decide whom you would feel comfortable with as your sponsor, and exactly what you would want him to do for your group. It's probably best to decide on a short list of (four or five) people to ask, in case your first choice(s) don't have the time or interest to help your group out.

Before you approach someone, you should also have an understanding of exactly what you would want her to do for your organization. For example, would she need to show up at every meeting? Speak up for the organization at faculty meetings? Help you obtain resources, such as money, equipment, and a meeting place? If you haven't thought this out and discussed it with your potential sponsor, neither you nor the sponsor will be clear on her role. This can easily lead to frustration, anger, and missed opportunities for everyone involved.

Define your goals clearly with group members

Once you have your members together, it's time to sit down and make a plan. Members might brainstorm for ideas, but essentially, you will want to try to answer two questions:

• What do we want to do?
• How should we go about doing that?

The better organized you are, the more likely it is your group will succeed.

Find out what resources are available to your organization

Especially if your group is affiliated with a larger organization, such as a school, church, or national group, there are probably resources out there that could help you. Find out what they are, and how you can get them transferred to your organization.

In addition to groups you are affiliated with somehow, there might be other sources willing to support a youth organization. Grants or mini-grants might be available from the government, private sources, or local coalitions; other organizations with similar goals might be willing to help you out. This support can come in many different forms, from money to a meeting place to free advertising. Ask around; see what resources similar organizations, either in your town or similar places, have managed to get, and ask how they've gotten them. The United Way might be able to point you to some resources as well.

And beyond all of that, the simplest thing to do is think about what you need, and who is likely to be able to give that to you most easily. Need paint? Try asking the owner of the local hardware store. Need publicity? Call the local radio station, and ask what their policy is for producing and airing public service announcements (PSAs). And so on.

Obtain and use those resources

Once you've found out what is possible, go for it! And don't forget a thank you note to whoever helps you out.

It can be hard (and sometimes frightening!) to ask for money or help from other people or organizations. This can be especially true for young people, who might find the idea of going in and trying to speak with a bank president to be daunting. Remember, though, that you're not asking for help for yourself--you're asking them to support a cause you believe in. So square your shoulders and give it a try. The only sure thing is that if you don't ask, you won't get the help your organization needs.

Orient and train staff, adult assistants, and participants

This step may be less necessary in some situations than in others. If you're developing an informal rap group for teen parents, there probably isn't a whole lot of training involved. But in any group, it's important that you sit down at the very start and talk about what is expected from both staff (if there are any involved) and from participants. For example, even in our hypothetical rap group mentioned above, there will be some ground work to do: You might want facilitators to do some reading about teen parents (especially if they don't have much experience with them), or about learning to be an effective facilitator. At the first meeting, the facilitator might then take some time to show the parents around the facilities, lead an "ice-breaker " so the teens will feel more comfortable speaking openly, and help them develop "ground rules" that will be followed in future meetings.

Get to work!

Now that you've decided what you want to do, go to it! With the hard work of planning behind you (at least for the moment--there will always be changes on the way), it's time take a deep breath and go to it!

Celebrate your successes!

Even if something wasn't the huge success you hoped it would be, everyone should give themselves proper credit for what has been accomplished. Organizing a youth group of any kind is hard work. Be sure to celebrate all of your small successes along the way. Not only do you deserve it, but celebrating will also help keep energy high, so your group will be able to move on to bigger and better things.

Special section: Help for adults seeking success in building a youth organization

There's no question that being an adult mentor or facilitator for a youth organization can be hard work, especially if this is the first time you have done so. However, it can also be a richly rewarding experience. Some of the tips below might help you in your quest to run a fun, successful organization for youth without pulling out all of your hair in the process.

• Think of young people as resources, rather than as troublemakers or a difficult population that you need to help in spite of themselves. Having a positive attitude in which you see young people as having great potential rather than being "at-risk troublemakers" is the best way to be sure you will get the best they have to offer. Most times when working with young people, you get what you expect. If you make it clear to them that you think they are the greatest kids on earth, chances are they'll work very hard to live up to that view.
• Make sure that the young people are responsible for a large portion of the planning and decision-making. Even if you are running a grant program given by a federal agency with strict limitations, it's very important to pass as much authority as possible on to the youth themselves. This should help them believe in the organization--that it's really there for them, not just as a way for your organization to use them to get more money.
• Think about turning the organization into a "full-service organization" where young people can come for help and friendship--a place where they can find a safe and trusted ear in addition to the stated goals of your organization. All too often, young people feel they have nowhere to turn, and no one to speak with about troubles they have. Let the young people know quite explicitly that you're there for them, and that they can come to you with any problems that they have.
• Give young people the opportunity for real responsibilities and real work. If you do so (and make sure it's coupled with real support), chances are it will lead to real accomplishments. Also, try to give them the responsibility they are ready for. Often times, this means starting out small, and then as they become more adept and experienced, slowly making their responsibilities more challenging. That way, competence should grow along with confidence.
• Make sure that roles and rules are clearly defined. If all decisions will be with adults (although we don't recommend it), it's better to say so up front. If some decisions are out of your hands as well as theirs, let them know that, too. Young people usually know when you're not being straight with them--it's a great way to lose their respect in a hurry.
• Finally, remember that as a leader or a staff member of a youth organization you are both a role model and an example to the young people who know you. What you say and how you act--even when you are not working in your "official" capacity--will not only influence their opinion of you, it may also influence their decisions and actions in the future.

In Summary

Youth organizations can offer terrific benefits to local young people and the community at large. They can have a tremendous impact on the lives of youth. Whether you are a young person yourself, or simply someone concerned about your community, we encourage you to explore the creation of a youth organization in your community today!

___You understand the purpose of a youth organization

___You determined the advantages your youth organization will bring to the community and young people.

___You have decided on the best time to establish your organization

Establishing youth organizations:

___You have decided the form your youth organization will take

___You decided where the organization should be based

___You have recruited members for your organization

___You have defined your goals clearly with group members

___You have found out what resources are available for your organization

___You have obtained and used those resources

___You have orient and trained staff, adult assistants, and participants

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• What is a speakers bureau?

• Why develop a speakers bureau?

• Who can you reach with a speakers bureau?

• How do you set up a speakers bureau?

One of the best ways to gain understanding of what it's like to experience something you yourself have never been through is to hear someone who has had that experience talk about it. You can tell teenagers that drunk driving is dangerous over and over, but you'll never have the same impact as someone who has survived a drunk driving accident. Hearing personal stories has a unique kind of impact; it's very effective in making the audience think, This could happen to me,or someone I know could be going through this.

By the same token, another very effective way of really getting the point across to somebody is to have an expert or an authority on the subject present the information. For example, a group of women hearing about breast cancer screening may be more interested in what a doctor has to say than they would be in the views of a layperson.

Speakers can narrow the gap between talking about something and fully understanding it. For this reason, speakers bureau programs are a very popular and effective means of promoting education and understanding.

What is a speakers bureau?

When an organization decides to start a speakers bureau, it puts together a list of potential speakers it feels are qualified to talk to the public about its area of interest or expertise is put together. These speakers may be people who have had life experiences related to the organization's mission, or they may be people who are particularly educated or knowledgeable about the subject. The organization lets the public know that these speakers are available to talk to different groups, and speaking engagements can be scheduled by contacting the sponsoring organization. Speakers bureaus educate and inform the public about the organization and its issues and are usually made up of volunteers.

Speakers bureaus can send a single speaker or an entire panel, depending on the focus and purpose of the organization and the occasion of the speaking engagement. Your organization can set up multiple bureaus made up of speakers qualified to speak on several very specific topics, or a single, more general one.

Why develop a speakers bureau?

There are a variety of reasons to use a speakers bureau in your organization or initiative. Since they're usually made up of volunteers, the bureaus are generally inexpensive to run. They can be used for a variety of purposes, such as:

• Raising public awareness about your issues: Many issues that can be confusing, scary, or unclear to people can be explained best by those who have personal experience with them. For example, speakers bureaus have been very effective in educating the public about HIV and AIDS, because hearing about it from people who are living with HIV and AIDS or who have been close to someone who has can make the issue more understandable and real to the audience.
• Increasing your organization's visibility: Speakers bureaus can reach large numbers of people. For example, the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender student organization at the University of Kansas sends speakers to almost every freshman psychology course each semester, so the majority of students on campus are familiar with the organization's purpose and services. Many KU students say they first learned of the group's existence from speakers bureau panels in their classes.
• Increasing public understanding of your organization: If you find that the public doesn't seem to have a good understanding of what your group is and what you do, a speakers bureau can help clear up misconceptions and educate people about your purpose, services, and activities.
• Providing positive role models: People who have experienced a particular problem or condition can serve as an inspiration to others who hear them speak. Recovering drug addicts, for example, can show those struggling with addiction in a drug treatment center that a much better, drug-free life is possible for them.
• Recruiting new members or volunteers: Speaking to groups that include potential members or volunteers is a good way to spark their interest in getting involved with your efforts. For example, the local crisis counseling center in a college town might send small groups of its counseling volunteers out to speak to residential staff in campus student housing. The speakers bureau could not only explain the center's services and offer tips on how to handle students who may need counseling help, but also get people interested in volunteering for the center.
• Attracting press coverage: The local media are often looking for public interest or feature story topics, and your speakers bureau might make a great subject for a report. The idea can be made especially appealing to the press if one of your speaking engagements coincides with a current event that is in the news. For example, a panel of women who have survived domestic violence might be of more interest to the local paper when a high-profile court case involving domestic violence is in the news.
• Raising funds: You can have your speakers give out information about membership drives or upcoming benefit events, or simply describe how people can contribute to the organization. Some organizations even charge a fee for speaking engagements.

Who can you reach with a speakers bureau?

You can reach just about any sort of group imaginable with a speakers bureau. Here are a few ideas:

• Business groups like the Rotary Club or the local Chamber of Commerce
• Service organizations like the Kiwanis Club or your local women's shelter
• Religious groups like church congregations
• Working groups, like the employees at a campus dining center or the local police department
• Training groups, like people going through volunteer training for social service agencies
• Political groups like the local Democratic party or the League of Women Voters
• Environmental groups like Greenpeace or the Sierra Club
• Classes at local schools and universities
• Professional organizations like the local chapter of the National Education Association or workers' union groups
• Businesses or agencies that might be willing to have a speaking engagement for diversity training or some other type of staff development activity
• Cultural or minority groups, like local organizations for African Americans or the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community

Later on in this section, we'll talk about how to decide which groups to approach about your speakers bureau program.

How do you set up a speakers bureau?

Recruit and select your speakers

You probably already know of people who either work for or have been served by your organization who are articulate, well-informed, and appealing when talking about your issues in public. These are the kind of folks you'd like to have on your speakers bureau - people who are:

• Well-spoken
• Appropriately dressed
• Knowledgeable about your organization's issues
• Engaging
• Likeable
• Passionate about your organization and/or its issues

Think carefully about what kind of impression you want to make. Different people may have different ideas about what makes a good speaker. For example, while a professor may be an interesting speaker for a group of people with graduate degrees, but he may put a less educated audience to sleep. Give some thought to what kind of impression you want your speakers to make, who they'll be speaking to, what kind of presentation will be most appropriate to convey the desired message, and so on.

Unless you are planning to put together a pretty massive speakers bureau, it's probably best to simply use word-of-mouth and personal invitations to recruit people for your speakers bureau. When considering what sort of people to approach, remember that these folks will be representing your organization or initiative in public, so it's imperative that they have a good working knowledge of your group's purpose, services, etc., although this is of course information you can provide them with after contacting them.

In general, however, you're probably better off using people who are already involved in some way with your organization. You'll rarely find someone who isn't intimately involved in the organization who will do the kind of presentation you want unless you're just giving out information on an issue. In that case, using experts or those working in a particular field can work very well.

If you decide you need more people than those you are able to contact this way, it might be a good idea to use your connections with other agencies, organizations, and activists in your area to find good candidates. This might be as simple as calling people and asking them who they think might be good, or it could be more formal, such as sending out a mailing. If you do this, be sure that you are very specific about what you're looking for and what you want to avoid. No matter how much you trust someone to refer a potential speaker to you, you should meet any potential speakers and, if possible, hear them speak. Whatever way you decide to go about it, this stage should end with you creating a list of potential speakers.

Next, you need to go through that list and decide which people you'll actually use. Again, how much work you do on this will depend largely on how big you want your speakers bureau program to be. If the candidates are all people you know, you may very easily be able to sit down and decide who would probably be good and who might not. If you don't know the candidates well, you may decide to put together a small committee and come up with a set of your own criteria by which to select speakers.

• Keep in mind that these people will be representing your organization. Whether they are actually members or not, the fact that they are doing speaking engagements on behalf of your group means that audiences will perceive them as attached to your organization by audiences. Therefore it's important that you don't pick anyone who you aren't sure will be a positive representative for your organization.
• Speakers should be able to answer basic questions about your organization that may come up at a presentation, or at least be able to tell the audience where they can go to get those answers. This is certainly information that they can be provided with once you've selected them, so don't rule out people who might not already know this information just be sure they're folks who can articulately give out this information when they start doing panels.
• When it comes to speakers that talk about their personal experiences, don't expect all of your speakers to have a similar set of life experiences. In fact, it's better to have a variety of viewpoints and experiences among your speakers bureau members, so that audiences don't come away with the impression that the experiences of all people affected by whatever it is your speakers are talking about are the same.

Varied experiences on a speakers bureau panel

Louise and José work for teen pregnancy prevention programs in two different towns. Both of them were setting up speakers bureau programs featuring teens who had experienced unplanned pregnancies.

Louise's bureau was made up entirely of young women who had decided to have their babies, had full support from their families, and had gone on to finish high school or get G.E.D.'s; some were even enrolled in college classes. When Louise's speakers bureau started making appearances at local high schools, she found that the girls who attended the presentations left with an unrealistic impression of what it's like to experience an unplanned pregnancy. Most of the girls who saw these panels speak concluded that while being a teen mother is hard, it's something perfectly manageable, and that teen mothers are just as likely as anyone else to be successful in life.

José's bureau was made up of young women who had more varied experiences: some had been as successful as those in Louise's group, but others had been rejected by their families, some had been forced to go on welfare to make ends meet, some had decided to end their pregnancies, and many had to stop pursuing their educational dreams. The girls who attended panels from José's speakers bureau had a more realistic perception of what it's like to be a teen mother. They learned that while success is possible, it doesn't happen for every teen mother, and they got a sobering look at the hardships that face many young women that experience unplanned pregnancies.

Decide whether you plan on having a single speaker go out on each occasion or a panel. A panel might be better suited to more general topics where the speakers are likely to have a wide variety of experiences, but a single speaker might be the way to go if you'd like the speech to be more in-depth or last a shorter length of time. You can also vary between having a single speaker and an entire panel, of course. You will want to have several people available. Having 10 or 12 people may seem like enough if you only do three-person panels, but that really depends on how often you will have speakers bureau engagements. Panelists can quickly become burned out if they are asked to speak on panels very often, so be sure to have a much larger number of people on your roster if you plan to have a lot of engagements.

Put together a roster of your speakers that includes information to help you schedule them most efficiently

You'll need a roster to schedule speakers as well as to call them with reminders of scheduled appearances. If you have a very small bureau or plan to only do a few appearances, this roster can be a simple phone list, along with the times that your speakers are available for speaking engagements.

You might also think about including some or all of the following information:

• Dates that each speaker has already done engagements - this can help you keep from using some of your speakers far more frequently than others
• Upcoming engagements each speaker is scheduled for
• How many times each speaker has been a no-show or has been late to scheduled appearances (working with volunteer speakers, you will almost definitely have this happen sometimes!)

Each speaker's particular area of expertise or experience this can help you put together varied panels, as we talked about earlier

Here's an example of a roster for a student diversity speakers bureau that includes some of the information mentioned above:

Speakers Bureau Roster: Peers for Diversity Program

Name	Phone #	Availability	Area of expertise / experience
Adams, Sally	555-9368	Mon, Wed evenings	Native American
Chao, Ken	555-8964	weeknights, weekend days	Asian American
Franklin, Elvis	555-1334	Saturday afternoons	gay male
Lieberman, Jay	555-4678	weeknights	Jewish male
Lopez, Teresa	555-0683	weeknights & Sundays	Latina
Pratt, Jenny	555-2478	weeknights	bisexual woman
Rogers, Lakisha	555-8243	weekend days, Tues nights	African American
Reynolds, Bob	555-2121	Tues, Wed afternoons	differently abled
Silverstein, Amy	555-4240	varies; call & ask about dates	Jewish, differently abled
Wood, Al	555-7874	weekdays before 5 PM	African American

Your own roster may have the same column headings, but feel free to come up with your own version.

If you are going to have certain speakers designated to speak on particular topics, you should make up a list on what topics are available, which you can then include with any materials you send out in the next step.

Contact groups and organizations that might be interested in scheduling a speaking engagement

Spend some time brainstorming about the types of groups that might be interested in (or could benefit from) hearing from your speakers. For the most part you?ll be looking for groups that have the same interests or goals as your organization, but you might also ask yourself the following questions:

• What groups come from the same cultural background as our speakers bureau representatives?
• What groups would best be suited to our style of presentation?
• What groups might be most likely to have potential volunteers or donors?

Find out who is the contact person in each group responsible for scheduling speaking engagements, then create a phone list and mailing list that can be used in sending out information about your speakers bureau. It's important to follow up later with phone calls and mailings. Keep a file or database on potential audiences.

Depending on how large you want your speakers bureau operation to be, you might consider using other methods of getting the word out. Some options include paid advertising, announcing your speakers bureau in your newsletter, public service announcements, issuing a press release, or making posters and fliers.

Once you've come up with your mailing list, send letters out to everyone on it in which you introduce your program or initiative, explain the speakers bureau program, and offer to have a speaker or a panel of speakers visit the group. You might also want to try to explain why it would be a good idea to have your speakers bureau do an engagement with this organization.

Speakers bureau appeal letter

Williamsburg Peer Power Speakers Bureau
Williamsburg Peer Power Program
2349 West 89th Street
Williamsburg, OR 09834
555-0987

Anne Thornton
Girl Scout Troop #978
PO Box 56
Williamsburg, OR 09837

October 9, 2001

Dear Ms. Thornton,

The Williamsburg Peer Power Program seeks to prevent young men and women in our community from falling into unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking, and risky sexual behavior. One of our most successful efforts is our speakers bureau, which sends groups of local youth out to various types of groups to talk about how such behaviors have had a negative impact on their lives.

I read in the paper last week that your troop is planning to focus on the dangers of smoking next month, and I would like to offer our speakers bureau as a possible activity during that time. We have several young women involved in the speakers bureau who are ex-smokers. I think they would connect well with the girls in your troop.

I will call you in a few days to talk about this possibility further. In the meantime, please feel free to call me at 555-0987 if you have any questions. I hope that you'll consider using our speakers bureau in talking to your troop about the dangers of smoking.

Sincerely,

Peter Markos
Williamsburg Peer Power Program

You can try targeting your speakers bureau appeals to tie in with something that?s been in the news. There are a variety of ways to do this.

Targeted speakers bureau appeals

Here are four examples of ways that you can tie your speakers bureau appeals in with a current event:

• After an incident in which an female student was verbally harassed by some landscaping workers at a small college, the campus womens student union sent a letter to the campus landscaping supervisor, offering to set up a speakers bureau engagement with workers to promote understanding and discussion.
• During a hotly contested ballot initiative to extend employment discrimination protection to include sexual orientation, a large segment of the faith community was opposed to the change. The city's largest human rights group offered to send gay, lesbian, and bisexual speakers to various churches to talk about their lives in general and what sort of discrimination they've faced in the community.
• On the weekend of the prom, a popular high school student was killed in a drunk driving accident. A local Mothers Against Drunk Driving group sent speakers bureaus out to do presentations to a variety of groups including high school classes, church youth groups, school clubs, and sports teams. The panels were made up of young people who had been injured or had caused others to die in drunk driving accidents.
• A few weeks before Black History Month, African American high school students from town contacted the principals of high schools in nearby rural, largely white areas and offered to send panels in to talk with groups of students about what its like to be an African American youth in a small Southern town today.

Wait a week or two after you've sent out letters, then start following up with phone calls. Introduce yourself, remind the contact person about the letter, and ask if he or she has given any thought to using your speakers bureau. Be prepared to offer possible dates and times that you might have speakers available. Once you have an engagement scheduled, move on to the next step.

Contact speakers who are available for the time needed and line up enough people to cover the event

This is where the listing of times that your speakers are available comes in. Schedule people on your speakers bureau roster who are available to speak at the arranged time for the engagement. Call them and explain what kind of group they'll be speaking to. Be very clear about the date, time, and location. Once you've had enough people confirm that they can be there, be sure to write down who you've scheduled, and move on to the next step.

Send a confirmation letter to any group with which you've scheduled a speakers bureau presentation

After you've scheduled the speaking engagement, send a brief letter confirming the time, date, topic, location, duration of the event, and so on. You might want to send a postcard to your speakers with this information as well. Be sure to include the details about date, time, and location so that the recipient can let you know if you've gotten anything wrong. You may also include the speakers names as well; if there is a change later on, it won't be a big deal, but many groups like to know who to expect ahead of time.

Speakers bureau confirmation letter

Williamsburg Peer Power Speakers Bureau
Williamsburg Peer Power Program
2349 West 89th Street
Williamsburg, OR 09834
555-0987

Anne Thornton
Girl Scout Troop #978
PO Box 56
Williamsburg, OR 09837

November 4, 2001

Dear Ms. Thornton,

I'm writing to you today to confirm that the Williamsburg Peer Power Speakers Bureau will be sending a panel to speak on the dangers of smoking at your November 19 meeting at the Williamsburg Junior High gymnasium. Our panelists will be arriving in time to start at 5:30 p.m., and they are prepared to stay until 7 p.m., as you requested. As you requested, all four of the panelists are young women, and two of them happen to be former Girl Scouts themselves, so I think they will connect very well with the audience.

If I've made an error about any of the details of this engagement, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can give the correct information to the speakers. Thank you for this opportunity to talk to the girls in your troop about the dangers of teen smoking.

Sincerely,

Peter Markos
Williamsburg Peer Power Program

Remind your speakers about the engagement

A few days before the engagement, give your scheduled speakers a gentle reminder about the event. A quick message on an answering machine or a simple postcard is sufficient. Be sure to include the date, time, and location: Hi David, this is Lisa at Project WIN. I'm just calling to remind you that you're scheduled to be on a speaker's bureau panel at 7:00 p.m. this Tuesday at the First United Methodist Church at 787 Main Street.

Have your speakers make their presentation

The actual details of a speakers bureau presentation vary widely and are something your group can decide upon for yourselves. Generally, a speakers bureau presentation starts off with one person giving some basic information about your group, then the panel members briefly introducing themselves. If the panel is made up of people who will be talking about their experiences, speakers then tell their personal stories; if it is made up of people who are experts on a given topic, they will do an informative presentation. These are usually followed by a question-and-answer period. Depending on how much time you'd like to devote to question-and-answer time, the presentation or personal stories can be long or short. Whatever you do, panel members should have a rough idea ahead of time about how long each part should take.

At the end of the presentation, collect some sort of feedback from the audience

Finding out what the audience thought of the presentation helps your speakers know how they can improve as well as what they're doing well. A sample feedback form is included as a tool at the end of this section.

In Summary

There are many ways to get your message out and educate others about the work you do or the issues you care about. Elsewhere in the Community Tool Box, we have talked about many of those methods, such as media campaigns and public meetings. All of these methods can be effective, but there's nothing quite like hearing about something straight from someone who is an expert on the subject or has firsthand experience with it. While speakers bureaus can take some time and energy to set up, they're generally inexpensive to run and can be easily maintained once they've been set up. Creating a speakers bureau for your organization can help spread the word about your group's work, raise community awareness about the issues that concern you, raise money, and recruit volunteers. If you haven't already used a speakers bureau, why not consider one now?

___You understand what a speakers bureau is

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to raise public awareness about your issues

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to increase your organization's visibility

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to increase public understanding of your organization

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to provide positive role models

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to recruit new members or volunteers

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to attract press coverage

___You understand that a speakers bureau can be used to raise funds

___You are familiar with some of the types of groups you can reach with a speakers bureau

___You have recruited and selected your speakers

___You have put together a roster of your speakers that includes information to help you schedule them most efficiently

___You have contacted groups and organizations that might be interested in scheduling a speaking engagement

___You have contacted speakers who are available for the time needed and line up enough people to cover the event

___You have sent a confirmation letter to any group with which you've scheduled a speakers bureau presentation

___You have reminded your speakers about the engagement

___You have had your speakers make their presentation

___You have collected some sort of feedback from the audience at the end of the presentation

Tool 1: Roster Form

Name	Phone #	Availability	Area of expertise / experience	Dates done / Upcoming Dates

Tool 2: Tips for Speakers

• Know where and when you are supposed to speak. Call ahead for directions if necessary.
• Be there 10 or 15 minutes ahead of time. Introduce yourself to the person in charge and identify yourself as a member of the speakers bureau.
• Begin and end on time. Wait no longer than five minutes or so for latecomers, because the longer you wait to start, the more you'll risk annoying those who made an effort to be there on time. By the same token, don't keep people there longer than they were planning to be. If there is a really great dialogue going on and the panelists are willing to stay longer, you may choose to take a break and continue after a few minutes for anyone who is interested in staying later, but by all means give everyone a chance to leave at the predetermined time.
• If you have several speakers doing a panel discussion, it's probably a good idea to have one panel member be in charge of making introductions and occasionally facilitating the discussion. The facilitator can be the one who gives out some basic information about your organization's mission, structure, and any services you provide at the beginning of the presentation. Then the facilitator can introduce panelists and direct the question-and-answer session.
• It's okay to disagree with other panelists on matters of opinion, but do so respectfully and calmly. Don't get sidetracked into a big philosophical discussion or political argument your audience will leave confused, bored, angry, or some combination of the three.
• Avoid arguing with audience members as well, for the same reasons. If an audience member makes a derogatory or ignorant statement or question, try to use this as an opportunity to teach and share information rather than a personal challenge. For example, if an audience member has said something insulting or inflammatory, you might counter with, I can understand how you might think that, but actually, rather than getting defensive or angry.
• Use language appropriate for your audience. For younger or less educated audiences, make sure you avoid using jargon and complicated terminology, but for more educated or older audiences, you can probably use more of this type of language.
• As much as possible, use analogies, stories, and humor. This helps you connect with the audience and brings the information you're giving them to life. Create pictures with your words.
• Speak clearly and simply. If you must use complicated language (for example, medical terminology), be sure to keep it to a minimum and explain any words that a layperson might not understand.
• Pay attention to how the audience is responding. If people become bored, you need to do something to regain their attention. If a lot of people are looking at the ceiling, squirming uncomfortably or most horrifying of all nodding off, it's time to change the subject, let another speaker have a turn, or open the floor for questions. 

Tool 3: Speakers Bureau Evaluation Form

Have the audiences at your speakers bureau presentations complete this form; use their feedback to help you improve your presentations, pinpoint topics that you might want to include in the future, and acknowledge the things that are done well.

Speakers Bureau Evaluation

How effective was the presentation?

 

Was the presentation well organized?

 

Was the length of the presentation adequate?

 

Was an adequate amount of time left for the question-and-answer period?

 

What did you learn from the speaker?

 

What would you have liked to have heard more information about?

 

Additional comments:

 

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.

• What is a Neighborhood Watch Association (NWA)?

• How can a Neighborhood Watch Association benefit your neighborhood?

• When should an NWA be implemented?

• How do you start an NWA where you live?

It's no longer safe to leave your car unlocked overnight - if the valuables inside the car are not taken, they will be broken.

Or perhaps you've noticed an unusual amount of coming and going at a certain house down the street. You and your neighbors have talked about the increased traffic, and you share an uneasy feeling about it.

It might be time to form a Neighborhood Watch Association.

What is a Neighborhood Watch Association (NWA)?

A Neighborhood Watch Association is a group of neighbors, in any size of area with any number of residents, who decide to come together to address crime and/or safety issues in their area. This group then works cooperatively with local government and law enforcement to develop solutions to problems and/or create interventions for issues that could become problematic.

An NWA may be organized by an existing neighborhood association, but the key element in a formal Neighborhood Watch Association is its relationship with local law enforcement.

How can a Neighborhood Watch Association benefit your neighborhood?

NWAs bring ordinary citizens into closer contact with law enforcement, making communication between the two groups easier, more efficient, and more effective. By being actively involved in an NWA, citizens become an extension of the law enforcement agencies' eyes and ears. As always, joint organized efforts are more effective than individual efforts.

Through citizens' involvement with NWAs, the community is provided with what can become an increasing number of people who watch their neighborhood for suspicious activities or crime. This organized effort makes the community with a Neighborhood Watch Association a place that criminals of all types will want to avoid.

When should an NWA be implemented?

Organizing an NWA in your neighborhood is always a good idea. However, the implementation process works best when there is an issue in the neighborhood that residents can rally around. A recent spate of burglaries or concern about graffiti can be enough to gather momentum.

Another important factor in organizing is law enforcement's support. It is best to implement an NWA when you know that local law enforcement supports the idea.

How do you start an NWA where you live?

The first thing that you should do to get an NWA started where you live is to call the local police department or sheriff's office to find out if they have their own program to implement and run neighborhood watches. Some of these offer signage ("We watch!") and other supports.

If your local agency doesn't have a formal program, you will want to create a plan that will work for both the law enforcement agency and the people in your neighborhood.

You should then find out from your neighbors if they support the idea of forming an association and if they would participate. If they are willing to participate, find out what times they will be able to attend association meetings. If you feel that you have enough support, set up a meeting time and place.

Then let everyone who was interested know, as well as personally inviting your local law enforcement to attend. If possible, it is a good idea to distribute flyers throughout the neighborhood one week before your meeting encouraging everyone to come.

Your first NWA meeting

The first meeting of your NWA is very important. It can determine who will participate and what issues the group will address. It is also the time when the neighborhood network actually gets set up. It is where direct cooperation with law enforcement can be started, and where plans can be made.

This may not all happen in the first meeting, but it is possible!

Many local law enforcement agencies already have a system for conducting NWA meetings. If yours does not, here is a sample agenda for a first meeting:

• Start with introductions. Even if you know most people at the meeting, it is a good way to break the ice.
• Set up some clear ground rules so that progress can be made in an orderly fashion, such as:
  • No blaming (placing blame does not create a solution)
  • No soap boxing (everyone deserves their turn to speak)
  • Listen respectfully to everyone’s ideas
  • If you disagree, disagree with ideas or positions; don’t attack people
• Allow each person to contribute the concerns and challenges that they see for the neighborhood. Listing these items on a large tablet or chalkboard gives the group a clear view of all of the issues.
• Do the same for the strengths and positive attributes of the neighborhood.
• If local law enforcement is at the meeting, give them a chance to speak.
• Organize the concerns that you have listed and decide which one is the most important.
• Talk about ways that this concern can be dealt with, including increased involvement with law enforcement, local government, and any other support agencies available. Set an action plan if necessary.
• Decide on the possible roles people might play in the NWA. Some possibilities include:
  • Communication coordinators at various levels
  • Liaison with law enforcement
  • Formal reporters – people who take regular shifts walking around the neighborhood (often in pairs or groups) and noting any odd or suspicious activity
  • Informal reporters – people who don’t have regular shifts, but who agree to be watchful in their travels around the neighborhood, and to report anything that merits it
  • Recruiters of new NWA members and those who spread the word about the NWA and about whom to contact if you have concerns
• Secure commitments from those at the meeting about what roles they’re willing to take
  • Don’t try to make people feel that attending the meeting means that they have to make a commitment.  If people feel pressured, they may say they’ll do something, but it’s likely that they won’t follow through.  You want commitments from those who are actually committed.  In reality, most will probably be willing to act as informal reporters, since that implies no specific responsibility except to keep their eyes open.
• Organize a communication system
• Provide information on making property safer and guidelines for documenting suspicious activity
• Set the time and place for your next meeting if appropriate

Using a communication system

A phone tree is a great way to quickly get in touch with your neighbors. You can use it to announce neighborhood events, to get in touch with neighbors for help, or to alert your neighbors to suspicious activities going on in the area-especially if you have made a call to 911.

The type of information that requires a tree-wide call can be discussed at the neighborhood watch meetings.

Implementing your communication system

• First you need to choose a leader, co-leader, and section leaders. These people are each in charge of calling a specific set of people to provide information as fast as possible. You can organize by block, by natural groups of acquaintances, or any other grouping that makes most sense in your neighborhood or small community. Groups of 4 or 5 are most manageable, but larger can work.
• The list should initially be provided to all parties included on the phone tree so people are aware of the calling structure, especially of their section leader's name and number.
• Any neighborhood member who has something to announce calls the leader, co-leader, or section leader.
• Information that should be shared is then distributed through a series of calls initiated by the NWA leader or co-leader, who calls each section leader with the information. Each section leader then calls members of their sections. This way information about potential or actual problems can get to the entire neighborhood in a matter of just minutes.

A phone tree shouldn’t be your only means of communication, however.  Unless everyone involved has a cell phone that’s on (and answered) all the time, there’s always the possibility of people not being home or not being available when a call needs to be made or responded to.  For that reason, you should a) make sure that everyone involved in a phone tree has a working answering machine, and b) set up another system as well, to make sure that all messages get through.

A logical backup system would be e-mail, as long as most or all people in the system have computer access and check their e-mail regularly. In a compact neighborhood, people without phones or e-mail could be contacted in person by a close neighbor, who could leave a note under the door if they’re not home. Whatever the system, key people – phone tree coordinators, e-mail senders, neighbors who contact others – should let others know when they’ll be away, and arrange for back-up, so that no one gets left out of the loop.

How do you make your NWA effective?

After you have your NWA set up, how do you make it effective? There are two things that you can do:

• You can better organize the information you provide to law enforcement to make your contributions more useful
• You can also make your neighborhood less crime friendly by making some neighborhood self-improvements

Here are some ways to provide more useful information to law enforcement:

• When describing a suspicious person or vehicle it is always best to be as specific as possible, without putting yourself at risk. One way to do this better is to systematically go over visible details by using a description checklist.
• A common issue is the question of how to determine if an activity you see is criminal or not. Another question is how to come up with enough information for law enforcement to take action when you know something illegal is going on, but can not prove it. These questions often apply to repetitive crimes such as drug sales. One way to deal with both of these questions is to use a suspicious activity log. Repetitive crimes often show an obvious pattern of activity.

Here are some ideas on how to make your property less conducive to crime:

• Have reflective address numbers visible on both the front and back of your home
• Use outdoor lighting to increase visibility around your home at night
• To eliminate hiding places, trim bushes so they are no more than 3 feet tall and all tree limbs so that they are no lower than 6 feet
• Use solid doors for all outside exits (without large glass areas or decorative panels)
• Secure all windows:
  • Install height-limiting devices to windows that raise
  • Use track locks and place bars in the tracks of sliding windows
  • Close, lock, and remove the crank from all crank out windows
• Make an inventory of all valuables by photographing them and writing the make, model, and serial number of the item on the back of the photo
• Consider getting a home alarm system
  • Just the appearance of an alarm system can reduce the risk of a break in
  • Alarm systems often cause criminals to leave before finishing their crimes. (Still, remember that no alarm is burglar -proof and alarm systems only work when they are set and in proper working order.)

Here are some questions you can ask to grade your neighborhood's safety:

• How easy is it to get in and out of your neighborhood? Does your neighborhood have several through streets? More easily accessible neighborhoods are more likely to have crime.
• How active are the people in your neighborhood? Do people sit on their front porches? Do children play outside often? Do people go jogging or walk their dogs in the neighborhood? All of these activities show that neighbors can easily watch the area. Criminals are less likely to commit crimes if people are watching.
• Are there many outside dogs? Dogs can help by announcing an intruder or other unfamiliar person in the area.
• How dark are the streets? A well-lit area makes it hard for criminals to hide. Lighting also makes it easier for emergency vehicles to find specific homes or buildings.
• Does your neighborhood have any public areas? Dark alleys or unmaintained parks are examples of areas that invite crime. Events like community clean-ups can change these areas into positive places.

It’s important not to go overboard here. People can sometimes get so focused on crime that they forget that not all unusual activity is suspicious. The fact that people wear clothes that are different from those of most neighborhood residents, or that their skin is a different color, shouldn’t necessarily make them objects of suspicion.  If you start seeing a lot of traffic in and out of the empty house down the street at all hours of the day and night, that’s probably worth a phone call to the police liaison. A young African American walking through a white neighborhood is not.

Some training in what to watch for and what kinds of mistakes an NWA can fall into can help ensure that neighborhood watchers aren’t overreacting to unusual but harmless neighborhood occurrences.  An NWA is meant to make your neighborhood safer, not to turn it into a police state where everyone reports what everyone else is doing.

How do you deal with emerging issues?

Emerging issues are hard to prepare for since you cannot know what to expect. Nevertheless, it is usually best to try and tackle a problem as soon as you can see it coming.

The "Theory of Broken Windows" explains that even small issues can grow big before you know it. The theory suggests that when minor events occur, such as broken windows, they will start a chain reaction of destructive behaviors and events if not dealt with immediately. If small things working against the community go unnoticed, they promote more of the same behavior, even increases in criminal activity. If people think that no one cares, they won't stop at breaking one or two windows. New York City employed this theory successfully in the ‘90’s, greatly reducing the rate of all crime by concentrating on catching and prosecuting those who committed small offenses – jumping turnstiles in the subway without paying, breaking windows, etc.

Regardless of what situation your neighborhood is in, there are always going to be new issues emerging that need to be dealt with. Keep this in mind when you approach your NWA work, and by working together as a neighborhood with law enforcement's support, you can come up with creative solutions to whatever issues come your way.

In Summary

A formal Neighborhood Watch Association usually involves working with local law enforcement agencies to provide extra eyes and ears for combating crime. Whether or not your group works through an existing neighborhood association, you should agree to and share guidelines for reporting suspicious behavior and activities.

A structured phone tree is one way to keep neighbors informed. Strategies for discouraging crime in the neighborhood and on personal property can be disseminated to all neighbors.

Keys to an effective neighborhood watch are working together and responding to problems ("broken windows") before they multiply.

___You assess the need for and interest in a Neighborhood Watch Association (NWA ) in your neighborhood

___You contact your local law enforcement agency to find out how they can support and interact with your NWA

___You call a first meeting, inviting neighbors and law enforcement representatives

___Your group identifies issues of concern and strategies, if necessary, for addressing them. An action plan may be developed for a current problem

___You create a phone tree if the group desires, and agree to guidelines for reporting suspicious behavior

___You disseminate information on how to improve safety on personal property, how to record and report suspicious persons and activity

___You evaluate your neighborhood for its susceptibility to crime and plan improvements as possible

___You identify emerging issues ("broken windows") and work together for creative solutions

Example: Safe Streets program of Topeka/Shawnee County

The Greater Auburndale Neighborhood Association in Topeka, Kansas, found a way to deal with an emerging issue before problems became greater.

In 1997, residents of the Greater Auburndale area were upset because teenagers were hanging out and skateboarding in the area park. The kids were suspected of leaving trash, spraying graffiti, and causing other vandalism as well. To deal with this problem, several neighborhood meetings were held with the angry neighbors, parents, and accused kids, along with community police and representatives from the Parks Department.

As a result of these meetings, the neighborhood underwent a significant change. A compromise was reached that led to the removal of one net on the tennis court so that kids could skateboard while neighbors could still use the court to play tennis. Several organized clean-ups took place in the park and neighbors held events for the kids. The discussions that had taken place over skateboarding in the park eventually led to the building of a separate skate park accessible to all kids in the city.

Tool 1: Suspect Description Checklist

• Sex (male or female):
• Race (White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, etc.):
• Complexion (dark, light, rugged, etc.)
• Age (mid-twenties, thirties, forties, etc.)
• Height (estimate in 2 inch blocks; for example: between 6'0" and 6'2")
• Weight (estimate in blocks of 10 pounds)
• Build (large, medium, stocky, thin, etc.)
• Hair (red, brown, thick, thin, balding, beard, etc.)
• Clothing (type, color, style - start at the top and work down: hat, coat, shirt, pants, shoes)
• Other Features (visible tattoos or piercings, glasses, etc.)
• Direction of Travel (north, south, east, west, name of street if possible)

Tool 2: Vehicle Description Checklist

• Color (be as specific as possible; dark, medium, light blue, etc.)
• Year (if you can get it, but not necessary)
• Make (Ford, Toyota, etc.)
• Model (Accord, Mustang, Camry, etc.)
• Body Type (two-door, convertible, station wagon, etc.)
• License Number (get state too, if possible)
• Other (bumper stickers, dents, etc.)
• Direction of Travel (North, South, East, West, name of street)

Tool 3: Suspicious Activity Log

Address of suspicious activity: ______________________

Date	Time	Style and make of car	State and License Number	Color and Year of car	Repeat visitor	Description of person(s)	Description of activity	Reported to	Date and Time	Case Officer Name and Number

 

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the major points in the section.