Tip 5 Stopping the Fight
Provided by the Safe Schools Unit, San Diego County Office of Education

Students:

• Stop the fight before it begins
  
• Be a leader, it takes courage to walk away
  
• Pay attention to verbal and body language - when they escalate, a fight generally breaks out
  
• Practice anger management techniques to calm down
  
• If you're a bystander, don't encourage the fight
  
• If a physical fight breaks out, find an adult right away
  
• Understand that it's okay to disagree, respect others' opinions
  
• Be a friend to someone who is angry…help them talk through their disagreements

Parents:

• Don't encourage or model fighting or physical abuse
  
• Praise/reward your child from walking away from a fight
  
• Teach and model anger management techniques
  
• Limit your child's exposure to media violence
  
• Encourage tolerance and communication

Schools:

• Create a zero tolerance for fighting and rewards for "Peacemakers"
  
• Create an atmosphere of healthy debate to replace fighting
  
• Teach anger management courses
  
• Teach tolerance courses
  
• Create peer mediation programs