HECMA Program Abstinence and Refusal Skills

1. HECMA ProgramAbstinence and Refusal Skills Ms. Sandra Gorman

2. Acting Responsibly Write a brief paragraph explaining why teens should avoid risk behaviour

3. Acting Responsibly Growing up means taking on more responsibility in all areas of life. This means you take care of your body and your mind. This also leads to more freedom and you might be allowed to go to more places by yourself or with your friends.

4. Acting Responsibly • Abstinence: restrain or stop yourself from risk behaviours like smoking, taking alcohol and drug use. • Refusal skills: skills or strategies that help you to say NO effectively

5. Teenager Responsibilities What kind of responsibilities are associated with teenagers?

6. Develop effective refusal skills To avoid engaging in risky behaviours, you need to know how to practice REFUSAL SKILLS! Skills or strategies that help you say NO effectively. They are useful when you feel pressure to do something you do NOT want to do.

7. STOP Formula • S: Say no in a firm voice • T: Tell why not • O: Offer another idea • P: Promptly leave

8. STOP Formula • When you say NO, make sure your body language matches what you are saying. • Offer brief but sensible reasons for your choice. • Suggest an alternative activity that everyone can enjoy. • If you have to, leave the scene.

9. STOP FORMULA This immediately takes away someone’s power to pressure you into something you do not want to do. • Roleplay: party scene

10. List 5 things that teens should know and do to set healthy limits in relationships

11. Vocabulary • Abstinence: restrain or stop yourself from risk behaviours like smoking, taking alcohol and drug use. • Refusal skills: skills or strategies that help you to say NO effectively • Appropriate: acceptable, agrees with some custom or rule, suitable for the purpose. E.g. Library