Decision Making

1. Decision Making Making responsible decisions will help you deal with conflict and peer pressure while managing stress.

2. Empowerment • To gain a feeling of empowerment, you must take responsibility for decisions. • A person who has some sense of control over their behavior and decisions feels empowered.

3. Teenagers usually make decisions using one of three decision making styles. • A person who fails to make a choice and the failure to choose determines what will happen is using an inactive decision-making style. • Individuals who use this style don’t know what they want, put off making difficult decisions and do not gain self confidence.

4. Another style is: • A reactive decision-making style. • A person using this style allows others to make decisions for them. • These individuals are usually easily influenced and lack self-confidence. • They have a need to be liked by others and give control of their decisions to others.

5. A proactive decision-making style is one in which a person: • Examines the decision to be made • Identifies and evaluates actions to take • Selects an action • Takes responsibility for the consequences of this action

6. Teenagers who have a proactive decision-making style are responsible decision makers. Responsible decision-making: • Promotes health • Protects safety • Follows laws • Shows respect for self and others • Follow guidelines set by responsible adults • Demonstrates good character

7. Describe the situation that requires a decision. For example: Johnny has been nominated for an office in the student council, but he does not always have a ride home after school. So he may not be able to attend the after school meetings. The steps used to make Responsible Decisions include:

8. 2. List possible decisions you might make. Johnny could do nothing and see what happens Johnny could talk to the sponsor and see if he/she could help Johnny could talk to his parents about possible ways to get home He could find out if there is a bus that goes close to his home He could ask friends who are in student council if he can ride home with them He could tell his friends and the sponsor that he can not be an officer because it is not the responsible thing to do since he can’t always have a ride Responsible Decision Making continued:

9. 3. Share the list of possible decisions with a trusted adult. Johnny shows the list to his counselor or a teacher. OR, he shows the list to his parents. OR, Johnny shows the list to another adult who he knows has his best interest at heart. Responsible Decision Making continued:

10. 4. Evaluate the consequences of each decision. Ask questions about the consequences of each possible decision. Johnny ASKS: Will this decision result in an action that: Is healthful Is safe Is legal Shows respect for self and others Follows the guidelines of responsible adults such as parents or guardians Demonstrates that I have good character? Responsible Decision Making continued:

11. 5. Decide which decision is responsible and most appropriate. Johnny decides to take to the sponsor and see if she has any suggestions. Johnny finds out that as an officer he must be at all meetings unless he is sick or has been excused in advance. But she tells him that the activity bus is an option to take him home. She also states that several very active members of student council live in his neighborhood and she would be glad to help arrange a ride with one of them. Johnny decides based on these facts that he will run for an office. Responsible Decision Making continued:

12. 6. Act on your decision and evaluate the results. Johnny runs for office and wins. After he has been an officer for 2 months he talks to the sponsor and they discuss how he has been getting home. Three other students have offered to give him rides home, so he has not had to miss any meetings. He decides to write thank you notes to his new friend’s parents telling them he appreciates the rides home. He is glad that he spoke with the sponsor and made the decision to run for student council office. Responsible Decision Making continued:

13. Sometimes Peer Pressure influences decisions! Peer Pressure is the influence people of similar age or status place on others to have them behave in certain ways or make certain decisions.

14. Peer pressure can be positive or negative! • An example of positive peer pressure is when friends encourage you to study and make good grades. • Negative peer pressure occurs when friends want you to try drugs.

15. Resistance skills can be used by a person who want to say NO or to leave a situation. • Resistance skills can be used when peer pressure is negative. • Resistance skills help you say NO and stick to your decision.

16. Say NO in an assertive way. Give reason for saying NO. Make sure your body language or nonverbal behavior matches what you say. Avoid being with people who make harmful decisions. Avoid being in situations in which there will be pressure to make harmful decisions. Resist the pressure to engage in illegal behavior. Influence others to make responsible decisions. Some resistance skills teenagers can use include:

17. Please get out your journal sheet! Respond to the open response question on the next slide. Place the completed journal entry (answer to the open response question) in your journal or notebook.

18. Answer all parts to this question using only one side of your notebook paper. Sara’s friend Jane uses alcohol or marijuana almost every day. Jane has been cutting classes, failing most of her subjects and spending time with other kids who use drugs. She says she’s having a great time, but when ever Sara ask her what she’s doing that’s so much fun, she can’t remember. So far, Sara hasn’t said anything to her, but she’s really worried about her. • List and the steps of the decision making process. B. Explain how using a decision making process will help Sara make a better decision and allow her to help Jane in a more productive manner. Be very specific.