Teaching Adolescents to Think and Act Responsibly: The EQUIP Approach

Holding students accountable for their actions and inspiring them with greater expectations is to respect them, to believe in them as people with positive potential.

The EQUIP approach helps facilitate mature and accurate cognitive habits and behavioural skills in at-risk or potentially at-risk adolescents in the school setting. The curriculum addresses the "three D’s," common in these adolescents: developmental delays in moral judgement, self-serving cognitive distortions, and social skills deficiencies.

Using evidence-based cognitive-behavioural and psycho educational principles, the curriculum “equips” students with the knowledge and skills to interact positively with others and make good decisions every day and throughout life.

EQUIP consists of 30 sessions: ten each of anger management, social skills, and social decision making. Each session includes facilitator notes, objectives, and activities such as role-plays, worksheets, and analysis of realistic problem scenarios.

Sessions focus on the following specific goals: • Fostering a positive social culture by challenging the mentality that promotes physical aggression and other antisocial behaviours • Providing an array of opportunities for students to take the perspectives of others • Helping students identify and correct their cognitive distortions, or "thinking errors"

Worksheets and handouts, as well as facilitator review and self- evaluation forms, are provided in reproducible format via a downloads page.

Table of Contents

Figures and Tables

Acknowledgments

CHAPTER 1—Welcome to Teaching Adolescents to Think and Act Responsibly: The EQUIP Approach

CHAPTER 2—Getting Started

CHAPTER 3—Equipping with Skills to Manage Anger and Correct Thinking Errors • Week 1: Evaluating and Relabeling Anger/Aggression • Week 2: Key Role of Mind in Anger, Monitoring Mind and Body, Reducing Anger • Week 3: Monitoring and Correcting Thinking Errors • Week 4: Relaxation Techniques for Reducing Anger • Week 5: Powerful Self-Talk Techniques for Reducing Anger: Thinking Ahead to Consequences and Think of the Other Person (TOP) • Week 6: Achieving Constructive Consequences • Week 7: Self-Evaluation • Week 8: Reversing • Week 9: Victims and Victimizers • Week 10 Grand Review

CHAPTER 4—Equipping with Social Skills • Week 1: Expressing a Complaint Constructively • Week 2: Caring for Someone Who Is Sad or Upset • Week 3: Dealing Constructively with Negative Peer Pressure • Week 4: Keeping Out of Fights • Week 5: Helping Others • Week 6: Preparing for a Stressful Conversation • Week 7: Dealing Constructively with Someone Angry at You • Week 8: Expressing Care and Appreciation • Week 9: Dealing Constructively with Someone Accusing You of Something • Week 10: Responding Constructively to Failure

CHAPTER 5—Equipping with Mature Moral Judgment (Social Decision Making) • Week 1: Scott’s Problem Situation • Week 2: Jerry’s Problem Situation; Mateo’s Problem Situation • Week 3: Jeff’s Problem Situation • Week 4: Angelo’s Problem Situation; Sabrina’s Problem Situation • Week 5: Greg’s Problem Situation; Lamar’s Problem Situation • Week 6: Duane’s Problem Situation • Week 7: Joe’s Problem Situation • Week 8: Katie’s Problem Situation • Week 9: James’s Problem Situation • Week 10: Stephanie’s Problem Situation

CHAPTER 6—Final Session and Conclusion

APPENDIX • Social Reflection Questionnaire • Supplemental Moral Judgment Problem Situations • Carmen’s Problem Situation • Enzio’s Problem Situation • Emilio’s Problem Situation • Carly’s Problem Situation • Big Bear’s Problem Situation • References • About the Authors