Dr. Anthony Hoskin
Why Do People Get Into Fights, and How Do We Prevent It?
The approach would be to engage students in a conversation and to weave research findings into it. To put it briefly, the motivations for violence, according to experimental and correlational research, are to: 1) establish or maintain one’s reputation as a tough person; 2) to retaliate for a perceived grievance; or 3) to gain compliance over the victim. Examples given by students will be linked to these motivations, and it will be pointed out that the students’ experiences are typically consistent with the research. A PowerPoint presentation with various visuals will be included to enhance the experience. We will finish the discussion with ideas on how to prevent violence. Here, I will guide students by posing the question, “If this is why people fight, then what does that tell us that about we need to do to reduce fighting?” Consistent with the research, I will focus on attitudes toward violence: people use violence because they believe it is an acceptable way to gain a tough reputation, to get payback, or to control others. Non-violent people do not think fighting should be used for these purposes. So all of us need to convince each other that such behavior is not okay. The criminal justice system certainly does not think it is okay, and students could find themselves arrested for thinking otherwise. Organized this way, I think the talk would be interesting and beneficial to students.
State Standards
These presentations meet the following state education standards for high school students:
Social Studies
U.S. History II
9-12.USH2.4.4.1 Trace the development and expansion of political, civil, and economic rights.
American Government
9-12.G.3.2.1 Analyze the economic impact of government policy.
9-12.G.4.4.1 Analyze the struggles for the extension of civil rights.
9-12.G.5.1.1 Discuss the mutual impact of ideas, issues, and policies among nations, including environmental, economic, and humanitarian.
World History and Civilization
6-9.WHC.1.9.3 Discuss how religion influenced social behavior and created social order.
6-9.WHC.1.9.4 Describe why different religious beliefs were sources of conflict.
English Language Arts/Literacy
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RH11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL11-12.1 a. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed. c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives. d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.