What Violence Is




Objective(s) & Context

  • Examine concepts of violence.

  • Identify a working definition of violence as a group.

 

This activity is meant to be a springboard for further activities that focus on dating violence, interpersonal relationships, or violence in general.

 

Duration

60 minutes

 

Age Group

11 +

 

Group Size

10–30

 

Skills

Increased knowledge about violence, analytical skills

 

Format(s) & Technique(s)

Reflection, small groups, large group discussion

 

Materials

Flip chart

Markers

Pad of paper

Pencils/pens

What Violence Is… Definitions: Reference Sheet

Understanding Violence: Reference Sheet

Post-its

Resources like pamphlets, websites on violence prevention, healthy relationships, information about the school counsellor (for example, where they are located, hours of operations, etc.)

 

Facilitation Tips

* All facilitators should note that when people are invited to have a conversation about violence, it is difficult to separate one’s own experiences or what one has witnessed from a purely conceptual exercise. Your participants will most likely make comments, even if uninvited, about violence they have seen or experienced during this exercise. This is important because one of the reasons we try to create spaces for workshops like these is to make sure that the violence that girls and young women face does not go unnoticed. However, it is also important to plan for the event that someone in your group would like to talk further about something they are living or something they have witnessed. This can be done with a counsellor in the agency you work with, or by having a counsellor present.

* Please feel free to consult the Facilitator Tips on Helping Girls Cope with Violence

in the Amplify Manual when doing this or any workshop that can trigger experiences of violence.

* You can create a flipchart version of the questionnaire, if you choose to make that part a large group discussion. However, encouraging writing is a way of strengthening reflection and analytical skills.

* If you find participants are hesitant to write, remind them that they don’t have to be perfect writers for this exercise, the point is more about the ideas that come out of it.

* Be sensitive to the fact that there are other ways to strengthen analytical skills. Be prepared with alternatives to writing: an exercise where one person writes while others reflect, a collective mapping exercise, a drawing that can be explained verbally.

* Be ready with resources in case this workshop leads to difficult discussions.

 

Popular Education Prompts

  • Encourage participants to think of their realities when answering questions like: “What is your understanding of…?”

  • Encourage participants to add to the questionnaire their own words related to violence or violence prevention.

  • You may want to refer to the Violence Prevention Knowledge Building Section in the Amplify Manual for more information, definitions, statistics, etc.

 

 

Leading the Activity: Steps to Take

 

Preparation:

1. There are two parts to this activity.

2. Make copies of the questionnaire entitled Understanding Violence: Reference Sheet.

3. Create a flipchart version of the What Violence Is… Definitions: Reference Sheet.

4. Create a flip chart with two columns, one titled “Peace and Respect,” and the other titled “Violence and Oppression.”

 

 

Workshop:

Part 1 (30 minutes):

  1. Post the flip chart version of the questions on the wall.

  2. Divide participants into small groups and hand out one copy of the Understanding Violence: Reference Sheet and What Violence Is… Definitions: Reference Sheet to each small group.

  3. Ask participants to reflect on the questions individually and with the members of their group.

  4. Ask each small group to write down their responses on the flip chart paper provided to them.

  5. Tell them to post their group’s responses on the wall.

  6. Explain to them that they can use the reference materials to help them answer the questions.

 

Part 2 (30 minutes)

  1. Post the flip chart paper with “Peace and Respect” and “Violence and Oppression” columns on the wall.

  2. Ask the group to call out words that describe each of these categories, using the responses they discussed in Part 1.

  3. Ask participants to reflect on how “Peace and Respect” and “Violence and Oppression” are portrayed in their communities. Ask if they want to call out any new words.

  4. Write these words on metacards or post-its and put them in the appropriate column. You can use two different colours of metacards to further highlight the differences.

  5. When you have a complete list for each category, ask the group if there is anything missing or anything in the wrong place. Ask participants to come up to add or redirect words they think are necessary.

  6. Also, as the facilitator, if you think there are words still unidentified by the participants, suggest these, and ask where they think they should go and why.

  7. On a separate flip chart paper, write down “Peace is…” and ask the group to come up with a definition, using the information they provided.

 

Prompts for Critical Reflection

- What is violence usually considered to be? For example, is it always visible and physical?

- What else could it include?

- Can anyone be violent? For example, is it specific to gender, age, ethnicity… or not?

- Who else shares our definition of peace? For example, does the United Nations, do your parent(s), would your classmates? Why or why not?

- Is there anything that you disagreed with on the What Violence Is… Definitions: Reference Sheet? Was there something written that you think is not true? Are there examples on the handout that are very true? Is there anything you would add?

 

Debrief

* In a circle, ask each participant for a final thought about one idea on how they can create more of what we have defined as “Peace”?

* Thank the group for sharing their responses.

* Remind participants that you have resources on violence prevention, healthy relationships, and about the school counsellor.

* Ask the group how they can promote peace in their class, school, and community.

* Close the discussion by asking participants if they have any questions or remaining thoughts.

 

Success Indicators

  1. Participants are talking amongst themselves in small groups, filing out the questionnaires, and adding new words.

  2. Participants are able to reflect on the concepts, pose questions, and give informed opinions.

 

Source: Information Adapted from Making the Peace, Session 2, pages 42–47