Life Skills Education Toolkit

LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA• 17

Experience from the field

Real life examples helped children to differentiate between passive, assertive and aggressive behavior. One

example was when a boy wanted to go meet his friend and not attend the vocational class; the facilitator

assertively told the child that this was not allowed. The facilitator reminded the children of this incident.

(Street children project, PCI Delhi)

Tips for the facilitator

Pictures of the three expressions (passive, aggressive, assertive) are very useful

Linking & Learning with Life

(This activity can be done in a different session. It will also help to reinforce what is learned.)

If this section is split into multiple sessions, encourage the children to observe the different types of

behavior in their community between meetings.

Divide the group into threes, calling them number 1, 2 and 3. Number 1 plays an assertive

character, Number 2 a passive character and Number 3 an aggressive character. Have them act

out two different role plays.

a Give information to the other two (facts of HIV transmission, reproductive health facts).

b. To persuade them to do something (use a condom, go to the clinic or give up smoking).

c. To ask permission for something (taking things from a friend, or to go out).

d. To apologize (for a mistake, for lying or for stealing).

The group can interchange the numbers 1, 2, or 3 for each of the role plays. You may invite the

children to enact one role play showing assertive, aggressive and passive behavior.

Ask the group how they would like to help their friends or other young people learn about being

assertive. A plan can be made and implemented with the help of the facilitator.

ACTIVITY FOUR

I and You: Using “I Feel” Statements

Group check in

1. Remind the group of the exercise on assertive behavior. Mention that we learned about body
   language and the tone in which statements should be made. This session will talk about what to say.


2. Explain that assertive statements have three parts
   
   
   • I feel...(not “you are”)
   
   
   • When or because...
   
   
   • What I would like is ...(not “why don’t you” or “you must do”)