Today in P.S.E. we discussed how arguments develop and how our responses to situations can cause conflict to escalate.

We were given some situations to enact, and, in pairs, we explored how arguments can escalate.

We were given some things we might say to provoke an argument and had to discuss what our responses might be.


THINGS WE MIGHT SAY:You are always late and letting me down - you are totally unreliable!

OUR RESPONSES WERE:
You are usually ridiculously late too, aren't you!

You can't say much - have you looked at your watch lately!

You were late yesterday - so you can't talk!

THINGS WE MIGHT SAY:How stupid can you be - smoking - that's for losers!

OUR RESPONSES WERE:

Once you start you can't stop. I need help - fast!

Shut up! You'll probably do it when you're older.

At least I've got the guts to do something bad, you goody two shoes!

THINGS WE MIGHT SAY: Look what you've done...you've ruined my new top...you just don't care, do you?

OUR RESPONSES WERE: You spoilt my top, so you can't say anything.

You should have put it somewhere safe if you cared that much!

THINGS WE MIGHT SAY: You never do your homework, you lazy good-for-nothing.

OUR RESPONSES WERE: You cant say much, you've only done one question!

I'd rather play on my P.S.P.

THINGS WE MIGHT SAY: You've lost my felt-tip pens - I'm never lending you anything again.

OUR RESPONSES WERE: I never borrowed them in the first place!

Oh thanks, you're nice! That pen was rubbish anyway.

Fine, be like that! I've got my own anyway and they are better than yours!

We wrote our responses and then performed them in front of the class. You can see the anger in the body language in some of these pictures.

We discussed how some responses made us more angry and an argument more likely! Which responses do you think are more likely to cause an argument?