Source: United States Department of Justice News
MIAMI – Words have the power to uplift or destroy and that was the message staff from the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida, recently brought to 7th graders at Charles R. Drew K-8 Center in Miami.
Power of Words focused on the importance of choosing one’s words carefully. The presentation went through real-life scenarios and the impact that using insulting and belittling language can have on people.
“It shows how hurtful words can sometimes lead to threats and assaultive behavior,” said Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section Chief J.D. Smith. “The presentation identifies the common warning signs and how to proactively identify potentially harmful interactions between students.”
Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney conducted the training which involved videos, real cases, and plenty of class participation.
“If you’re choosing bad words, you’re going to get bad results,” said McKinney. “Hurtful words often lead to aggressive behavior. It can lead to suicide and what else? Anyone know?”
The message is that one never knows how deeply hurtful words cut.
“And just because you apologize doesn’t mean the other person will be able to forgive and move on,” said McKinney.
Research shows that early childhood experience may play a part in verbal abuse. Someone who witnesses this behavior at an early age may replicate it later—becoming an abuser for fear of becoming a victim.
“You have to learn to be comfortable with you,” said Latisha Robinson, a civics teacher at Charles R. Drew K-8 Center. “Life will hit you. Life is hard. But that’s reality. You don’t know what the person next to you is going through and the words you choose can make all the difference.”
Kindness was emphasized throughout the training.
“Be kind to everybody and be mindful of what is going on around you,” said McKinney. “Be aware of how to speak to someone who may be having a bad day. This will help you avoid negative responses.”
The training was valuable to Robinson because it gave her students a different perspective.
“This exercise gives our students that third lens to show them that they do use those words,” she said. “The message is to switch up, change, and make a difference.”
Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney goes over a Power of Words presentation with a group of 7th graders at Charles R. Drew K-8 Center in Miami. The goal was to show students how hurtful words can escalate into violence and ways to identify potentially harmful student interactions.
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