Facts about Verbal Violence and Verbal Self-Defense

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Did you know that...

THE MOST VIOLENT PLACE YOU CAN BE isn't in the inner-city street. It's your home, office, or school, where verbal abuse is part of YOUR DAILY LIFE.

THE MOST SERIOUS RISKS YOU FACE for disease and injury, the most common causes of heart attacks, automobile accidents, and mental illness aren't drugs, chemicals, terrorists, or viruses. They're HOSTILITY AND LONELINESS.

THE MOST COMMON REASON FOR SOCIAL FAILURE AND PROFESSIONAL FAILURE isn't the way you look or dress or the kind of car you drive. It's THE WAY YOU TALK.

THE WORST THREAT TO YOUR FAMILY isn't the troubled economy, the greenhouse effect, slipping test scores, television, or street crime. It's TOXIC LANGUAGE.

Although the misuse of language can be dangerous, most people don't know how to fix the problem. With the Verbal Self-Defense System developed by Suzette Haden Elgin, Ph.D., you can learn how to use your own language behavior to clean up your language environment.

Verbal violence may or may not include physical violence. However, physical violence always begins with and/or includes verbal violence. Learning to defuse verbal violence around you can significantly reduce the potential for physical violence. Such information is crucial in a world where people physically attack and kill others at home, work, and school.

No one has to be a verbal abuser or a verbal victim. No one has to live in a language environment that's a toxic waste dump. Learning and using Verbal Self-Defense skills will help you to recognize patterns of abuse, use techniques to avoid escalating arguments, stop your own verbal abuse of others, and end verbal violence directed toward you. By using Verbal Self-Defense techniques, you can break the cycle of verbal abuse in every area of your life. Using these simple skills can also reduce your stress and improve your health and sense of well-being.

Verbal Self-Defense Skills Classes
Taught by Linda Eldredge, Ed.D.
Licensed Psychologist & Certified Level I Verbal Self-Defense Trainer

Texas Union Informal Classes, The University of Texas at Austin

Thursday, September 13, 6:00-8:00 p.m. (Part 1)
Thursday, September 20, 6:00-8:00 p.m. (Part 2)
Thursday, September 27, 6:00-8:00 p.m. (Part 3)

To Register: Call: 23-CLASS (232-5277)
Fax: 471-7477
Online: www.utexas.edu/student/txunion/iclass/
In Person: Texas Union Lobby, 24th & Guadalupe, Monday - Thursday, 8:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.; Friday, 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, 12:00 noon Ð 5:00 p.m.
Mail Registration Form to: Informal Classes, University of Texas, P.O. Box 7338, Austin, TX 78713-7338

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