Being Assertive Worksheet - Free Printable

To solve this worksheet, we need to look at each situation and decide if the person is being assertive.

What does "Assertive" mean?
Being assertive means standing up for yourself and saying how you feel in a respectful way. You use words to explain the problem instead of hitting, yelling, or staying silent.

Let's go through each example one by one:

1. Cody asks, “Wyatt, can you please stop throwing the ball at me?”
* Cody is using polite words ("please") to ask for what he wants. He isn't hitting back or yelling. This is respectful and clear.
* Verdict: Assertive (Check)

2. Diane pushes Ryan because he called her a bad name.
* Pushing someone is physical aggression. Even though Ryan was mean first, hitting or pushing is not a respectful way to handle it.
* Verdict: Not Assertive

3. Cheyenne says, “No. I don’t like it when you do that. Please, stop.”
* Cheyenne clearly states her feelings ("I don't like it") and asks the person to stop politely. She is standing up for herself without being mean.
* Verdict: Assertive (Check)

4. Chris calls Bo a “chicken brain” because he’s mad at him.
* Calling names is disrespectful. This is aggressive communication, not assertive.
* Verdict: Not Assertive

5. Ian is mad at Hector for making fun of him, but he doesn’t say anything to him.
* Ian is keeping his feelings inside. This is passive behavior. To be assertive, he needs to speak up.
* Verdict: Not Assertive

6. Tom is angry at his brother, so he sneaks in his room and breaks his toy.
* Breaking someone's property is aggressive and hurtful. It doesn't solve the problem with words.
* Verdict: Not Assertive

7. Francis doesn’t let Vivian play his game because he’s mad at her.
* This is tricky, but usually, just ignoring someone or punishing them silently isn't "assertive communication." Assertiveness involves *sharing* how you feel. However, compared to hitting, it's better, but typically worksheets look for verbal expression of feelings. Let's look closer. Is he standing up for himself respectfully? No, he's just acting out his anger by excluding her without explaining why. A better assertive response would be, "I am mad at you right now, so I don't want to play." Just refusing to play is often seen as passive-aggressive or just rude depending on context, but definitely not the *best* example of assertive communication which requires *sharing feelings*.
* Verdict: Not Assertive (He didn't share his feelings respectfully; he just acted on his anger).

8. Carol says, “I need you to please stop calling me names behind my back.”
* Carol uses "I need" statements and asks politely ("please"). She addresses the specific behavior she dislikes. This is perfect assertive communication.
* Verdict: Assertive (Check)

9. Joann tells Brenda that she’s the “worst friend in the world!”
* This is an insult and an exaggeration. It attacks Brenda's character rather than addressing a specific behavior respectfully. This is aggressive.
* Verdict: Not Assertive

10. Paul pulls Eva to the side and asks her to be nicer to him.
* Paul removes them from the crowd (respectful privacy) and asks for what he needs ("be nicer"). He is standing up for himself calmly.
* Verdict: Assertive (Check)

11. Sally is mad at Asher, so she counts to 10 before expressing her feelings.
* Counting to 10 is a strategy to calm down *so that* you can be assertive. The prompt says she does this *before* expressing her feelings. This implies she *will* express them afterwards. Using self-control to ensure you speak respectfully is a key part of being assertive.
* Verdict: Assertive (Check) - *Note: Some strict interpretations might say "we don't see her speak," but in social-emotional learning, taking time to cool down to avoid aggression is considered part of the assertive process.*

12. Darnell says, “I’m tired of you picking on me. It hurts my feelings.”
* Darnell uses "I" statements ("I'm tired", "It hurts my feelings"). He explains exactly how the other person's actions affect him. This is very assertive.
* Verdict: Assertive (Check)

13. Brett tells Josh, “I’m giving you 10 seconds to run before I hit you!”
* This is a threat of violence. Threatening to hit someone is aggressive, not assertive.
* Verdict: Not Assertive

Final Answer:
Here are the examples that are Assertive (you should place a check next to these):

* [✓] Cody asks, “Wyatt, can you please stop throwing the ball at me?”
* [✓] Cheyenne says, “No. I don’t like it when you do that. Please, stop.”
* [✓] Carol says, “I need you to please stop calling me names behind my back.”
* [✓] Paul pulls Eva to the side and asks her to be nicer to him.
* [✓] Sally is mad at Asher, so she counts to 10 before expressing her feelings.
* [✓] Darnell says, “I’m tired of you picking on me. It hurts my feelings.”