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Hacks for Preventing Beef

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Some of the most escalated situations in harm reduction spaces are conflicts between participants that are pre-existing and have nothing to do with the site.

Because of this, harm reduction leaders offered a few hacks to minimize or prevent these situations from getting out of hand before they got started:

  • Make it clear to participants that they should keep their internal conflicts outside your space.
  • Anticipate that people will break any boundary you set.
  • Do not participate, but keep an ear out for gossip about who has beef with whom so you can be aware if those parties should both arrive for services.
  • Treat everyone with respect.
  • DO NOT take sides—ESPECIALLY WITHOUT A TRANSPARENT PROCESS

Featured Hacks

These featured hacks highlight creative, practical solutions from harm reduction leaders on the ground. From DIY tools to clever workarounds, each one reflects the ingenuity, care, and real-world experience that keeps this movement alive. 

Hacks for Staying Present

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As discussed in the part of the site on preventing escalation, it is essential for harm reduction workers to stay present and remain centered and relatively calm during escalated events. This is one of the hardest things to do, but staying present and centered during any kind of escalated situation at your harm reduction site is essential to de-escalation.
Read this Hack

Important Terms: Person First Language

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Generally, it’s important to use “person first language” when describing people who are marginalized due to some part of their identity being stigmatized, such as folks struggling with their substance use, people who do sex work, and folks living outside.
Read this Hack