When it comes to de-escalating fights between young people, Kay Wilson’s first tactic is to get them talking.
That approach came in handy a couple years ago when Wilson was supervising teens in her Columbus youth leadership organization as they were playing basketball in a park. An argument broke out, and one boy grabbed a knife from his gym bag and proceeded to charge at another.
Wilson and her program manager quickly ran up to them to intervene.
“All I was doing was asking questions,” said Wilson, 50, of Northeast Columbus. “Is it worth going to jail for it? Why are you so mad? Is it because everybody else is around?