Girl-Centered Practice seethegirl

2. Girl-Centered Practicewww.seethegirl.org

3. Welcome • Welcome & Introductions • Review of Agenda • Explanation of Girl Centered Institute • Why Girls? A Glance at the Research • Girl Centered Practices – A Sampling • Resources: www.seethegirl.org

4. See the Girl We engage communities, organizations and individuals through quality research, community organizing, advocacy, training and model programming to advance the rights of girls and young women, especially those in the justice and child protection systems. www.seethegirl.org

5. What We Do • Research • Model Programming • Training & Technical Assistance • Advocacy

6. Breaking New Ground on the First Coast: Examining Girls’ Pathways into the Juvenile Justice System • See the Change: Girls’ Juvenile Justice Trends on the First Coast • Girl Matters : Continuity of Care Evaluation Report • Girl Matters: It’s Elementary Report • Current: Unlocking Role of Probation • www.seethegirl.org Policy Center Research

7. What the Research Tells Us

8. Why Girls? • Girls present with higher rates of mental health problems and depression • More likely to attempt suicide& self mutilate • 1 in 3 girls are sexually abused before age 18 • Negative body image, low self concept, acute substance abuse aimed at self medicating to deal with trauma indicate need for a girl responsive approach

9. Juvenile Justice 1 in 3 referrals to the juvenile justice system is a girl

10. Learning: Girls’ Disconnection Through a Series of Complex Traumas Source: Breaking New Ground on the First Coast: Examining Girls’ Pathways into the Juvenile Justice System.

11. Warrants Attention: Commitment for Less Serious Offenses 2014-2015 Source: See the Change: Girls’ Juvenile Justice Trends on the First Coast.

12. Warrants Attention: Girls’ High Needs PACT 2014-2015 Source: See the Change: Girls’ Juvenile Justice Trends on the First Coast.

13. Through the Lens of a Girl Physical abuse Emotional abuse Sexual abuse Trauma Chaotic family life Multiple moves Grief and loss Academic failure Feelings of hopelessness

14. What We See Manipulative Anger Hostility Mistrust Disrespect for authority Withdrawn Runaway Aggressive Defensive

15. System Response Judge harshly Personalize Engage in power struggles Punish behavior Send away Suspend/Expel Isolation Restraint Control

16. Intergenerational Consequences of Girls’ Incarceration Problems follow girls into adulthood • Poor physical, emotional & mental health • Substance abuse • Future arrests & incarceration • High risk of domestic violence & violent relationships • Dysfunctional parenting/losing custody of their children

17. Trauma Matters • Juvenile justice system-involved youth report trauma at rates that are 8 times higher than community samples • Reported Trauma: • 93% of boys • 84% of girls • However, more females meet criteria for PTSD (Abram et al., 2004)

18. Trauma Matters Children and adolescents experience trauma under two different sets of circumstances. • Acute Traumatic Events: • experiencing a serious injury to yourself or witnessing a serious injury to or the death of someone else, • facing imminent threats of serious injury or death to yourself or others, experiencing a violation of personal physical integrity. • Chronic Traumatic Situations: • exposure to trauma occurs repeatedly over long periods of time From: National Child Traumatic Stress Network

19. Traumatic Events Screening Instrument – Self-Report (TESI) • Direct involvement or witnessing a bad accident involving serious injury or death • Being involved in a natural disaster • Serious illness or death of someone close to the child • Other unnatural death of someone close to the child • Direct experience of serious physical symptoms or illness • Significant separation from caregivers • Knowledge of suicide attempt or completed suicide by someone close to the child • Physical abuse or serious threat of violence from anyone • Being jumped or mugged • Being kidnapped or knowing someone who was

20. Traumatic Events Screening Instrument – Self Report (TESI) • Being attacked by a dog or other animal • Witnessing domestic violence, or experiencing the threat of violence in the family • Use of a weapon in the family • Arrest or incarceration of a family member • Exposure to community violence • Direct involvement in war or terrorist attack, or watching these on TV • Experience of neglect and not having “the right care” • Experience of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation, or observing forced sex acts • Experience of emotional abuse or threats of permanent rejection • Observing drug use by others

21. Impact of Trauma • Trauma is linked to a host of negative outcomes: • Mental health: PTSD, suicide, hopelessness, anxiety, fear, depression • Behavioral: school problems, conduct issues, delinquency • Health-related: high-risk behaviors, substance use, physical pain

22. Traumatic Experiences Affect Development • Interruption of child’s normal development • Detrimental impact on self concept, self esteem, autobiographical memories, regulation of emotions, empathic response • Impact on brain development may lead to elevated levels of arousal, hyper vigilance, aggression, hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, inattention • Effects skill mastery, academic performance, social integration, problem solving, general mental health

23. Behavioral Characteristics of Trauma • Learned Helplessness • Depression • Emotional Constriction • Distorted Reasoning • Loss of Trust and Faith • Hypervigilance • Traumatic Bonding • Loss of Ability to Accept Caring

24. Behavioral Characteristics of Trauma • Problems with Self Regulation • Easily Triggered • High Risk Behaviors • Disorganized Inner World • Survival Guilt • Development of Rigid Psychological Defenses • Cycles of Re-enactment • Relationships Issues • Desire to Self Medicate

25. Impact of Trauma Trauma is linked to a host of negative outcomes: • Mental health: PTSD, suicide, hopelessness, anxiety, fear, depression • Behavioral: school problems, conduct issues, delinquency • Health-related: high-risk behaviors, substance use, physical pain

26. Trauma Matters What we know about trauma: • Trauma never goes away • It impacts our brain development • It impacts our ability to • Trust • build autonomy • Take initiative • Self-care • Cognition • Develop our identity • Form stable relationships

27. Trauma Matters • The nature of trauma and traumatic experiences are inherently complex. • Trauma affects children, adults, and families in specific ways. • Trauma recovery is a journey

28. Re-Traumitization A situation, attitude, interaction, or environment that replicates the events or dynamics of the original trauma and triggers the overwhelming feelings and reactions associated with them. www.theannainstitute.org

29. Gender Differences • Girls report higher rates of sexual abuse, sexual assault, physical punishment and psychological distress (Hennessey et al., 2004, Tolin & Foa, 2006) • Boys are more likely to experience nonsexual assaults, accidents, serious illness or unspecified injury, and witnessing death or injury (Tolin & Foa, 2006)

30. Gender Differences • Girls report more psychological symptoms: higher rates of PTSD, depression and anxiety than boys • Girls and boys do not differ regarding levels of anger or dissociation

31. Gender Differences Cont’d • Boys have a stronger response when they are the victim of trauma than when they witness traumatic events • Girls have similar psychological responses to trauma whether they witness traumatic events or are themselves victimized • The association between witnessing traumatic events and anxiety and depression is stronger for girls

32. Family Matters • Childhood trauma affect adult relationships • Parents/Guardians Need Help to: - Understand the process takes time - Allow the child time to mourn their loss and heal - Be prepared for difficult and volatile emotional reactions

33. Family-Centered Services Steps to Developing Therapeutic Alliance • Identifying current family caregivers/support persons and their strengths. • Inquire about past family successes, since these serve as the basis for overcoming current challenges. • Asks family members to describe their goals and aspirations, in relation to both the youth and the family as a whole. These goals can inform service and treatment plans, and serve as a source of ongoing motivation for the family.

34. Family-Centered ServicesFamily Engagement & Involvement • Listening to each family member • Demonstrate respect, empathy for family members • Develop understanding of past experiences, current situation, concerns, strengths • Respond to concrete needs quickly • Establish purpose of involvement with the family • Be aware of one's own biases and prejudices • Validating the participatory role of the family • Be consistent, reliable, and honest

35. Trauma-Informed Care What has happened to you (or your child)? Vs. What is wrong with you (or your child)?

36. Emotions Matter • Trauma Drives Behavior • Shift focus from controlling the behavior • Behavior reflects the intensity of need • Don’t get caught up in emotions & words. • Strong emotions mask pain, confusion, embarrassment, fear etc. • Model and teach ways to express frustration, anger, embarrassment, fear • Emotions coach: All emotions acceptable . • Provide realistic feedback about emotional discomfort.

37. Relationships Matter • Relationships are central in girls’ lives. • Importance of role models • Observe and seek to understand girls in the context of their relationships • Girls let others hold their self esteem thus we must help girls develop self confidence and understand how she gives over her power to others for acceptance, belonging, to hold on to relationships

38. Relationships Matter Carol Gilligan In a Different Voice • Important and fundamental • Give girls a sense of connection • Girls relate and work one on one • “Hit the Wall” (age 13) give up self in order to be in a relationship • Self esteem diminishes and girls lose their voices, inner strength, sense of who they are as an individual and what they want to be • Social expectations crush spirits • Dominated by peer pressure

39. Relationships Matter • Connect Girls with Positive Adult Role Models • Model Healthy Relationships • Essential Set of Support Networks • Groups focusing on recognizing harmful relationships • Groups helping girls develop strategies for creating positive relationships • Expose Girls to Healthy Activities • Conflict Resolution in the Context of Relationships

40. Girls’ Perspectives: Who Can Make a Positive Difference Source: Breaking New Ground on the First Coast: Examining Girls’ Pathways into the Juvenile Justice System.

41. Listening Matters “Without a listener, the healing process is aborted. Human beings, like plants that bend toward the sunlight, bend toward others in an innate healing tropism. There are times when being truly listened to is more critical than being fed. Listening well to another’s pain is a primary form of nurturance, capable of healing even the most devastating of human afflictions, including the wounds and scars of violence, even the horrors of war and large-scale social trauma. Children speak their pain automatically when there is a listener, but learn to hide it when there is no ear to hear.” (Greenspan, 2004, p. 14)

42. Stages of Healing • Safety (Present Tense) • Remembrance and Mourning (Past) • Give Voice to experience (context, facts, emotions, meaning – tell story and mourn the old self that trauma destroyed) • Reconnection to Ordinary Life • Healing for girls context of relationships • Face task of creating new future • Now can develop a new self

43. Activism Matters What is Activism? • Activism is quite simply taking action to effect social change; this can occur in a myriad of ways and in a variety of forms. Often it is concerned with ‘how to change the world’ through social, political, economic or environmental change. This can be led by individuals but is often done collectively through social movements.

44. Spiritual Matters & Activism • Stronger sense of self and hope • Distinctly different than religion • Connect to a greater purpose/ greater than self • Respect personal faith or religious preference

45. Healing Power of Activism • Community/reconnection • Relationships • Telling your story • Empowerment • Regaining control • Change agent • Knowledge is power

46. Power Matters • How Do You Define Power? • What are Some Examples of Power?

47. 5 Types of Power Legitimate-This comes from the belief that a person has the right to make demands, and expect compliance and obedience from others. Reward – This results from one person's ability to compensate another for compliance. Expert– This is based on a person's superior skill and knowledge. Referent– This is the result of a person's perceived attractiveness, worthiness, and right to respect from others. Coercive– This comes from the belief that a person can punish others for noncompliance.

48. Power Over Definitions Power over relations refer to a traditional dominance model where decision making is characterized by control, instrumentalism, and self-interest. Public relations is an influence variable in this view. "Power over" is the ability to dominate another person or group--as in "I have power over him. This means, "I have the ability to make him do what I want him to do." Power-over usually comes from force and threat. If the subordinate fails to do what he or she is asked to do, the dominant person will use force to make the subordinate person comply. Power over is about scarcity, rules, procedures, compliance, competition, rewards and threats, hoarding information, assigning blame, fear and skepticism, exclusion, silos, and control.

49. Power Over Wheel

50. Power With Definitions Power with relations reflect an empowerment model where dialogue, inclusion, negotiation, and shared power guide decision making. “Power with" is the ability to work with others to get something done by cooperation. This is the power of consensus--the power of people working together to solve a common problem. Power with is about abundance, principles, mission, commitment, creativity, focusing on what's going right, sharing, being open, trust and confidence, inclusion, working together, questioning, inspiring and clarity