August 7, 2024
1:00pm - 2:00 pm
Online

About

This AVITH in Context webinar focused on the topic of working with children under 12 who are using violent or aggressive behaviours, and was facilitated by Karalyn Davies (Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare).

The webinar featured a panel of practitioners, the panel included:

  • Alexandra Bruinier (Coordinator – Step Up: Building Healthy Relationships, Meli)
  • Allen Jeffress (Clinical Team Leader – Restoring Childhood, Northern Healing and Recovery Program, Berry Street)
  • Jenny (Specialist Family Violence Children’s Practitioner, Nexus Primary Health)
  • Emily Doddrell (Advanced Practitioner – Strengthening Connections, Child and Family Services Ballarat)
  • Kelly Daley (Community Connection Practitioner, Upper Murray Family Care)

Summary

The webinar explores the emerging trend of children under the age of 12 years old who are using challenging and aggressive behaviours. It includes discussions around using a development and trauma-informed lens when working with children, considerations on language, presentations and behaviours of children who are using violent or aggressive behaviours, strategies for working with children under 12, and working with parents to develop skills and build capacity.

Who is this relevant for?

All practitioners and managers working in programs with children, young people and families.  

Background

Most specialist AVITH programs in Victoria are funded to work with young people aged 12-18 years old. Findings from the PIPA Report in 2020 highlighted that children who have experienced family violence require intervention much earlier, and that services specifically designed for adolescents using violence are “coming 10 years too late.”

Many service providers are seeing referrals for children under 12 with violent, aggressive or otherwise “challenging” behaviours. Sometimes referrals to specialist services are for children as young as 8 years old.

Key Messages and Learnings

Considering Language

  • The panellists provided valuable insights around the way language is used when describing violent or aggressive behaviours, noting that some words intrinsically add blame and shame, and that practitioners should consider this when looking to describe certain behaviours.
  • Allen shared that they often ask ‘how does language tell the story’ when thinking about the behaviours being used, and the broader context of the child’s experiences.
  • Jenny noted that when working with children, she frames language through the lens of what is “helpful” to others, and what can be “hurtful” to others.

Understanding Why Children May Use Aggression

  • It was noted that often when a child is externalising behaviours or aggression, this is way for them to get the adults in their life to pay attention. Externalising behaviours can serve as a mask for other emotions – fear, anxiety, grief, sadness – and developmentally cannot be expressed another way. Understanding what is going on for the child is crucial for developing solutions for both the child and the family.

Using a Developmentally Appropriate Lens

  • When engaging with children it is important to ensure that strategies are developmentally appropriate.
  • Allen shared that it is important to consider what the developmental milestones were like for the child throughout their life. This requires a solid understanding of what typical development looks like for children in order to recognise where things might have begun veering off trajectory.

Strategies for Working with Children

  • Panellists shared what some strategies for working with children who are using violent or aggressive behaviours can look like based on their experiences as practitioners. Alex discussed the difference between working with children and young people – to the family, aggression from a child may look like a tantrum, while from a young person this could be perceived as violent.
  • Emily noted that when working with children it is important to meet them where they are at developmentally, as well as seeing what is going on in their world and using curiosity to understand what is important to them.
  • Kelly shared valuable insights around giving children space to explore their feelings. It was noted that letting children lead through their interests and being able to connect what they are experiencing with something that they are interested in (for example, exploring emotions through a Dungeons and Dragons character), has been crucial in Kelly’s practice.
  • The panellists also discussed how to engage children to ensure that they are wanting to come along and learn. Suggestions included, using visual aids, walking through ideas, ensuring the work is play-based, using different modalities (for example, animal-assisted therapy), giving children the choice of how they want to engage (for example, with parents inside or outside of the room, at school, etc.).

Want to know more about AVITH?

Visit out AVITH Knowledge Hub for AVITH-specific resources developed by the Centre.

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