Response-Based Approaches to people who have been harmed by violence The Centre for Response-Based Practice and The University of Victoria School of Social Work
Cathy Richardson Metis Activist, Therapist Prof. of Social Work University of Victoria United Nations Panel Violence Against Indigenous Women
Dr. Allan Wade Therapist and Researcher Co-founder of Centre for Response-Based Practice Senior faculty with City University of Seattle Victoria location Master s of Counseling program Adjunct professor with the University of Victoria s School of Social Work
Linda Coates, Ph.D. Chair, Dept. of Psychology, Okanagan College, Penticton B.C. Director, Centre for Response- Based Practice, Duncan B.C.
Centre for Response-Based Practice Direct service, victims and perpetrators of violence, children Clinical supervision and consultation Child protection, shelters, victim assistance, therapy Research: Language and violence and social responses. Criminal justice, mental health, human service, museums, history texts, brochures, fiction, psychological assessments. Education and professional training in response-based practice
Response-Based Practice Helping People Recover from Violence In a Context of Safety, Dignity and Social Justice I would like to acknowledge the traditional caretakers of this land, the ancestors, and beings everywhere, especially those recovering from violence & Mother Earth herself. 6
Purpose of my time with you: To present the key aspects of response-based practice -orchestrating positive social responses -creating safety -the importance of human dignity -the importance of descriptive, accurate language -how response-based practice can assist in the prevention of and recovery from elder abuse 7
Creating A Space of Safety & Dignity. Li Bon Jeu, Not Creatoeur, li courage miyinauwn, paray chee itayhtamawk, kwayesh kapimouhayhk, marsee chee itwayak ka kishcheetaimoyak. Marsee d twnana. God, our Creator, give us courage, let us be of one mind, make us righteous, thankful and proud. Thank you and Amen! 8
Response-based practice operates with the ideas Effective social responses hinge on accurate accounts Observations on violence and resistance Resistance is ever-present Violence is deliberate Violence is social Violence is unilateral Language is often used to: Conceal violence Obscure offender responsibility Conceal victims resistance Blame, pathologize victims Language can be used more judiciously.
The Challenge of Obtaining Accurate Accounts and Creating Safety Offenders conceal their violence, create secrecy Victims (often) conceal their resistance, for safety Open disclosure is often dangerous Victims, marginalized have little access to public speech Offenders use language to conceal & justify violence Professionals in various roles use language in ways that obscure the events in question and do not attend to the safety of the person harmed
Social Responses to Victims of Violence Possibly the single best predictor of the level of victim distress Positive Social Responses Victims tend to recover more fully and quickly Negative Social Responses Victims receive a variety of mental health diagnoses Greater distress over short and long term Less likely to disclose to, collaborate with, authorities Marginalized people more likely to receive negative social responses (Aboriginal, seniors, LGBTQ, Disabilities, Poverty) Social responses linked to common ways of conceptualizing and representing violence, victims, offender
Talking about abuse Accurate Language Identification Possible Change Event Responses & Resistance to Event Social Responses To Event & To Responses to Event Responses to Social Responses Dignity Safety Dignity Safety Dignity Safety 12
Effects-based Qs How did that affect you? How were you affected by these events (mapping) How did that make you feel? How did that impact your relationship? How did that affect your view of yourself? What other effects did you experience? Why do you think this happened? Response-based Qs How did you respond? What did you do? What did they do? What did you do next? What else did you do? What went through your mind? What were you thinking? Would it be fair to say you resisted this mistreatment? What do you mean? (if abstract) 13
Four Operations of Discourse Conceal Resistance Obscure Responsibility Blame Victim Conceal Violence
Countering the Four Operations of Discourse Reveal Resistance Clarify Responsibility Align with Victim Expose Full Extent of the Violence
Talking about abuse creating safety Attend to safety Go over where we are, who is watching, who they have told before, how that went, saying you don t have to disclose anything you don t want to, can stop anytime, set time parameters What kinds of things let you think it is safe enough to do this/to have this conversation? What are your concerns about talking to me? Would you feel comfortable telling me that you ve had enough, that you would like to stop? Afterwards, ask how it was, what it was like to go over their responses to events, was anything helpful, how are they doing now? What can you do to continue to be helpful? 16
Dignity Avoids telling people what to do Allows maximize freedom in appointments, topics of discussion Always asks permission, renegotiates each time Makes the spirit of safety explicit Treats people as responsible, choicemakers, acting with deliberation 17
Dignity through accurate language Use clear description of events, Verbs not nouns Avoiding & clarifying psychological abstractions Stick with interactional detail Who did what to whom & how the other responded (Eliciting Agency) Social responses & responses to them 18
Centered on Dignity What does dignity mean to you? 19
Dignity is... being treated with honour & respect Autonomy Freedom to, freedom from Holistic integrity, safety and security Self worth, selfsovereignty Concern for others and much much more 20
Dignity Across the Lifespan How do we attend to the dignity of the person at all ages -before conception & birth? -in infancy & toddlerhood? -in childhood? -in adolescence? -in adulthood & in elderhood? -after they have passed?
When treated with dignity, people may -have light in their eyes -hold their head high -sparkle -smile -soften in their demeanour -experience the psychological freedom to engage, explore ideas & be playful -stand tall -breathe naturally -feel grounded p. 10
Social Responses to Victims of Violence Negative Social Responses Victims receive a variety of mental health diagnoses Greater distress over short and long term Less likely to disclose to, collaborate with, authorities Sets stage for re-victimization Positive Social Responses Victims tend to recover more fully and quickly Creates safety and restores independence Promotes dignity and wellness Heals individuals, families, communities, the world
To conclude Our role, in part, is to: reveal violence, broadly defined clarify offender responsibility elucidate victims responses and resistance contest the blaming, pathologizing of victims We have found that building more accurate and just accounts and using accurate language is of immediate benefit to victims and offenders. Preserving dignity through our responses to elder abuse helps and heals This is not the province of experts: It is a human rights witnessing practice an ordinary practice - that we are all qualified to perform.
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Thank you! Centre for Response-Based Practice Duncan B.C. Canada Responsebasedpractice.com Linda Coates, Cathy Richardson, Allan Wade Presented by Erica Jacquet