IV.4.3. Psychological assistance to children and adolescents who have suffered from violence. Psychological abuse Group rules
Larina Galina
Presentation "Psychological portrait of abused children"
We are used to seeing the family as a hearth of peace and love, where a person is surrounded by the closest and dearest people. However, upon closer examination, it turns out that this is not the case. The family more and more often resembles a theater of war, an arena of fierce disputes, recriminations and threats, and often comes to the use of physical force. Long time was considered: all these are delicate matters, inside - family. But the consequences of such a violence... They respond too broadly and deeply to the fate of adults and children so that it can remain a “private matter”.
Goals psychological assistance to child victims violence are determined based on the characteristics of these children.
Insults, cruelty, lack of emotional warmth have a destructive effect on the personality of the child.
They grow up suspicious, vulnerable, their attitude towards themselves and others is distorted, they are not capable of trust, too often at odds with their own feelings, prone to cruelty, as if again and again taking revenge on others for their experience of humiliation.
There are a number of common features that characterize experiences and behavior. children from families which practice violence.
Fears, inability to verbally express feelings, parental involvement, mother advocate, frustration, lack of information, feeling "Deservedness" abuse, feelings of uselessness, isolation, conflicting feelings towards the father, a sense of responsibility for violence, constant excitement, experiences, contradictions, fear of being abandoned, excessive need for adult attention. Fear of bodily harm, shame.
Abused children are characterized by the following
attitude to yourself and to those around:
They feel different from others, worthy of love, worthless. Often this is combined with the idea of oneself as small, weak and unable to change one's life situation. The child experiences insecurity, powerlessness and helplessness (victim position)... Another is possible option: the teen looks like "Strong guy" or "Tough girl", but under this armor lies a deep fear and the same feeling of helplessness, complicated by alienation from people, hunger for love and warmth. They do not trust anyone, are afraid of other people, consider them dangerous, deny the very possibility of turning to them for help. Often they tend to hide behind their backs for more "Strong".
They are characterized by dissociation, that is, the separation of different sides. "I am"... In order to survive, they are forced to suppress or repress their strongest feelings. As a result of such suppression, a splitting of bodily sensations and awareness occurs. At the moment of abuse, dissociation helps the child to cope with unbearable physical and / or mental pain, to imagine that all this is happening not to him, but to someone else. In the future, he gets used to disconnect his emotional reactions and reactions of the body. For example, playing the role "Strong guy", he "Freezes the pain", "Turns to stone", "Grows numb" to feel nothing. Then he often tries to restore the lost intensity of feelings, resorting to alcohol or drugs ...
Such children there is a violation of the boundaries of personal space. They become either unnecessarily harsh, or, conversely, indistinct, confused in their manifestations.
Psychological disorders characteristic of the factor of physical violence, appear shortly after the onset of physical violence, regardless of the child's age or gender.
The cruelty experienced by the child leaves a trace for life and leads to a wide variety of consequences that have one thing in common - damage to the child's health or danger to his life.
The consequences of the postponed violence:
The closest ones include physical injuries, injuries, acute mental reactions in response to any aggression.
Among the long-term consequences, various diseases, personal and emotional disorders of the physical and mental development as well as dire social consequences.
If a child (teenager) tells you that abused then:
TRUST HIM. He will not lie about the experience of bullying, especially if he talks very emotionally, with details, emotions correspond to the experienced state;
DO NOT JUDGE HIM. After all, he did violence another person, and the child suffered;
LISTEN CAREFULLY, QUIELY AND PATIENTLY to him, showing that you understand the full severity of his suffering;
DO NOT UNDERSTAND HIS PAIN, saying that "nothing terrible has happened, everything will pass ...";
DO NOT REJECT IT: if he, turning to you, meets condemnation, fear, anger, then this can inflict a deeper wound on him than violence.
Related publications:
Ensuring the emotional comfort of the comfort of children in accordance with the Federal State Educational Standard to "Psychological comfort in a preschool educational institution" Ensuring the emotional comfort of the comfort of children in the preschool educational institution in accordance with the Federal State Educational Standard of the preschool educational institution "Psychological comfort in the preschool educational institution." The kindergarten is.
Psychological abuse can be of two types: Psychological neglect is the consistent inability of a parent or caregiver to provide the child with the necessary support, attention, psychological protection, and lack of attachment to the child. Psychological abuse - chronic actions committed by adults with the aim of bullying a child, humiliation, insult, ridicule. Any violence can be overt and covert. It can be relevant (occurring in the present) and happened in the past. Violence against a child can occur: at home - by relatives or neighbors; at school - by teachers or children; on the street - from the side of children or unfamiliar adults.
Slide 19 from the presentation "Psychological Crisis" to psychology lessons on the topic "Mental Disorders"Dimensions: 960 x 720 pixels, format: jpg. To download a free slide for use in a psychology lesson, right-click on the image and click "Save Image As ...". You can download the entire presentation "Psychological Crisis.ppt" in a zip-archive of 164 KB.
Download presentationMental disorders
"Midlife Crisis" - The Realities of Crisis Periods. Symptoms of a midlife crisis. Future. Crisis situation. Middle age crisis. Topics for possible trainings. Consulting opportunities in crises. Circumstances that help to live and overcome the crisis. Personal aspect. Age crises. Crisis situations.
"Anxiety and Depression" - Grandaxin. Anxiety and peptic ulcer disease. Prevalence of anxiety disorders. Alarm frequency. Depression and anxiety. Training of internist doctors. Relapses of anxiety. Stomach ulcer. Polysystem. Depression symptoms. Phenazepam. Diagnostic criteria for IBS. The similarity between the manifestations of anxiety and depression.
“The Problem of Loneliness” - Tips for Overcoming. In girls, the feeling of loneliness and alienation is exacerbated. The state when you are not understood. What is teenage depression. Traits of loneliness. Positive and negative. The problem of loneliness. Peculiarities. Loneliness of adolescents. Loneliness. In boys, it is expressed in fears and aggressive behavior.
"Depression" - Move away from the outside world. Negative thoughts intensify negative feelings. Negative thoughts cause sadness, feelings of unhappiness. Continue the thought: Repeat more often: How to avoid depression? Nothing entertains a person. Physical well-being. They make you feel fear, your own inferiority or worthlessness.
"Stress" - Inhale and hold your breath for about 10 seconds. A. A. A stressful situation caught in the room. The "awakening" is coming. Look around. Count to 20. Try some simple activity. B. Stressful situation outside the room. First aid in an acute stressful situation.
Violence deforms the child's psyche and can be the cause of pathological disorders. Children who have suffered from violence and abuse may develop socially dangerous forms of behavior: violent, suicidal and addicted (PAS-addiction, Internet addiction, gambling addiction).
Recognition of physical signs of violence, bruises, abrasions, wounds, traces of being hit with a belt, bites, burning with hot objects, cigarettes, located on the face, body, limbs; burns with hot liquids to the hands and feet in the form of a glove or sock (from immersion in hot water), as well as on the buttocks; injuries and fractures of bones, swelling and soreness of the joints; knocked out and loose teeth, tears or cuts in the mouth, on the lips; areas of baldness, bruising on the head; damage to internal organs.
The non-random nature of the injuries is indicated by: multiple injuries, varying degrees of prescription (fresh and healing), specific character (fingerprints, objects); the discrepancy between the nature of the damage and the explanations given by adults; the presence of other signs of abuse (developmental delay, sanitary and hygienic neglect); the appearance of injuries after weekends and holidays.
Features of children's behavior: Age up to 3 years: fear of parents or adults: rare manifestations of joy, tearfulness; reaction of fear to crying of other children; poorly developed communication skills; extremes in behavior from aggressiveness to complete indifference. Ages 3 to 7: ingratiating behavior, excessive compliance; passive reaction to pain; negativism, aggressiveness; cruelty towards animals; deceit, theft; lag in speech development.
Younger school age: the desire to hide the cause of injuries and injuries; fear of going home after school; loneliness, lack of friends; poor academic performance, inability to concentrate; aggressiveness. Adolescence: running away from home; the use of alcohol, drugs; attempted suicide; criminal or antisocial behavior.
If there is a suspicion of violence or abuse, professionals working with children and adolescents should: 1. Try to talk to the child “in the language of acceptance”, listen carefully to him. Trust your child if he has opened up to you, and give him support. Be attentive to the child, try to find out the reasons for his emotional and behavioral characteristics.
"Acceptance language" Evaluation of action, not personality Praise Compliment Affectionate words Support Expression of interest Comparison with oneself Approval Positive body contact Smile and eye contact Benevolent intonations Emotional attachment Expression of feelings Reflection of child's feelings "Language of rejection" Refusal of explanations Negative assessment of personality Comparison not for the better Indication of inadequacy of parental expectations Ignoring the command Emphasizing failure Insult Threat Punishment "Hard" facial expressions Threatening postures Negative intonation
2. Be sure to talk to the parents or their substitutes. Behavioral features of violent adults: conflicting, confusing explanations of the causes of trauma in children; accusation of injuries to the child himself; late appeal or lack of seeking medical help; lack of emotional support and affection in the treatment of the child; unprovoked aggression towards personnel; more attention to their own problems than to the child's injuries.
3. Contact a trauma center or other medical institution to register the injuries received. 4. Involve the police or the investigative committee in solving the problem. 5. Apply to the guardianship and guardianship authorities at the place of residence of the child.
How to start a conversation with your child? 1. Before asking a child about the violence that has occurred, it is necessary to establish contact with him. Build trusting relationships. The child will be more frank, give more details if he trusts his interlocutor. It will be easier for the child to talk if he perceives the specialist as a kind, caring and attentive interlocutor.
2. For young children, you can offer a game, during which you can ask general questions about family, friends, etc. With older children it is advisable to talk on neutral topics: school, hobbies, free time, family. It is difficult for a child to express in words everything that happened to him, but he can manifest this in his behavior, for example, he will express everything less traumatically in the game.
What needs to be taken into account in a conversation with a child: 1. First of all, it is important to assess your own attitude to this issue. An adult who has similar problems of his own may find it difficult to establish trusting contact with a child.
2. Pay attention to the child's speech. Often, the language used by the victim of violence to describe the incident shocks adults, goes beyond the bounds of decency. It is important to accept the language of the child and use the same words and names in conversation with him. When talking with a child, you cannot give two conflicting instructions at the same time: talk about everything that happened; do not say obscene words.
3. It is necessary to collect information about the child, his family, interests, situations of violence. However, during a conversation with a child, you should use only the information that is provided by the child himself, in no case putting pressure on him with hints that the specialist "knows everything anyway."
7. The speech of an adult, his tone of voice should be calm, friendly and businesslike. Excessive and continuous eye contact is not recommended; this may frighten the child. In addition, it is important to be responsive to the child-friendly distance between adult and child.
10. You cannot make promises and tell the child “everything will be fine”, because memories of abuse and, possibly, court proceedings are unlikely to be pleasing to the child. 11. If a specialist in some way resembles a rapist, this can significantly complicate the conversation.
Further psychological support for child victims of violence Psychological work is aimed at overcoming the alienation of the child by establishing trusting contact and neutralizing the affective state, the formation of a positive “I-concept” of the child, the ability for self-acceptance, and the development of the ability to make independent decisions. Psychotherapy can be carried out in an individual and group form using a variety of methods: art therapy, game therapy, sand therapy and other activities that are natural for children.
Children are the most victimized category and often become victims in various situations. They may be victims of domestic and / or school violence, victims of violence in the street, neglected or homeless. M.D. Asanova identifies four main types of child abuse.
- physical violence is a type of attitude towards a child when he is deliberately placed in a physically vulnerable position, when bodily harm is deliberately inflicted on him or the possibility of his infliction is not prevented;
- sexual violence is the involvement of functionally immature children and adolescents in sexual acts that they do without fully understanding them, for which they are not able to consent or that violate the social taboos of family roles;
- psychological violence is an act committed against a child that inhibits or harms the development of his potential abilities. Psychological abuse includes chronic patterns of behavior such as humiliation, abuse, bullying, and ridicule of a child.
- neglect- Chronic inability of a parent or caregiver to meet the minor's basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education, protection and supervision. In case of physical neglect, the child may be left without adequate nutrition appropriate for his age, may not be dressed for the weather. With emotional abandonment - parents are indifferent to the needs of the child, ignore him, there is no tactile contact. Neglect can manifest itself in the neglect of the child's health, in the absence of the treatment he needs. Neglect of a child's education can be expressed in the fact that the child is often late for school, misses lessons, remains to look after younger children, and so on.
Ruth Soonets (2000) refers to child abuse, along with violent behavior and neglect, over-custody. By violent actions she understands: emotional, physical, psychological, sexual violence.
Among the factors provoking domestic violence against children, one can single out:
- Socio-economic - low income, unemployment, the factor of incomplete and / or large families, belonging to a minority group, and so on;
- Factors caused by the structure of the family and the model of communication - many children, being raised by a single parent, being raised by foster parents, the presence of a stepfather / stepmother, conflicting / problematic relationships between spouses, intergenerational transmission;
- Risk factors caused by the personality of the parent - low level of social skills, mental disorders, the presence of a physical illness, alcohol / drug addiction of the parent;
- Risk factors associated with the characteristics of the child - the unwillingness of the child by the parents or his birth after the death of another child, the presence of congenital mental / physical disorders, behavioral characteristics (for example, anger, impulsivity), personality traits (autism), habits, features of his appearance in the child.
At school, negative factors that cause violence can be: poor microclimate in the teaching staff, indifferent attitude of teachers to what is happening in the classroom, and so on. School violence has a direct and indirect impact on children. On the one hand, aggression directed at a child leads to the experience of a feeling of persecution, hopelessness, despair, a decrease in self-esteem, and a violation of identity. On the other hand, the position of the humiliated person reduces the social status of the child in the group, other children cease to be friends with him, which also affects his self-esteem, intensifies the already difficult experiences. Rejection can spread to other areas as well: the child may have learning and behavioral problems.
Sexual abuse is one of the most dangerous forms of violence against children in terms of its consequences. According to the estimates of the Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry. Serbian annually in Russia 7-8 thousand cases of sexual abuse of children are registered. The most common victims of violence are children aged 3-7 years. Signs of violence can include:
- bodily symptoms: oral, anal, vaginal symptoms;
- changes in the child's behavior: not age-appropriate awareness in the field of sexual relations, interest and play of sexual content, seductive behavior, sexual use of younger children;
- changes in the emotional state: isolation, disgust, shame, cruelty, alienation from relatives;
- changes in the child's personality: humility, inability to protect oneself, taking on a parental role in the family, decreased self-esteem;
- the appearance of neurotic and psychosomatic symptoms: fear of being alone with a certain person, fear of undressing (for example, during a physical examination), headaches, pain in the stomach, heart.
One of the worst forms of sexual violence is incest. Incest (incest) - sexual intercourse between close blood relatives (parents and children, brothers and sisters). For families in which incest occurs, dysfunction is characteristic: communication connections are weak, boundaries in relationships are violated, mothers often lose power so much that they cannot discourage incest, typically unquestioning submission of the younger to their elders, high emotional stress. On the one hand, an intimate vacuum is formed around a child who has stepped over the sexual barrier, and the secrecy of what is happening to him is preserved. On the other hand, the position of such a child can become privileged, the girl can enjoy the protection of her father, receive gifts, her marital status can rise above that of her mother. In a family with many children, incestuous relationships can continue with all children at the same time / sequentially or affect only one of the children. At the same time, secrecy is maintained in such a way that each of the children may not know that his / her brothers / sisters are also victims. Secrecy in such families is maintained through the isolation of the victim, threats, deception or bribery of the child.
Psychological work with abused children is very difficult. It requires a psychologist to be sensitive, slow and accurate. Abused children need special attention, understanding and support from a psychologist. Their strong feelings of guilt do not allow them to discuss their problem directly: they believe that in some way they provoked an attack against themselves (especially in the case of sexual assault). Self-shame prevents children from opening up. Therefore, when working with children, it is important to avoid closed or guiding questions.
A common goal in working with children who have experienced violence (as well as with adults) is to reduce and eliminate traumatic experiences, to overcome feelings of inadequacy, guilt and shame. When working with a child, it is important to support his ability to differentiate interactions with people around him, to contribute to his personal development.
When talking with a child, it is important, first of all, to assess your attitude towards violence. An adult with his own problems in this area may face significant difficulties, it will be more difficult for him to inspire confidence in the child.
Group work methods should be used with great caution, especially in the initial stages after the incident. Counseling is best done in the playroom or relaxation room rather than in the classroom. It is better to meet with your child in the same space, and not in different places. The counseling process is more successful if the child can control the distance between himself and the adult. Optimally, the psychologist is positioned opposite the child (or at an angle), and there is a coffee table nearby so that the child can hide, using it as a barrier. Before working with a child, it is necessary to collect information about the child himself, his family, interests, and the situation of violence.
When establishing a contract with a child for psychological work with him, it is important to take into account the phenomenon of resistance. Children who are victims of violence experience intense fear when meeting any stranger, as well as when visiting a new place. Often they do not know where and why their parents are taking them. This can influence the formation of negative expectations from the meeting in the child. The child may have the following questions:
- Who is a psychologist, why go there?
- What will my friends think if they find out about this?
- Will it hurt me?
- How long will I stay there?
- Will I be able to get out of there if I don't like it?
- What should I say about my family, should I really say something bad?
- Will this adult tell others what I have told him?
In a counseling situation, the child may worry about his autonomy, refuse to speak or do anything. Children who are victims of violence may be angry with a psychologist, fearful of telling what happened to them. Resistance can manifest itself: avoiding eye contact, being late, hostile, hiding (behind furniture), and so on.
The interest, friendliness, sincerity and warmth that comes from the psychologist helps to overcome the child's resistance. Only in this case (perhaps not immediately) the child will feel heard and be able to trust. It is important for the child to feel comfortable in the specialist's office, this is achieved by the constancy of the place and time of the consultation, security (no one enters the office during work, there are no phone calls, consultations begin on time). Violation of these simple rules destroys the safety of the child's presence and ultimately destroys the psychological work itself.
Sometimes, at the beginning of working with children, it is important to diagnose a situation of violence and to determine the phenomenology of the child's experience. The survey is usually carried out in the form of a game or play tasks. The following options for tasks are possible:
- Playing with dolls: for children from 2 to 7 years old;
- Drawing: for children from 5 years old;
- Storytelling: For school-age children with sufficient verbal ability and good vocabulary.
Play with dolls... Children who have not experienced violence reproduce everyday life in play. Children who have experienced violence (especially sexual abuse) often undress dolls, look at them, put them in bed together, and play the appropriate roles.
Painting... Children's drawings are potential indicators of violence. To diagnose the peculiarities of a child's contact with the environment, you can use drawings on the topic: draw a picture about your family, draw a picture about yourself, spontaneous drawing.
The drawings of children who have experienced violence are characterized by: blackening of the drawing, excessive shading (especially in the mouth or genitals), aggressive and intimidating objects (for example, knives), traced facial expressions (tears, frowning eyebrows), overly highlighted and abundant drawn hair, or their complete absence (indicates anxiety, confusion, inadequacy), the absence of hands in the drawing (loss of control over events, feelings of guilt), the absence of the lower body in the drawing, highlighted phallic symbols, and so on.
Storytelling... Storytelling can be: according to standard pictures, according to specially designed tests. During the child's story, it is important to pay attention to his comments on the faces depicted, fear reactions, excitement. Remembrance of the experience of abuse may arise during the course of the story, depending on how often the child has been abused, how much time has passed since the last incident, and how traumatized he was.
Various psychotherapeutic approaches can be used when working with children who are victims of violence. However, the most appropriate type of psychological work for children under 12 years old is play therapy. Play is the only activity of a child that takes place at all times and among all peoples. Children do not need to be taught to play: they play spontaneously, willingly, with pleasure, without pursuing any goals. Z. Freud wrote that “in play, every child is like a writer: he creates his own world, or, otherwise, he arranges this world the way he likes best ... The child takes play very seriously and generously puts his emotions into it. "[Cit. to 45: p.19]. According to J. Piaget, play is a bridge between concrete experience and abstract thinking, and it is the symbolic function of play that is especially important. In play, a child at the sensor-motor level demonstrates with the help of specific objects that are a symbol of something else, that he has ever experienced directly or indirectly. Play gives concrete form and expression to the child's inner world. The main function of play in working with a child is to transform something into controllable situations.
Currently, there are various forms of play therapy, including directive play therapy, non-directive play therapy, gestalt play therapy, psychoanalytic play therapy.
In directive play therapy, the psychologist uses play as a means of interpretation, observing the play process and plot. At certain points in the course of the conversation, the psychologist helps the child to become aware of his thoughts and feelings, as well as how the game situation is connected with real life, in particular with the experience of violence. The psychologist directs the child's activity in such a way as to "play out" the traumatic situation, the accompanying thoughts and feelings, and new, more constructive ways of getting out of it.
Non-directive play psychotherapy... This approach is based on K. Rogers' idea that every person has a subconscious desire for independence, personal growth and maturity, so it is important to accept the child as he is, and not as adults would like to see him. The psychologist enables the child to feel that he is free to express his feelings and thoughts, reflects his reactions on the verbal and non-verbal levels.
Gestalt play therapy aims to explore the unmet needs of the child. What feelings and reactions the child's desires evoke in others (direct statement about needs) determines the way he deals with his needs: he can notice them, ignore them, be frightened, ashamed. In contact with a psychologist, a child can better know his needs, learn to talk about them, develop adequate boundaries, and restore the ability to creatively adapt.
In a psychoanalytic approach play technique is viewed as a means of analyzing the unconscious: it is assumed that, like the behavior of adults, children's play is directed by latent motivations and free associations. Psychoanalytic play therapy allows you to penetrate the unconscious, reveal the past and strengthen the child's “ego”.
IV.4.3. Psychological assistance to children and adolescents who have suffered from violence
Childhood is such a period in the life of every person when the foundations of personal activity, personal properties and values that determine the quality of future life are laid. At the same time, it is such a life experience when a child as a person and as a person is the least protected from social, physical and mental violence.
Since aggression exists and is widespread, we can talk about its victims - children and adolescents who have suffered from violence.
Violence - it is such an attitude, the treatment of one person with another, which violates the right of another to be a person.
Domestic violence - it is a system of behavior of one person to maintain power and control "over another" in different ways (isolation, intimidation, manipulation, threats, emotional abuse, economic abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse).
According to experts, three main areas of relations can be distinguished, in which, on the one hand, the socialization of children takes place, on the other hand, the child is exposed to at risk of violence: family, education, state residential institutions and the sphere of microsocial relations (G.N. Vostroknutov).
Violent actions "\ lot \" manifest in various forms: from a nickname, an insulting look to murder.
Domestic violence often distinguishes between neglect (mistreatment), abuse (bullying, physical abuse), and sexual abuse.
Neglect is mainly understood as a lack of proper parental care or custody, when the child is homeless, in need, lives in a physically dangerous environment. In the behavior of parents, there are serious omissions in meeting the vital (vital) needs of the child: food, clothing, shelter, care, medical care and protection from dangerous conditions. In fact, we are talking about states of deprivation. The closest in meaning is the concept of "social orphanhood", or deprivation of parental care for children with living parents.
Physically abuse is defined as the willful or knowing use of severe corporal punishment or the infliction of unjustified physical suffering on a child.
Sexual abuse is understood as the use of a child for the purposes of sexual gratification of an adult or a person significantly older than the victim herself. It can be committed in various forms: lecherous acts, sexual intercourse or attempts at such, rape, incest (incest), demonstration of pornography, prostitution of minors.
Sexual abuse refers to the involvement of functionally immature children and adolescents in sexual activities that they do without fully understanding them; to which they are not able to consent; which violate the taboo of family (social) roles.
Child abuse is assessed based on the nature of the immediate and long-term social and medical consequences. It is believed that the characteristics of child abuse should include:
assessment of the actions performed (physical, sexual, emotional);
the duration of their impact and the characteristics of the consequences (physical, emotional, psychological).
TO factors of abuse parents with children, according to many researchers, include:
Signs of an asocial personality with psychopathic traits and affective excitability, alcoholism, criminality;
Immaturity of parents, their isolation, lack of social and psychological support from the grandparents;
Low self-esteem in parents, decreased stress tolerance and personality problems;
The need of parents for absolute power over the child;
Tough moral standards and stubbornness of parents;
Loneliness and poor health of the mother.
The consequences of child abuse are most often viewed from the perspective of the so-called cycle of violence concept.
Many researchers point to a link between the severity of the punishments applied to the child and the measures of influence that were used in the parental family; between the punishment and the child's pronounced aggressiveness, the frequency of delinquency and the cruel nature of the crimes in those who were abused in childhood.
A psychodynamic analysis of the intra-family situations of the beaten children shows that their parents had severe deprivation in childhood and suffered from depressive and anxiety disorders, and alcohol dependence. In their families, an authoritarian type of family relations was observed, in which conflicts between parents were accompanied by hostile and aggressive
Diagnostic signs of abuse
|
Features of the child's behavior |
Features of adult behavior |
|
Mental (emotional) abuse: |
Reluctance to comfort a child |
|
Delayed physical and mental development |
Insult, abuse, accusation, humiliation of a child |
|
Nervous tics, enuresis |
Critical attitude towards the child |
|
Sad look, depressed mood |
Negative characteristics of the child |
|
Various psychosomatic illnesses |
Identifying the child with hated people |
|
Anxiety and anxiety, aggressiveness |
Shifting responsibility onto the child |
|
Sleep and appetite disorders |
An open display of dislike |
|
Inability to communicate, failure in learning |
child hatred |
|
Solitude and suicidal tendencies | |
|
Low self-esteem | |
|
Neglecting the needs of the child: | |
|
Tired, sleepy look, puffy eyelids |
Mental illness of parents Critical conditions |
|
Sanitary and hygienic neglect |
Mental retardation The presence of cruelty and violence in |
|
Low body weight, stunted growth and physical development |
parental family Insufficient self-control and |
|
The desire to attract attention at any cost |
impulsivity, aggressiveness Unwanted child |
|
Multiple hospitalization |
Defective child |
|
Repeated damage, trauma " |
"Difficult child |
|
Food theft, delinquency |
Similarity with an unloved relative |
|
Non-selectivity in contacts | |
|
Masturbation |
Child behavior disorders |
|
Regressive behavior |
Socio-economic trials |
|
Communication and learning difficulties |
Lema family |
|
Aggressiveness and impulsivity |
Family conflict |
attitude towards children. Consequently, upbringing repeats the experience of the parental family.
In the late 80s. our century it has been proven that psychotraumatic syndrome (PTS) it manifests itself equally among victims of domestic violence and among war veterans. Moreover, all victims of violence have fears of torment and death, threats to life, as well as consequences such as insomnia, nightmares, numbness of body parts, etc.
It is customary to distinguish four stages of TCP. The first is characterized by a state of acute shock or psychological numbness,
when a person is not aware of what happened to him, he shows external inhibition. The second stage is denial. The victim is actively trying to erase from memory everything that happened to her. She does not seek help, does not discuss a dramatic event with others. The third stage is the stage of acute stress, a state of deep crisis. As a rule, people at this stage fall into a deep depression, they do not see the meaning of life, they may consider themselves unworthy of its joys. The fourth stage is the functional resolution of the internal conflict caused by violence, the acceptance of a traumatic experience, the ability to use it. If there is no last stage, the symptoms become chronic and change the person's perception of the world (cognitive dissonance).
The experience of violence in childhood and adolescence is fatal for psychological well-being and general development. The manifestations of the consequences of violence, although they disrupt the health of children and adolescents, do not have clear-cut symptoms and signs by which it would be possible to establish the root cause of the deviations. The severity of the consequences depends on the severity of the violence itself. Victims of violence live in a state of constant danger and fear that it will repeat itself or that everyone will know about it.
Often, children and adolescents who have experienced violence feel like accomplices or perpetrators. Disorders of the emotional sphere are observed: unreasonable changes in mood, anxiety, depression, which can be accompanied by suicidal attempts. Sleep, perception and sensation disturbances often occur, and rejection of one's body arises. Neurotic symptoms coexist with disturbances in relationships with others. As a result of distrust in the world, isolation and a feeling of loneliness appear. The long-term consequences of violence include alcoholism, addictive and delinquent behavior, and suicide attempts.
It is believed that the most common types of mental responses to various forms of violence in childhood and adolescence, along with delays in mental development, regressive symptoms are neurotic reactions, psychogenic depression and personality disorders. These conditions are often "masked" by psychosomatic disorders and behavioral disorders.
TO risk group abuse and violence include the following minors:
children living in asocial, disorganized families with drug addiction, psychopathological burden of parents, immoral or criminal behavior of older family members;
Psychological symptoms in child survivors of sexual abuse
|
Child's age |
Most common symptoms |
|
Preschoolers |
Anxiety Nightmares General post-traumatic stress disorder Avoidant behavior Leaving home Depression Fearfulness Delayed emotional and mental development Overcontrol Aggression, antisocial, uncontrollable behavior Sexualized behavior |
|
Younger schoolchildren |
Neurotic and general mental illness Aggression Nightmares School problems Hyperactivity Regressive behavior |
|
Teenagers |
Depression Leaving home Suicidal and self-injurious behavior Somatic complaints Illegal behavior Escape from home Addictive behavior Prostitution |
children (social orphans) left without the care of one and both parents in connection with the deprivation of their parents' parental rights and who are in state boarding schools or under the care of persons who are not able to fully meet the vital needs of children in their physical and psychosocial development;
children with antisocial (criminal) behavior who have not reached the age of criminal responsibility and who need compulsory educational measures;
children in especially difficult conditions (in families of refugees, displaced persons, unemployed, single underage mothers).
Another area of relations in which socialization of the individual takes place is the sphere of education and boarding schools. The following features of this area can be distinguished, due to which the child is at risk of emotional rejection, psychological and physical abuse.
Children with mental and physical disabilities are directly discriminated against when included in the social environment. The special conditions of education and upbringing for many of them are becoming a form of social and psychological isolation and "outcast".
The school environment, which is experiencing an increasing differentiation of programs and the introduction of elite forms of education, creates zones of increased conflict between peers of various social groups. This leads to an increase in aggressiveness in the system of interpersonal relations.
The growth of social orphanhood is accompanied by the displacement of children from dysfunctional families into the streets, a reduction in the leisure base, and the dominance of the cult of “success through violence”. A large group of children are in a criminal environment. She becomes involved in criminal activities, thereby at risk of various forms of violence.
Thus, there is an increase in factors that significantly increase the risk of violence.
Violence can be part of any relationship. It can happen between completely unfamiliar and long-term people living together. In cases of violence against children, most often the culprit is a person whom the child knew and trusted well. According to experts, from 25 to 75% of perpetrators of violence against children are their relatives. They often use bribery, blackmail, threat, and physical violence in their influence on the child. In cases of domestic violence, the child does not feel danger and fear, often does not seek help, suffers from the very fact of violence and from betrayal of loved ones.
Victim of violence - this is any person who is involved in a relationship through violence, pressure, deception. However, statistics show that the greatest amount of violence is committed against children and young people. This is explained by the physiological and socio-psychological characteristics of adolescents: less physical strength, greater psychological vulnerability, social and moral dependence on an adult.
Role in shaping "Victim complex" social isolation, social insecurity, fear of the future in conditions of instability of society play. There are no natural victims, but the physical, mental and social properties and qualities acquired by a person (passivity, cowardice, suggestibility, instability, uncritical behavior, timidity, self-doubt, etc.) can make a person a victim of a crime.
In most cases the perpetrator distinguishes the need to dominate others, and in a way
self-submission is cruelty. He unconsciously strives for such activities that make it possible to satisfy this need. A very small proportion of rapists have mental illness. There are much more people with an accentuated character. According to experts, among rapists, psychopaths make up 49.7%, alcoholics - 50.8, oligophrenics - 36, people with organic diseases of the central nervous system - 63 %.
Providing psychological assistance to victims of violence. Psychological assistance to children and adolescents who have experienced violence and cruelty should be aimed at eliminating their consequences as completely as possible and taking measures to stop violent actions.
This work includes preventive, diagnostic and corrective-therapeutic measures. Experts identify a number of features this kind of help:
a) full recognition of the fundamental rights of children and adolescents: to life, security of person, protection and a dignified existence;
b) anonymity and confidentiality, which increase the likelihood of victims of violence seeking help.
To provide effective assistance to the victim, complete and comprehensive information about him and the circumstances of his life is needed.
The purpose of psychological assistance a victim of violence consists in reducing the negative impact of the trauma he has experienced on his further development, preventing deviations in behavior, and facilitating readaptation in society.
Based on these goals, the psychologist "decides the following tactical tasks:
assesses the level of mental health of the victim of violence and determines the indications for other types of assistance;
studies the individual psychological characteristics of the child in order to more adequately use them to solve the problems that have arisen;
mobilizes the latent psychological resources of the child, providing an independent solution to problems;
carries out the correction of personal disharmony and social maladjustment;
identifies the main directions of further development of the personality;
involves other family members, relatives, peers, confidants and reference persons to provide psychological support to the affected child.
Psychodiagnostic work. Conducting psychodiagnostics, the psychologist chooses research methods depending on the specific
situation, the characteristics of the child, the type of violence, etc. The most informative are the following techniques:
1) psychodiagnostic questionnaire A. E. Lichko to determine the type of character accentuations and the presence of psychopathic manifestations;
2) M. Luscher's color test to determine the current psycho-emotional state of the victim, her needs, fears, stress level and other individual characteristics;
3) the scale of the level of subjective control by D. Rotter to study the type of behavior and the nature of the localization of responsibility;
4) drawing tests "House-tree-man", "Kinetic drawing of the family", "Non-existent animal", the technique of unfinished sentences to determine the zones of psychological conflict, areas of greatest anxiety, hostility and ego-states of the victim of violence.
Psychological counseling. Indications for psychological counseling are: independent appeal of a child or adolescent; referral by parents, guardians, educators or representatives of other organizations; invitation of the victim by the psychologist himself.
The first option is the most preferable due to the presence of a perceived problem and motivation. In other cases, additional preliminary work is required to relieve anxiety, anxiety, fear and the associated psychological defenses.
The main method of psychological counseling is interview. With the help of special questions and tasks that reveal the actual and potential capabilities of the personality of the victim of violence, the psychologist advances in interaction with the client from achieving acceptance of the personality of the counselor and the interview situation to collecting information about possible alternative ways and ways of solving the problem.
During the interview, the psychologist can use other well-known methods that promote activity, change of feelings and experiences, demonstrating the victim of violence unconditional acceptance of her personality, a non-judgmental attitude. Often these results are achieved through various options for listening to the client (T. Gordon):
1) passive listening (silence): a powerful non-verbal tool that allows the child to feel an awareness of his personality and problems;
2) reaction of confirmation, recognition of what was heard: carried out with the help of verbal cues and non-verbal techniques (nodding the head, leaning forward, smiling, frowning, etc.);
3) "Opening doors": special questions or comments that allow the child to be more open, encouraging his statements;
4) active listening: by paraphrasing what he heard, the psychologist clarifies his hypotheses and decodes the client's information;
5) "Reflection of feelings": method of transferring empathy and understanding (K. Rogers). When using it, the psychologist becomes a kind of mirror of the child's feelings, helps him to realize and verbalize them; thereby, he facilitates their emotional response;
6) sublimation training: expressing feelings in a safe, socially acceptable and potentially creative way;
7) interpretation: it is the basis of psychological methods of influence, as a result of which a child or adolescent receives a new vision of the situation based on the theory or personal experience of a psychologist. A person discovers an alternative vision of reality, different from the picture he himself imagined;
8) directive: the psychologist clearly tells the counselor what action he considers desirable for him, and assumes that the child will follow his instructions;
9) self-disclosure: the psychologist shares his personal experience and experiences, shows that he is able to share the current feelings of the interlocutor. The psychologist's statements are based on "I-sentences";
10) Feedback: the psychologist makes it possible for a person to understand how (how) he is perceived from the outside, gives specific data for a positive or balanced self-perception. The method is of particular importance for adolescents due to the presence of numerous problems and complexes in them, aggravated by the complex of the victim of violence;
11) logical sequence: the psychologist explains to the child the consequences of thinking and behavior: "If you will ..., it will be ...". The method makes it possible to reflect on one's actions and experiences, contributes to the development of reflexive behavior and making independent decisions;
12) retelling: the repetition of the essence of the client's situation and his thoughts by the psychologist, which activates the discussion of the problem and improves its understanding by both parties;
13) summary: used at the end of a counseling conversation to summarize the client's judgment and the psychologist's conclusions. The method helps to clarify the results of the conversation and helps to transfer them into real life.
When working with adolescents who have suffered from violence, it is advisable to use "helpline" as one of the most
adequate forms of psychological assistance. It provides anonymity, sincerity, relieves fear of humiliation and various sanctions, enables the teenager to break off contact if he is unwanted.
The Helpline provides an opportunity to use teenage volunteers who know the teenage subculture well and are specially trained for this work. The role of such consultants is to help the adolescent in identifying the problem, verbalizing negative emotions, identifying sources of threat, establishing healthy intact sides of the victim's personality, identifying the circle of people who could support him in a critical situation.
Psychotherapy in cases of violence. Psychotherapeutic assistance is built taking into account the following circumstances:
1) characteristics of the personality and mental state of a child or adolescent;
2) the type of violence suffered and the child's ability to realize its essence;
3) the depth and severity of the experience of the fact of violence;
4) psychological consequences:
consolidation of personal forms of response to violence and predisposition to victimization;
formation on the basis of unreacted psychotraumatic experience of stable neurotic states, depression, psychosomatic diseases, disorders of social adaptation, difficulties in marriage, etc .; - -
deviant and delinquent behavior.
Given the above circumstances, psychotherapeutic assistance can be carried out in the following directions:
child and adolescent victims of violence (individual and group psychotherapy);
family and close environment of the victim of violence (family and group psychotherapy);
school team and peer group (group psychotherapy);
pedagogical collectives, public organizations, law enforcement agencies (psychoprophylaxis).
Individual psychotherapy is carried out by children and adolescents in crisis conditions. Its main tasks are: overcoming alienation, neutralizing the affective state through the creation of an atmosphere of acceptance, trust, security, as well as by attracting resource states through the use of hypnosuggestational methods.
At the first stage, rational psychotherapy, methods of Ericksonian hypnosis, gestalt therapy and neurolinguistic programming can be used.
After establishing trust, recreating a significant personal resource, a transition to the second stage is possible. Its task is to identify the underlying psychological conflict and respond to traumatic experiences.
Responding through awareness of the problem occurs in adolescents with a high level of self-awareness and reflection. For children, psychodramatic replay of traumatic situations is most often used through art therapy, body-oriented techniques, play therapy.
For adolescents with high tension of internal conflict, this may be a response through hypnoanalysis or contact with traumatic experiences in a therapeutic trance state. This is always a very subtle and responsible therapy, since a response to a traumatic situation can occur only if there is sufficient personal resource. Otherwise, re-experiencing events will only intensify the trauma.
A teenager who does not have sufficient personal resource can bring the problem to the level of awareness and, with the help of a psychologist, reorient from a crisis experience to positive directions. ■
After responding to a traumatic experience or a positive reorientation of the main problem, the client frees up enough forces that should be directed to raising self-esteem, building self-confidence, self-confidence and constructing new ways of behaving and resolving conflicts, developing activity in the fight against evil.
An acute crisis condition can last from one to two months. During this period, victims ^ of violence especially need psychotherapeutic assistance ^ In group forms, this support is needed in later periods.
At the third stage, creative expression therapy, fairy tale therapy, role play, transactional analysis and group psychotherapy are applied.
Group psychotherapy children and adolescents are indicated in cases where contact is established and the victim is able to talk about topics of concern. This can happen after individual psychotherapy or a “helpline”, when acute affective symptoms are relieved.
Usually the group is formed of adolescents with similar problems. It is in such a group that they can gain understanding and sympathy, feel themselves in their environment, talk about their experiences, hear the experience of others, try new models of behavior without fear of condemnation. The group develops new ways of adaptation, self-regulation and self-control, new relationships appear. The group provides psychological support
hold and can give an impetus to a change in self-esteem, an increase in self-confidence.
The group can be permanent, open or closed. By content it could be:
Psychodynamic group, the purpose of which is to create an atmosphere of support and trust, awareness and response to their own problems that make adolescents victims of violence; the formation of new ways of behaving in situations of violence; resistance to evil; increasing self-esteem and unleashing creativity;
A group of role-based training aimed at practicing role situations in communication with adults and peers, awareness of their role (victim) with the possibilities of changing it;
Communication training group aimed at the formation of constructive communication, partner ways of solving life situations, methods of social and psychological adaptation in various conditions;
A Body-Oriented Therapy Group aimed at releasing body clamps and responding to traumatic experiences through the body;
A group of creative self-expression therapy (drawing, modeling, dance) aimed at revealing the inner potential and responding to traumatic experiences through creativity;
Play psychotherapy groups in which the child can solve his difficult personality problems and overcome affective states.
Various combinations of certain aspects of group work are possible with the inclusion of elements of certain techniques or following one strategy in psychotherapeutic work. An important result of psychotherapy is the child's ability to exist independently and actively respond to possible situations of violence.
Family psychotherapy shown in technical cases when it is necessary to help the family cope with a crisis, or when correcting family relationships, if the close environment is a source of violence. A psychologist who has taken on the role of a family helper must be aware of the degree of responsibility for his intervention and be ready for an onslaught of aggression and destructiveness when its stereotypes are violated. All generations of the family involved in upbringing are included in psychotherapy. In the process of psychotherapy, the personal problems of family members and the problems of family education should be solved.
The purpose of family psychotherapy is to help the family to understand the violent ways of influencing the child and to try to form other, more constructive ways of interaction.
and action. It is necessary to teach parents to love their children as they are. In any case, family therapy is carried out with the participation of the child.
Psychoprophylaxis of violence. Psychoprophylaxis of violence can be work as a psychologist with parents and teachers on understanding the sources of cruelty and abuse of children and adolescents. It is necessary to explain their danger and increase responsibility for any kind of inhuman and violent actions in relation to a growing personality. It is necessary to acquaint the participants of the educational process with. the rights of victims of violence and ways to prevent victim behavior.
The preventive task is also solved by special work on correction of aggressive behavior of children and adolescents, who are usually victims of violence themselves. As victims of violence in some areas of the microenvironment, they become rapists in schools, participate in criminal groups, and commit violent and illegal actions.
An important place in the prevention of violence is activities to prevent situations of violence. ^ Children and adolescents should be taught safe behavior, strengthened their self-defense capabilities, and removed inferiority complexes as the basis of victim behavior.
Society should develop and operate social programs for the prevention of cruelty:
educational programs for children and adolescents;
educational programs for educators and parents, other adults working with youth;
special programs in the mass media, demonstrating healthy human relationships;
combating the dominance of products that are replete with aversive incentives, demonstrating violence and cruelty;
"Hotlines", special crisis centers, shelters and shelters for the rehabilitation of victims of violence, etc.
