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Working with vulnerable young people

Neil Ryrie

Nottingham University

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Learning outcomes

The concept of vulnerability Contributory factors that heighten vulnerability Coping EP interventions

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Definitions

Risk: any factor or combination of factors that increases the

chance of an undesirable outcome affecting a person Vulnerability:

a feature that renders a person more susceptible to a threat Protective factors:

the circumstances that moderate the effects of risk Resilience:

positive adaptation in the face of severe adversities

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Vulnerable children

‘Vulnerable children are those disadvantaged children who would benefit from extra help from public agencies in order to make the best of their life chances.’ DoH (2000) Framework for the assessment of children in need and their families

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Children in need

A child shall be taken to be in need if: he is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or to have the

opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision of services by a local authority…

his health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further impaired, without the provision for him of such services; or

he is disabled

Children Act 1989

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From: Every Child Matters (2003)

All children(11 million)

Vulnerable children (3-4 million)

Children in Need (300-400,000)

Children looked after (59,700)

Children on CP Register (25,700)

Deaths from abuse or neglect

50-100 pa

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Adolescence & developmental psychology

Stage? Transition? Turning points The Developmental Context

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Developmental Context

human ecology continuity to development reciprocity multidisciplinary approach individuals create their own environments goodness of fit

From Coleman & Hendry (1999)

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Stress & coping

Stressful factors: No. of events timing synchronicity

(Rice 1993)

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Stress & coping

Stressful factors: Generic / normative severe acute severe chronic

Compas (1995)

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Stress & coping

Event parameters frequency predictability uncertainty control

Lazarus and Folkman (1984)

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Behaviour as indicator of stress

C=f(P + S + pS) C = Coping P = person S = situational determinant pS = perceived situation

Frydenberg (1997)

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Protective factors

Positive relationships with significant adults Peer relationships Skills and interests Intelligence & academic success Supportive culture.

Qualities of life experience that ‘cushion’

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OffenceMainstream

PupilsExcluded

PupilsHurt someone – n o medicalhelp needed

Bought, sold or kept stolenproperty

Carried a knife

Passenger in car TWOC

Stolen anything in school

Stolen a mobile phone fromanother person

Percentages of young people reporting offences committed. (From MORI 2003 Youth Survey)

Sample size: 4963 mainstream pupils (aged 11-16) and 586 excluded pupils (aged 10-16) in Jan – March 2003

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OffenceMainstream

PupilsExcluded

PupilsHurt someone – n o medicalhelp needed

41 62

Bought, sold or kept stolenproperty

26 61

Carried a knife 29 62

Passenger in car TWOC 11 48

Stolen anything in school 24 30

Stolen a mobile phone fromanother person

5 31

Percentages of young people reporting offences committed. (From MORI 2003 Youth Survey)

Sample size: 4963 mainstream pupils (aged 11-16) and 586 excluded pupils (aged 10-16) in Jan – March 2003

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Young offenders as vulnerable?

Mental health need 31%

Depression 18%

Anxiety 10%

Self harm within last month 9%

PTSD 9%

Hyperactivity 7%

Psychotic-like symptoms 5%

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Role of the EP

Options & scope child-focused school-focused home-focused

Focus: Applying psychology to address educational issues

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Ed Psych interventions

Frydenberg et al (2004) A preventative intervention Inadequate responses to stress psychosocial

problems Coping skills programme – cognitive-behavioural Outcomes:

Differential effects according to gender Bigger impact when psychologist was more closely

involved

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Ed Psych interventions

Dent and Cameron (2003) The importance of school

Focusing on vulnerable young people as a priority group

Training for school staff Supporting a positive school culture.

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Ed Psych interventions

Social skills (e.g. Maddern et al 2004) Small-group work with Yr 6 pupils with EBD Powerful illustrative example of this kind of work Methodological issues

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Ed Psych interventions

Bereavement (e.g. McCaffrey 2004) Support to schools in crisis ‘psychological first-aid’ vs ‘debriefing’

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Ed Psych interventions

Depression (e.g. Greig 2004)

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Further reading Baxter, J. & Frederickson, N. (2005) Every child matters: Can

educational psychology contribute to radical reform? Educational Psychology in Practice. 21, 2, 87-102

Coleman, J.C. and Hendry, L.B. (1999) The Nature of Adolescence 3rd edition. London: Routledge

Compas, B. (1995) Promoting successful coping during adolescence. In Rutter, M. (ed.) Psychosocial disturbances in young people. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Cox, T. (2000) Combating Educational Disadvantage: Meeting the needs of vulnerable children. London: Falmer Press

Dent, R.J. & Cameron, R.J.S. (2003) Developing resilience in children who are in public care: the educational psychology perspective. Educational Psychology in Practice. 19, 1, 3-20

Dept for Education and Skills (2003) Every Child Matters. London: The Stationery office.

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Further reading

Frydenberg, E. (1997) Adolescent Coping: Theoretical and Research Perspectives. London: Routledge.

Frydenberg, E., et al (2004) Prevention is better than cure: Coping skills training for adolescents in school. Educational Psychology in Practice. 20, 2, 117-134

Greig, A. (2004) Childhood depression - Part 1. Educational and Child Psychology, 21, 4, 43-54

Greig, A. (2004) Childhood depression - Part 2. Educational and Child Psychology, 21, 4, 55-66

Lazarus, R. and Folkman, S. (1984) Stress, Appraisal and Coping. New York: Springer.

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Further reading McCaffrey, T. (2004). Responding to schools in crisis: A consultancy

model for supporting schools in crisis. Educational and Child Psychology, 21, 3 109-120

Maddern, L. et al (2004) An evaluation of the impact of an inter-agency intervention programme to promote social skills in primary school children. Educational Psychology in Practice. 20, 2, 135-156

Rice, K.G., Herman, M.A. and Petersen, A.C. (1993) Coping with challenge in adolescence: a conceptual model and psycho-educational intervention. Journal of Adolescence. 16. 235-252

Harrington, R & Bailey, S. (2003) Mental Health Needs and Effectiveness of Provision for Young Offenders in Custody and in the Community Youth Justice Board