Working with vulnerable young people

1. Working with vulnerable young people Neil Ryrie Nottingham University

2. Learning outcomes • The concept of vulnerability • Contributory factors that heighten vulnerability • Coping • EP interventions

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

7. Adolescence & developmental psychology • Stage? • Transition? • Turning points • The Developmental Context

8. Developmental Context • human ecology • continuity to development • reciprocity • multidisciplinary approach • individuals create their own environments • goodness of fit From Coleman & Hendry (1999)

9. Stress & coping • Stressful factors: • No. of events • timing • synchronicity (Rice 1993)

10. Stress & coping • Stressful factors: • Generic / normative • severe acute • severe chronic Compas (1995)

11. Stress & coping • Event parameters • frequency • predictability • uncertainty • control Lazarus and Folkman (1984)

12. Behaviour as indicator of stress • C=f(P + S + pS) • C = Coping • P = person • S = situational determinant • pS = perceived situation Frydenberg (1997)

13. Protective factors • Positive relationships with significant adults • Peer relationships • Skills and interests • Intelligence & academic success • Supportive culture. Qualities of life experience that ‘cushion’

14. 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

15. 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

16. Young offenders as vulnerable?

17. Role of the EP • Options & scope • child-focused • school-focused • home-focused • Focus: • Applying psychology to address educational issues

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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

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

22. Ed Psych interventions • Depression (e.g. Greig 2004)

23. 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 Adolescence3rd 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.

24. 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.

25. 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