Non Violent Resistance (NVR) aims to change family relationships, when children and young people show violent, aggressive or self‐destructive behaviour. Trauma in multi‐stressed families necessitates an adaptation of the original NVR approach in order to meet these clients' specific therapeutic needs when child violence arises. The author has developed such an adaptation. This article gives an overview of the larger system aspect of the adapted NVR model, illustrating how NVR core principles are applied to help family members develop a sense of safety within the larger system, so the nuclear family itself can become a safe and supportive recovery environment.
Practitioner points
By differentiating between interaction patterns, parents identify safe supporters within the larger system to help develop effective responses to harmful child behaviour
Therapeutic conversation centres parents’ own formulation of their support needs, in order to regain their voice and experience personal agency
Effective resistance to problem behaviour grows by engaging other adults in ways that facilitate parents’ access to internal and interpersonal resources
Non‐violent resistance (NVR) is a systemic approach which aims to build parent agency and a positive support network around children who display destructive behaviour. Supporters play a key role in NVR, but there is limited research on how to engage them in NVR. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of the members of a family’s support network on the implementation of NVR. These experiences were then interpreted in line with theories of motivation and change in order to understand how the NVR practitioner and parents can best engage with supporters in future. Eight supporters were interviewed and themes developed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The study analysis found five themes: contemplation, committing to action, looking for change, needing to cope and working within a social context. These are interpreted in line with theories of change and motivation. Clinical recommendations and recommendations for further research are discussed.
Practitioner points
Practitioners need to consider that taking part in NVR can be experienced by supporters in both positive and negative ways
Practitioners may improve supporters’ engagement and motivation in the process by considering areas such as understanding NVR, positive communication and impact on relationships
An empowered sense of “self” is crucial for emotional well‐being and positive relationships. Certain family interaction patterns can disrupt the adult's sense of “mattering” to the child, eroding their perceived self‐efficacy. Mattering can be understood as a felt sense of relational agency which is necessary for experiencing one's interactions as meaningful, effective, and self‐determined. When parents generate more positive future narratives in co‐creation with their therapist, their sense of relevance to a child can be restored. In this way, more constructive forms of interaction can emerge with their child which has hitherto eschewed their care. This article aims to provide a conceptual basis for addressing an absence of reciprocity, where children demonstrate harmful or self‐destructive behavior and refuse to cooperate in therapy. In such instances, one‐sided parental action, utilizing nonviolent resistance methods, can influence relational dynamics. Imaginary methods can then facilitate shifts to psychological states in which the parent internally experiences efficacy and mattering more often without requiring validation from the “physical child” in the here and now. We introduce examples of specific imaginary techniques, which in our clinical practice have shown to facilitate such shifts in parents. We discuss neuroscientific theories that may account for their powerful impact we witness in our clinical experience.
Non‐violent resistance (NVR) is a systemic approach to working with young people presenting with aggression and other harmful behaviours. The work draws on the use of personal presence in resistance movements of the twentieth century, focusing on the role of the caregiver to increase their presence through acts of resistance and care. This paper investigates the experiences of professionals using NVR in one UK residential care home. Eight participants took part in semi‐structured interviews, which were analysed thematically. Analysis identified four overarching themes: NVR is both a set of processes and a way of being, NVR and transformation, NVR and the personal–professional divide and NVR and organisational support. The findings suggest that NVR offers an effective and acceptable alternative to behavioural approaches. Further research is required to investigate the liminal role of the professional/parent and the challenge of managing reluctance both within and around the organisation.
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