Supporting Adolescents Who Have Been Exposed to Violence

Session Content:

As child life professionals, we assist adolescents in processing their healthcare experiences, which includes their current medical and physical state as well as understanding their new “normal.” All of which we do using a trauma-informed approach. As professionals engaging in a therapeutic relationship, we must also avoid judgment, meeting our patients where they are to best maintain that relationship. Yet, we are also in a position to be strong advocates, bringing our knowledge of adolescent development, the effects of trauma and maltreatment, and the influences of culture and environment on the overall development of the individual.

There is a comprehensive body of research that has documented a significant relationship between family violence and adolescent violence (Li, Xiong, Lang, Zhang, 2021). “In their harmful relationships with caregivers, maltreated children may develop the belief that coercion and violence are fundamental to all relationships” (Calvete, 2007, p. 132). We know from recent research that “an aggressive individuals’ deviant processing is guided by underlying mental structures and that these structures take the form of normative beliefs about the social appropriateness of aggression (Calvete, 2007).” So how do we as Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLSs) support these adolescents when there are complex systemic issues that are contributing to the violent behavior? And what core ethical principles must we also consider? How does the ACLP Code of Ethics guide our practice?

This presentation will explore the influence of family violence on adolescent violence, as well as the underlying mental structures that take the form of normal beliefs about the social appropriateness of aggression, and how we can support these adolescents when there are complex systemic issues that are contributing to their violent behavior, integrating a case example and the personal experiences of a CCLS into the conversation.

Suggested Domain: Ethics
Credits: 1.0 PDU

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