Violent Behaviours

1. Making offensive, abusive, foul, depersonalizing or racist remarks
2. Invading the personal space of staff or other clients
3. Destroying property
4. Using or brandishing deadly objects or weapons
5. Making offensive gestures or assaults
6. Being actively non-cooperative
7. Trying to intimate staff or other clients

(Field, 2011)

Working with high-risk clients

Notice signs of aggression – Learn to identify clues that a child or youth is potentially violent. Know how to defend yourself and how to restrain a client if necessary.

Offer alternatives – Aggressive children and youth may not know what to do when escalated. Expose them to positive ways to de-escalate, like exercising, drawing and painting.

Practice problem-solving – Most children and youth get angry for good reasons but express their anger inappropriately. Teach them how to resolve conflicts through honest discussion and compromise.

Quite time – Quiet time encourages young people to take time for themselves, away from noise and activity. Explain that this calming, quiet time is a gift to themselves.

Touch appropriately – By appropriately touching clients, (e.g., pats on the back, handshakes), we help them learn a better way to use their bodies. Do not touch a youth who is angry.

Explain the consequences of violence – Explain the consequences of violence when they are relaxed, explain to youth that as adults, violent behaviours can can hurt their chances of finding a job, maintaining friends, or lead to jail. Make sure the youth understand that you are simply describing reality, not trying to manipulate them with guilt or fear.

Role model – By remaining calm, speaking in a respectful and rational manner, and never condoning violence, even jokingly, you can exemplify the behaviour we expect from children and youth.

Set clear standards of behaviour. Make certain your clients know that anger is natural and should be expressed, but that violence is unacceptable under any circumstances.