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Important keywords in working with young people

  • A young person is a mirror of their experience, meaning they reflect past experiences with their behavior.
  • It is important to understand the reasons that lead to high-risk behavior in young people.
    At this point, it's good to think: What does the young person want to tell us when they are aggressive or when they remain silent?
  • To do this, it is important to establish contact and a trusting relationship with the young person. It is important that the young person feels safe and can share their thoughts and feelings. Once they are able to begin to articulate what they are thinking and feeling, then understanding their needs will follow.
  • To ensure effective communication, it is important to establish a trusting relationship with the young person. This can be achieved by offering yourself as a partner to the young person in ensuring safety and seeking help. When the young person feels understood, their stress response decreases.
  • In order for a young person to express their opinion, they must be actively and non-judgmentally listened to. You must be aware and sensitive to your own prejudices and possible labeling of the young person.
  • However, it must be taken into account that young people with a complex trauma background generally do not trust adults and may not open up easily. Establishing contact and trust can require a lot of effort from adults. At the same time, being sincerely interested in establishing contact and asking the young person with genuine interest what they really want and what they are willing to do, including what support they need to do so, can turn out to be a real success experience and the young person will start to cooperate, be ready to accept help and support, and quietly start to take responsibility for their own lives.
  • It is important to do all activities together with the young person, not from an adult position of power. In a situation like this, simply spending time with the young person is not enough – it is also important to be emotionally present.
  • Do what you say you will do (i.e. keep your promises) – this is how a young person learns to ensure their safety.
  • It is important to provide young people with messages of safety on a daily basis (e.g. clear and consistent instructions; stability and predictability).
  • Just as risk behavior emerges through relationships, behavioral change always occurs through relationships. Adults are the enablers of behavioral change in young people.
  • Every small step a young person takes towards the desired results should be celebrated. It is important to constantly pay attention to the progress they have made. The young person may not realize that they have already done a lot of work. Focusing on progress empowers the young person to take new steps.
  • You need to be patient with a young person with high-risk behavior. Changes and their results can take time. There can often be setbacks, and it is important to stay by the child's side and be there for them. In such a situation, you need to avoid negativity and focus on the success that has already been achieved.
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