Listen to thisProtective Behaviours was developed in Madison,
Wisconsin, during the 1970's as a result of children approaching a
School Social Worker, Peg Flandreau West, telling her about violence and
abuse which was happening to them. In her attempts to address this
problem, Peg realized that many children were not feeling safe, and as a
result their schooling suffered and numerous other problems ensued. With
the assistance of survivors, children, colleagues, friends and many
hours, even years, of brainstorming, visioning, laughter and tears, the
Protective Behaviours process was nurtured into its current form.
From the US, through a series of coincidental meetings, Peg West was
invited in 1985 to Victoria, Australia, to train a group of selected
people who would take the process to others. Originally through police
and then community networks the programme was taken up by all the
Australian states. There is now a National Protective Behaviours Forum
with regular meetings and conferences to share stories, information, and
materials.
From Australia, Protective Behaviours Inc went to the United Kingdom in 1991, again starting with police networks and then flourishing into a wider community involvement. There are many local Network groups throughout the UK. There are other countries involved at various levels of development, including Canada, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Hong Kong, Norway, and the Philippines. There is an international journal published twice a year. Who can tell when or where the first international Conference will be?
Feeling safe and unsafe
There are many external rules about what is safe and how to protect
ourselves, but these do not account for individual differences as to
what is perceived as safe or unsafe. The PBI process deals with these
issues by helping us to first recognise what 'safe' feels like to each
person. Feelings of 'fun scary' are then explored and compared with how
the body feels when it is not so 'fun' to feel scared. The process then
teaches us how to organize and maintain systems of support and how to
use strategies to prevent and or interrupt potential or actual violence.
The programme
There are two themes used to introduce Protective Behaviours lnc.
1. We all have the right to feel safe all of the time, and
2. There is nothing so awful we can't talk about it with someone.
Three concepts are contained in these themes: safety; early warning signs; and networks.
Feelings of safety are identified to form a base line from which each individual can measure his or her own levels of 'safe' or 'unsafe'. People then identify those times when it is fun to feel scared such as a fun fair ride, a scary story, making a speech or such like. Next, people identify specific body signs or early warning signs which happen when they do not feel safe. These may include 'butterflies in the stomach, shaky knees, heart beating faster ...
In both cases, 'fun' and 'not so fun', we feel the same body signs, but there is a fundamental difference. When it is not fun there is a lack of choice or control over what is happening and/or there is no sense of when it will finish. For example we know the scary movie will finish. Many victims of violence do not listen to their early warning signs, discounting their feelings and telling themselves they are being stupid. There are many reasons for this, but suffice it to say that we need this internal measurement on which to base our understanding of the safety (or otherwise) of the external rules or situations.
To understand this second theme, people explore how it feels to talk about a problem, what sort of person we would wish to confide in and how we know if someone would have these qualities. Then participants identify their own personal networks of support. A network consists of the minimum of 4 people in addition to any adults at home. Networks are personal and chosen by the network owner.
In order that the themes and concepts can be put into- practice, the following strategies are used:
1. Theme reinforcement
The two themes are constantly reinforced visually, verbally and by role
modelling. This may be done, for example, during group discussions,
individual client work, through curriculum materials and in the formal
procedures of an agency.
2. One step removed
Questions are always asked in the third person, e.g. How can people keep
themselves safe even if ... For each person there are different actions
and situations which may or may not feel safe, and no one can begin to
know what somebody else feels. In Protective Behaviours, general
situations are used, such as, How can we keep ourselves safe even if ...
Someone bigger than us was about to hurt us? This may be bullying to One
person, assault to another, physical abuse to another, and to a fourth
person it may not be physical but emotional hurts. This One Step Removed
strategy encourages creativity, retains confidentiality and allows
participants to explore options and choices with a safe emotional
distance from the situation being discussed. One Step Removed also
enables an individual to “check out" someone on their NETWORK before
disclosing a problem, for example, “What if someone told you that (...) what would you do?" According to the given reply, a choice can be made
whether to disclose a problem or to try someone else.
3. Network review
As we grow and move through life our network needs evolve and change.
network review is checking out our networks on a regular basis to ensure
that people continue to be available and suited to our needs.
4. Persistence
Sometimes a request for support or help is not taken seriously, or the
person asked will not take the necessary steps to assist us. This
strategy of persistence provides a framework for us to persevere in
seeking help, through our pre-selected network of trusted people, until
enough happens for our early warning signs to subside and we feel safe
again.
5. Protective interrupting
This strategy is used to intervene and stop abusive, potentially abusive
or reckless behaviours and attitudes. In addition, a facilitator would
use this strategy to stop someone else from disclosing in a situation
which could increase the persons vulnerability.
6. Risking on purpose
While feeling safe is a key concept, it is always linked with the idea
of “risking on purpose". People are encouraged to explore taking risks
on purpose and facing life's challenges using early warning signs and
sense of choice to decide if it is fun or unsafe.
7. Watching our language
This is a strategy to develop an awareness of how violent metaphors are
a part of our language, and attempting to use non-violent alternatives.
Another aspect of this is stopping ourselves from using 'command mode'
(telling someone what to do) as a means of teaching the PBI process. The
content of the process is about non-violence and empowerment, thus the
teaching strategies are congruent or the same as the content.
Methods
Protective Behaviours sessions are conducted within a safe environment
and use brainstorming and participation processes. People are invited to
share ideas and develop possible solutions to specific situations which
may feel unsafe. Protective Behaviours concepts and strategies are
adaptable and can apply to almost any circumstance. Moreover they can be
used with people from any age, race or ethnic background.
The goal of Protective Behaviours Inc is to promote
the prevention of violence and abuse in all its forms, including
discrimination against individuals or groups on the basis of religion,
ethnicity, colour, lifestyle, values, age, gender, physical or mental
abilities. Training in Protective Behaviours needs a minimum of six
hours, and can be taken in one or more sessions. There are abundant
materials for all age levels to support people who wish to use the
process with others.
The Protective Behaviours model has been offered in the UK to adults and
to high-school and primary school children.
