at a residential center)
···
----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Powers" <powers_w@frontier.net>
To: <davidmg@verizon.net>; <David.Goldstein@dhs.state.nj.us>
Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2008 4:35 PM
Subject: Re.: Media and Violence (A proposal for studying violent behavior
Hi, David --
I don't know if you meant this post for CSGnet -- if you did, just forward this.
[From Bill Powers (2008.12.07.1421 MST)]
[David Goldstein (2008.12.07.1359 EST)]
Following up on your observation (in our phone call) about making suggestions in the interview, I'd like to offer one, too. You propose asking the offender
Do you consider what you did or said to be violent or aggressive?
I suggest this:
You probably know that the staff and I think of what you did as being violent and aggressive. But I'd like to try to see it from your point of view. Would you be willing to tell me how it started, and what your thoughts or feelings were in the beginning and later, and after it was over?
Then, when the resident starts to explain that it was all the other person's fault, don't criticize or correct him or her, but just ask " -- and right when he or she did that, what were you thinking or feeling? Is that how you feel now as you think about it again?"
No matter what the resident says, keep bringing the focus back to the resident's thoughts and feelings and goals at the time of the incident and now during the interview. And before you start, get permission to record, if you can, explaining that this will not be used against the person but is just to help the staff understand things better as the residents see them. I think you will see a pretty normal MOL session start to unfold, if you get the resident's trust.
Just take a moment yourself at the start of the session and try to feel some affection and well-wishing for the resident. That will help you find the right MOL attitude.
Bill