“ But it ’ s not my fault! ”

““But itBut it’’s not my s not my fault!fault!””

Cognitive Behavioral Cognitive Behavioral Interventions Interventions

with Youthful Offenders

Dr. Steve Parese Danbury, NC

Today’s Agenda

1. What predicts criminality? Which interventions work best?

2. What is Cognitive Skills Instruction? How do we use it?

3. What is Cognitive Restruct-uring? How do we use it?

Part 1: Predicting Criminality

Is it possible to predict which youth are most

likely to become habitual offenders later in life?

And if so, does that mean we can intervene?

Predictors ofPredictors of Criminality Criminality

What elements of ENVIRONMENT

and/or PERSONALITY

most accurately predict later criminality?

Based on research by Paul Gendreau, 1996 through NIC Academy, Longmont, CO.

What Predicts What Predicts Criminality?Criminality?

#6: Low Levels of Personal

Achievement (academic, vocational,

etc.)



#5: Criminality and Psychological

Problems in Family of Origin



#4: History of Antisocial

Behavior from an early age



#3: Temperament &

Personality Factors (poor impulsive or anger

management, poor insight, etc.)




#2: Association with antisocial

peers

Isolation from prosocial

peers


#1: Antisocial and

procriminal attitudes


B. What ActuallyB. What Actually Works?Works?

Which approach has the greatest success?

So WhatSo What Works? Works?

Minimal impact on

institutional adjustment

1% reduction in recidivism

1. Psychotherapy


Immediate but fading impact on institutional

adjustment

10% reduction in recidivism

2. Behavior Management


30% -50% reduction in recidivism

3. Cognitive-Behavioral

InterventionGradual impact on

institutional adjustment

The strongest predictor of criminality is antisocial

thinking.

As a result, the most effective approaches are cognitive

behavioral interventions (CBI), which target antisocial

thinking and help high-risk youth learn prosocial skills for

handling challenging situations.

Key Point Key Point #1#1

Part 2: Cognitive Skills Instruction

Cognitive Skills Instruction is used when antisocial behavior is due primarily to a lack of prosocial skills.

Cognitive Skills Instruction = NEW TOOLS

PROSOCIALPROSOCIALTEACH NEWTEACH NEW

SKILLSSKILLS

What personal and interpersonal life skills are needed to succeed in today’s world -- without aggression or manipulation?

Work in groups to brainstormyour ideas.

Cognitive Life SkillsCognitive Life Skills

Cognitive Life SkillsCognitive Life SkillsWhat personal and interpersonal life skills

are needed to succeed in today’s world?

Drawn from “The Prepare Curriculum” by Arnold Goldstein

1. SOCIAL SKILLS• Starting a conversation• Apologizing• Giving a compliment




2. DEALING W/STRESS• Controlling your anger• Making a complaint• Dealing with accusation




3. UNDERSTANDING FEELINGS

• Expressing your feelings• Understanding others’ feelings• Dealing with others’ anger




4. PLANNING SKILLS• Identifying the problem• Setting a goal• Gathering information

PROSOCIALPROSOCIALHow to teachHow to teach

SKILLSSKILLS


SKILLSSKILLS1. DESCRIBE ITBreak the skill into simple steps.Provide a clear rationale for learning the skill.


SKILLSSKILLS2. SHOW ITProvide a dramatic instructor demonstration in a realistic setting.


SKILLSSKILLS3. TRY ITGuide student skill practice in personally relevant and realistic role plays.


SKILLSSKILLS4. COACH ITProvide feedback and coaching from peers and instructors.


SKILLSSKILLS5. PRACTICE ITPractice the skill in real life situations. Process these attempts in later sessions.

How To Handle How To Handle CriticismCriticism

1. _________________________ 2. _________________________ 3. _________________________ 4. _________________________

5. _________________________

What are the essential steps of this skill?Work in groups to brainstorm your ideas.

How To Handle How To Handle CriticismCriticism

1. Stop & Think

2. Listen Carefully

3. Show You Understand

4. Ask for Their Solution

5. Tell Your Side

What are the essential steps of this skill?Work in groups to brainstorm your ideas.

Youthful offenders have often never learned the prosocial skills that are necessary to manage social situations

without manipulation and/or violence.

Cognitive skills instruction teaches skills such as self-

control, effective communication, and problem

solving through a dynamic process of demonstration and

role-playing.


Part 3: Cognitive Restructuring

Cognitive Restructuring is used when antisocial behavior is due primarily to entrenched antisocial beliefs.

ANTISOCIALANTISOCIALCHALLENGE OLDCHALLENGE OLD

ATTITUDESATTITUDES

Cognitive Restructuring= NEW RULES

Antisocial DistortionsAntisocial Distortions

Source: Gibbs, J. C., Potter, G. H., & Goldstein, A. P. (1995). The EQUIP Program. Champaign, IL: Research Press.

1. Self Centeredness

Focusing exclusively on own needs, feelings, or perspective. Disregarding those of others.

2. Blaming OthersPutting responsibility onto others, society, bad mood, etc. Seeing self as a victim of others or fate.

Source: Gibbs, J. C., Potter, G. H., & Goldstein, A. P. (1995). The EQUIP Program. Champaign, IL: Research Press.


3. Minimizing/Mislabeling

Understating the seriousness of actions, or labeling others in belittling or dehumanizing terms.4. Assuming the

WorstAttributing hostile intentions or fixating on negative outcomes. Assuming improvement is impossible.

3636


Minimizing/Mislabeling

Minimizing/Mislabeling

A. “It wasn’t that bad. I could have broken his nose and all I did was push him.”

B. “Why should I feel bad? Everyone knows she’s a @#$%-ing whore.”

3737


Self-Centeredness

Blaming Others

C. “You have to look out for number one. Nobody else will.”

D. “Give me a break! I was having a bad day -- what do you want? Actually, this never would have happened if my teacher hadn’t ....”

3838

Antisocial DistortionsAntisocial DistortionsE. “I saw the way she looked at me. She was getting ready to bust on me, make me look bad.”

Assuming the Worst

Self-Centeredness

F. “Rules are meant for other people, not for me.”

3939

Assuming the Worst

Antisocial DistortionsAntisocial DistortionsG. “I’ll @#$% up regardless, so why put in the effort? It’s hopeless. I’m just like my father.”

H. “It’s not my fault he got hurt. He should have been watching where he was going.”

Blaming Others

ANTISOCIALANTISOCIALHow to challengeHow to challenge

ATTITUDESATTITUDES

BENIGN BENIGN CONFRONTATIONCONFRONTATION

A cognitive counseling technique which leads youth to an uncomfortable level of

self-awareness regarding their justifications.

Benign Confrontation

Methodology1.LISTEN2.SUMMARIZE3.CHALLENGE

RULESRULES

“ZINGERS”You can CHALLENGE a justification by SEPARATING LAWS

OF:

1. Street vs School“Where I come from

you can’t let someone talk

to you like that…”

Help youth see that what might be acceptable at home or on the streets is NOT acceptable in school/program.

“I understand that on the streets, you might have to take matters into your own hands. On the streets, there’s no one there to protect you, so you have to take care of yourself. But here in this program, things are different. Here, the staff are paid to keep kids safe....

Benign Confrontatio Separating Street vs School“Where I come from…”

“Now I want you to think about this while I take an important call....

2. CHARACTER“He asked for it, he got

what he deserved…”

“ZINGERS”You can CHALLENGE a justification by APPEALING TO:

Help youth gain empathy for the other person by appealing to his better nature.

“I can see that there’s a part of you that thinks Richard deserves what he got. But there’s another part of you -- a kinder part of you -- that knows quite well that you went overboard. You were so helpful last week when I needed someone to do that tour. Where was that boy today?”

Benign Confrontation by Appealing to Character“He asked for it, he got

what he deserved…”

“I have another matter to deal with, but when I get back we’re going to talk more about this....

3. SELF-INTEREST“It was worth

it to teach that punk a

lesson…”

“ZINGERS”You can CHALLENGE a justification by APPEALING TO:

Help the youth see how his choice was not in his own long-term best interest

“So you’re saying that it was worth it all to put that aggravating

classmate of yours in his place. I can see where you got some

satisfaction by giving him a black eye...

But look at all the consequences you have to deal with now! You’ll be confined to your room, unable

to watch tonight’s movie, and restricted from playing in the

basketball tournament. Honestly, I’m surprised. I’ve always

thought you were way too smart to lose your temper this way.”

Benign Confrontation by Appealing to Self-Interest“It was worth it to teach

that punk a lesson…”

“I need to use the men’s room, but I’ll be right back. Why don’t you think on this for a minute?”

4. RELABELING Behavior

“What’s the big deal? I was only

borrowing those tools...”

“ZINGERS”You can CHALLENGE a justification by:

Relabel the youth’s antisocial behavior in more accurate terms.

“You can say you were only ‘borrowing’ those tools from the

auto tech shop, but we both know what happened.

Mr. Johnson had to leave for a minute, and you took advantage of that moment to walk off with something that wasn’t yours.

That’s not ‘borrowing,’ it’s STEALING... and you know it too.”

Benign Confrontation by Relabeling Behavior“I was only borrowing

those tools...”

“I have to say, I’m disappointed. You have $20 worth of tools, and all it cost you was the respect I used to have for you. Think about it for a minute....”

Many at-risk youth use distorted thinking to justify

their antisocial choices, avoiding guilt and remorse for

hurtful behavior.

Cognitive restructuring creates an ‘uncomfortable level of self-awareness’ in

them, bringing thinking to the surface and often motivating behavioral change as well.


Part 4: Stages of Change

Change takes time, and often occurs through a series of predictable stages. Forced or rushed changes seldom last.

Self-change requires an uncomfortable level of self-awareness.

Think about a change you made in your life, perhaps after years of resistance.

Why did you eventually decide to change?Why did you eventually decide to change?

Stage 1: Stage 1: ResistanceResistance

It isn’t that we can’t find a solution, it’s that we don’t see the problem!

Many years

Stage 2: Stage 2: ThinkingThinking

We are aware of the problem and its consequences, but haven’t made a real commitment to solving it yet.

6+ months from change

Stage 3: Stage 3: PlanningPlanning

We intend to make a real change in the next 30 days. We set solid goals and develop plans to reach those goals.

Next 30 days

Stage 4: Stage 4: ActionAction

We actively begin a planned improvement by changing our behavior, our experiences, and/or our environment.

First 6 months

Stage 5: Stage 5: MaintenanceMaintenance

We’ve been fairly successful in making change during this period, and new habits are fairly well established.

6+ months

Good Things in Life

Nick about his fighting:

“I DO lose my cool from time to time. I know I ought to do something about it, cuz I get in trouble all the time for it, but nothing seems to work for me. I guess I’m just hotheaded by nature.”Which stage of change is he in?

Stage 2: Thinking

Anna about her drug use:

“It’s a day-by-day thing. I’ve been clean and sober for nearly a year now, going to NA meetings and all, but there was a time when I thought I wasn’t going to make it.”

Which stage of change is she in?Stage 5: Maintenance

Which stage of change is he in?Stage 3: Planning

Terry about his auto theft.

“Enough is enough. This time I got 60 days in the detention center, and the judge told me the next time I would be tried as an adult. When I get out next week....

The only true and lasting change is SELF-change, which takes place through a series

of predictable stages.

While troubled youth may resist pressure from adult authorities, they are often open to the influence of

mentor relationships, and may be inspired (but not forced) to

change.


Dr. Steve Parese

THANK THANK YOU!YOU!Dr. Steve Parese

For more information about staff training this content, email me S

[email protected]

or visit:

WorkinItOut.comTACT2.com

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

“ But it ’ s not my fault! ”

Documents

Transcript of “ But it ’ s not my fault! ”