Discuss the below:
In your learning journal, answer to the following questions:
What is your initial reaction to this story?
How might the various components of the Web of Praxis model help you make sense of what happened?
What types and ways of knowing, doing, and being are relevant?
In your small group discuss the following questions:
What are some of the web of influences that may have had a bearing on what took place (e.g., interpersonal, organizational, community, political/institutional, socio-cultural)?
How might this story have unfolded differently?
What questions are you left with?
How does the Web of Praxis Model help you to cultivate an ecological perspective on CYC practice?
As a Child Care Counsellor working in a residential treatment facility for emotionally troubled children, I was assigned to be Jody's key worker. Jody was a slightly built, blonde-haired boy, who was about 10 years old at the time. He came to our facility because his behaviour was becoming increasingly unmanageable at home and at school. His parents and his homeroom teacher were understandably concerned about his escalating aggression. Just prior to his placement at our centre, Jody had physically assaulted his younger brother, Neil. According to "Jody's file," which the social worker provided prior to his admission to our facility, Jody was considered developmentally delayed and had also been given a diagnosis of "conduct disorder" by the child psychiatrist who had most recently assessed him.
The treatment and care plan for Jody included the following goals: reduce aggression, increase pro-social behaviours, assist parents with the consistent implementation of behaviour-management techniques, and stabilize his school placement. The long-term goal was to reunite Jody with his family.
After three weeks in our facility, it was determined that a home visit for Jody would be arranged. This had been one of the rewards that Jody had earned based on the accumulation of "points" for good behaviour. His parents and younger brother were very pleased to learn of Jody's progress and were looking forward to having him join them for a family dinner on a Sunday night. The plan was for Jody's father to pick him up on the afternoon of the designated day so that they could spend time together as a family. As his key worker, I was to drive to the family's home in the evening to pick Jody up to return him to the facility. My supervisor, who was responsible for arranging the home visit, explained that this would be a good time for me to "observe" Jody in his natural environment. It would also provide me with a good opportunity to see how the parents were managing with implementing some of the behaviour-management strategies, including the use of "time out" and a point/reward system.
I arrived at their home and quickly noticed how excited Jody was. The family had spent the afternoon at an amusement park and Jody appeared very "revved up" by the whole experience. He was running around the house, teasing his brother and the family dog, and was becoming increasingly unresponsive to his parents' cues to settle down. As it was starting to get late and I needed to get Jody back to the centre, I began to take steps to get Jody's things together and advised him that he would need to start saying his goodbyes. His eyes became very tearful and he started to scream and swear and began threatening to lock himself in his bedroom. Conscious of trying to model consistency and the proper use of the behaviour-management program for the parents, I started to take away some of Jody's earned points for "not following instructions" and for "not taking no for an answer." It was then that Jody slapped me across the face.
I just stood there, shocked, humiliated, ashamed, and out of control. I felt my eyes mist up with tears. I had no idea what to do. Why didn't the parents do something? Who was in charge of this situation? How was I going to get this kid back to the centre?