Staff Perspectives on Violence

Abstract

In this chapter we examine staff perspectives on violence. We decided to present staff accounts separately from young people’s for a range of reasons. Foremost was the importance of ensuring that both young people’s and staff’s explanations should be viewed within their particular child and professional understandings and explanations. Consequently, at certain points in the following chapter readers may have a sense of déjà vu, as in some instances, young people and professionals identified similar micro- and macro-processes for the development of violence. However, the definitions and understandings that were attributed to these processes differed markedly, both between groups and between homes. Both the similarities and the differences are of central importance if we wish to understand how meanings impact on young people’s experiences of violence and verbal attacks, and how professional cultures and practices interact with these complex processes.

Boys aren’t generally as vindictive and nasty as girls. I mean, boys have their squabbles, they have a go at one another, but then the next day they’re fine with each other, but girls don’t. They hold grudges and you’d think it’s all quietened down and someone will do something really sly and nasty … they hold grudges, boys have a much easier time of it, it’s a case of doing the manly thing, it’s a row and then a pat on the back and it’s all forgotten, but with girls it’s much more devious and long-lasting.

(Senior Residential Social Worker, female)

(Young people) have to find the one who’ll rule the roost, peer pressure is the greatest thing for kids at this age, it lets them know where they stand.

(Residential Social Worker, male)