© 2021 Robert W McBride, LCSW
Student Profiles--Labeling
The title of this section sounds generic and impersonal, yet most of the young people that make up this assemblage are testimony to what a being can endure and still survive. While these young people have not grown up in a war zone watching their families and surroundings being obliterated, they have commonly existed in households and communities that confused them and demonstrated to them they are worthless, unimportant, and a burden that does not matter.
The conditions in which most of these young people have lived or the nature of their existence is one of broken or changing family structure, financial and emotional poverty, lack of educational support and marginalization due to ethnicity or surroundings or both.
They not only often lacked personal and educational support
from parents but also the educational system. Sometimes, from
an early age, they were told repeatedly “why bother you can never
achieve your dreams,” “education is a waste of time” and “you
should get a job and help provide for the family.” Some may find
common connections with those who believe as they do and belong
to a gang for support.
For many of these young adults, it is not unusual for them to have experienced neglect, emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Most have been physically abandoned by at least one parent while often the other parent is working hard to make ends meet or maybe is lost to the world as a substance abuser.
It is not unique for a student to be one of four children in a family by three different fathers. They are often blamed for "the misery they have caused because they were born."
Sometimes, multiracial students have previously been rejected by most everybody because they are
not white enough,
not native enough,
not black enough, or
not the right shade of brown
Ethnically the student body was, on average
1.1 % American Indian,
7.8% two or more races,
12.7% White,
22.3% Black/African American
54.7% Hispanic/Latino.
It should be obvious these young people are not only carrying a lot of baggage but they most likely, from our observations, are dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome of which they are probably unaware.
Futures Academy had a continuous average enrollment of about 300 students. Their incoming grade level equivalency derived from the Test of Adult Education (TABE) had a wide range. Math scores range from second grade to the twelfth grade and reading scores range from fourth grade to the twelfth grade.
60% of our students had a Supportive Service plan in at least one of the following areas.
7% were involved in the foster care system;
14% had basic needs, such as, food, clothing, health care, transportation;
40% were in need of counseling/mental health;
21% had pregnancy/parenting needs;
22% experienced or were experiencing homelessness;
30% were involve in the court system.
We had spent a lot of time observing these young people in an effort to understand the traits and beliefs they bring with them. We wanted to understand why they did not succeed and what we could do to help overcome the hindrances that blocked them. After a couple years working with this population, it became obvious there was more to it than was explained by “dropout.”
These young people often displayed multiple self-defeating traits that got in their way and kept them from succeeding. They lack self-confidence and self-worth and saw themselves as stupid. They do not trust adults because adults have lied to them, ignored their needs and abused them. They have difficulty seeing or believing in long term goals or delayed gratification over short term or immediate satisfaction.
At first, our staff lacked language to describe what they were witnessing. We began to see similarities with insecurely attached children and our students. Often, our young people like insecurely attached children have a background abandonment, neglect and abuse. After sometime, we began to adapt concepts and terms from attachment and personality theories. Many of these young people can best be described as “insecurely attached” students.
Its important that when we refer to students as “insecurely attached,” we understand what is meant and what it implies. Attachment is essential for the survival of the species. Instinctively the child must attach to caregivers in effort to obtain food, protection, caring, nurturance, guidance. The caregiver bonds with the child in an effort to meet the child's needs.
A child develops a “working model” from his or her relationship with the caregiver(s) about relationships and his or her place among others which continues to evolve over time. This relationship must continue for many years. If this relationship is broken or poorly maintained, the child's well-being, emotionally and physically, can be seriously damaged.
If a child experiences a positive interaction with caregivers,
his or her attachment figures are referred to as a “secure base.”
A secure base provides the child a sense of security when
exploring the world, sense of worthiness, sense of competence
and the ability to form other relationships.
Conversely, if the child experiences a negative or neglectful
interaction with the caregiver(s), his or her attachment figures
are referred to as an “insecure base.”
Depending on the circumstances, that is, how the caregiver(s) behaves and how the child responses, the insecure attachment process can developed in three described ways. The child's insecure attachment can be as
ambivalent,
avoidant, or
disorganized/disoriented.
However, no matter the category the following traits are apparent in an insecure attached child. From an insecure base the following traits develop, the child
lacks a sense of safety and explores the world hesitantly,
lacks the ability to trust his or herself and others,
sees others as not helpful,
lacks feelings of well-being,
feels unworthy,
lack confidence,
likely inflexible,
perhaps disorganized and confused.1
From our observations of and involvement with the young people at Futures, we believed that most of our student were insecurely attached. Our observations and experience has taught us that as a person develops they are capable of forming additional types of attachments beyond the original caregiver(s). A type of attachment process can develop with
student-teacher,
romantic partners and
member-social group.
Futures was organized in a manner to provide a secure base for it's students in order to assist them to effect change. A movement toward a more secure attachment process.
Futures created a new world for its young people which in turn created conflict because it was different from what they were use to and expected. The process was safe, predictable, and consistent.
This conflict was a positive force which will be described as we go on.
Most of these young people had been recruited to attend Futures Academy and often were expected, by some, to behave as one might think a student should. Comments have been made, especially about first semester persons, concerning their irregular attendance, casual attitude, and boisterous behavior. It was actually surprising, considering their backgrounds, that they came to school at all.
An illustration of the beginning awareness is represented by a young man in his second year who complained to a counselor that he was annoyed with some first semester students because they were disrespectful of the teachers and school since they were noisy and didn't pay attention. He was gently reminded that he had behaved like wise his first year.
With all this said, each semester we had several young people who don't, from appearances, seems to fit in the majority classification of “insecure attached students.” They have originated from two parent families that appear to be stable, caring and available. However their behavior juvenile or not has caused them to leave or be expelled from Aurora Public Schools.
The teenage behaviors were many. Some decided to
have “fun” hanging around with friends goofing-off,
smoking dope, joy riding,
playing video games and the list goes on.
Some became bored. Some needed to work. Some became pregnant.
In any case, they found Futures and took their second chance at education. In all cases, all students were of equal standing.
In the following presentation, we use the stories of individuals from the assemblage of students that have attended Futures Academy to illustrate particular points and topics. The stories used are not unique for that point or topic. We could have used the stories of any number of other students to illustrate the same subject.
1. For a more thorough understanding of the attachment process and the resulting consequences, refer to the following books
Siegel, D. J. (1999). The Developing Mind. New York: The Guilford Press
Ross, C. A. (2000) The Trauma Model. Richardson, TX: Manitou Communications, Inc.
McBride, R. W. (2001) Breaking the Cycle. Centennial, CO: Gylantic Publishing Co.
Van der Kolk, B. (2005) The Body Keeps the Score. New York: Viking Penguin.
*The next presentation discusses "Futures Academy"
