Adolescent Violence in the Home

Collusion.

When talking with and supporting a young person using violence, it is important to be mindful of collusion.

Collusion is the alignment with pro-violence attitudes, beliefs & thinking.

Collusion occurs when someone implies or explicitly states that the use of violence - even circumstantially - is understandable or acceptable. Collusion can strengthen pro-violence risk factors and potentially worsen AVITH.

The young person should be challenged to work towards reflection, accountability and positive change. This can be done by validating their emotions but not the violent behaviour used.

What are some behaviours that may indicate adolescent violence in the home?

Uses put-downs or name-calls.
Uses intimidation to obtain wants or win arguments.
Uses threatening looks.
Screams or yells.
Threatens to hurt/stands over.
Pushes, grabs or shoves.
Throws, kicks or breaks items.
Has harmed or killed a pet.
Uses demands or orders.
Slaps, hits, kicks or punches.
Threatens to or uses weapons.
Attempts to strangle/choke.

How does trauma impact the adolescent brain?

Traumatic experiences can change the structure and function of key neural networks involved in regulating stress and arousal (Ludy-Dobson & Perry, 2010). As the brain develops through genetics and experiences, the more particular events experienced, the stronger the neural pathways.

Exposure to trauma during rapid brain growth often has a lasting neurodevelopmental impact and organisation of the brain (Taylor, 2013).

Due to their developing brain, children and young people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of trauma. The impact depends on age, developmental stage, trauma, severity and duration (Bristow, MacNamara & Mitchell, 2020). The fetus of a pregnant woman exposed to violence has increased cortisol levels as early as 17 weeks. Ongoing exposure to DFV can have severe implications for the unborn child’s brain development Australian Child and Young person Trauma, Loss and Grief Network, 2016). The child’s experiences will contribute to the emotional and conscious map of the child’s developing mind (van der Kolk, 2014).

The associated trauma of family violence reduces the capacity of the childhood brain to shape in response to the environment. Consequently, children and young people impacted by trauma often respond instinctively and at times inappropriately. When a threat is perceived, these young people are less likely to think logically as their emotions take over (ACF, 2013; Bristow et al., 2020).

Young people who have experienced trauma do not easily understand or engage with consequences for their behaviour.

Their brains are overactivated and can take in very little, and they do not learn new information easily. Their memory systems continue to remain under stress. This affects their working memory, whereby even simple instructions can be severely compromised (ACF, 2013).

The brain develops from the lower brain (the hindbrain) to the higher brain (the cortex). When children are constantly under threat, experiencing fear or feeling unsafe, they spend more than typical amounts of time in their lower brain - focusing only on survival. The brain forms new connections and strengthens established connections through activity. Therefore, if a young person is almost always operating from their lower brain, their executive function, logical thinking, and reasoning brain connections will be relatively underdeveloped compared to their lower brain functions. However, helping the young person understand the power and process of neuroplasticity can change their
perception of their abilities.

References

(Full List from Adolescent Violence in the Home Practitioner Guide)

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