The Important Work of the Middle The Important Work of the Middle School Educator…School Educator…

WBMS, Aug. 2, 2007

Rebecca L. Lucas

Maryville College

Who are we and why are we here?

Video Intro

The Southern Appalachian, The Southern Appalachian, Adolescent Female’s Adolescent Female’s

Experience of Being ViolentExperience of Being Violent

scared/alone weak

good/bad

Importance of the TopicImportance of the Topic

This is a topic that has largely been ignored.Girls present unique problems and possess

unique needs…pregnancy, cultural expectations, social control,

programs designed to meet needs of boys, abuse/runaway/detention,discrepancy in treatment

In 1992 and 1993, Knox County’s arrest rate In 1992 and 1993, Knox County’s arrest rate for females was greater than the national for females was greater than the national rate.rate.

15

20

25

1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996

Delinquency chargesinvolving females

Knox County, TNUnited States

Per

cent

Fem

ale

Year

Total Arrests: Juvenile FemalesTotal Arrests: Juvenile Females

Juvenile Female Arrests 1995-2000

600,000

620,000

640,000

660,000

680,000

700,000

720,000

740,000

760,000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Year

To

tal

Arr

ests

Arrest Rates: FemalesArrest Rates: Females

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995

Arr

est R

ates

/100

,000

Fem

ales

Year

108% increase

Arrest Rates: MalesArrest Rates: Males

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995

Arr

est R

ates

/100

,000

Mal

es

Year

54% increase

Research ProcessResearch Process

Extensive review of the literature Exploring personal biases Interviews Transcribing interviews Analyzing text Emergent theme identification Graphic representation of the common experience

A phenomenological study of A phenomenological study of the Southern Appalachian, the Southern Appalachian, adolescent female’s experience adolescent female’s experience of being violentof being violent

10 girls10 stories10 complicated lives1 experience of being violent

Participant Age Rena (C) 14

Jana (C) 16

Sherita (AA) 16

Tawana (AA) 14

Tina (C) 17

Shana (AA) 14

Sara (C) 17

Portia (AA) 18

Selena (AA) 12

Krista (AA) C=4/AA=6

13 R=12-18 yrs

Criteria for ParticipationCriteria for Participation

Adolescent females who can describe the experience of being violent

Girls between the ages of 12-18 years oldGirls willing to talk about being violentGirls being served by DCSGirls living in Southern Appalachia

“I am bigger/stronger”

SELENA I still feel myself fighting and jumping on top of this

girl. My whole body was jumping on top of this girl and crushing her skull and head and stuff…

SARA Like in situations like when I’m fighting. I mean I

wouldn’t use weapons or anything. Just myself, I mean, because I don’t, I mean, think I should have to you know, really hurt somebody. But I mean just hurt them to let them know to leave me alone you know. But I mean, I don’t know.

“I am bigger/stronger”

PORTIA … three different women staff just came over and they

all were on me and I was like pushing them off me and stuff and moving their hands off me and stuff.

Well then, uh, she gets up off the ground and comes back over there and tries to restrain me again. You know, like she didn’t get enough or whatever. And I was like, you better get off me or I’ll pop you in the mouth again.

RENA Usually it’s big boys that I do the fights with. And I

usually win the fight, in all honesty. Cause I’m very violent and stuff.

What is the experience of being What is the experience of being violent for these participants?violent for these participants?

For these 10 young women, the episode of violence occurs contextually and experientially.

Themes of the experience of Themes of the experience of being violentbeing violent

Contextual themes: Girls view themselves as good (but can be bad when provoked), scared and alone, and weak. They react with violence when they perceive a threat to their safety, property, relationships, or reputations.

Themes of the experience of Themes of the experience of being violentbeing violent

Experiential themes: In the episode of violence, the violent girl experiences herself as scared/alone, weak, and wanting to be good, but knowing that “If I am good, I will be destroyed,” so “I am going to be bad.” She becomes a violent body, but there is no self. This experience is described as blacking out, exploding, and growing bigger/stronger.

scared/alone weak

good/bad

““When I am violent, I black When I am violent, I black out.”out.”

“...everything just stopped…”

“...I blacked out and stuff and it was over and stuff then...”

“I didn’t really even know what I was doing, I had blacked out.”

““When I am violent, I black When I am violent, I black out.”out.”

“And the only thing I knew was that my mom was laying there with a…And a piece of glass was sticking out of her head, and she was bleeding everywhere.”

“I just wanted to die. I just wanted to fall in and everything.”

“I mean I couldn’t think. I had stuff blocking my mind.”

““When I am violent, I explode When I am violent, I explode like a ball of fire.”like a ball of fire.”

“Uh, it’s like when I get hit, I be real, real, real, real mad, like something that has probably been up in me for a long time, and stuff.”

““When I am violent, I explode When I am violent, I explode like a ball of fire.”like a ball of fire.”

“…and I be thinking, and I just be thinking, then all of a sudden I start getting heated and all sorts of things be crossing my mind then the next thing you know I might be walking up towards a girl and just ‘Boom’ knock her out.”

“I can’t control myself.”

““When I am violent, I explode When I am violent, I explode like a ball of fire.”like a ball of fire.”

“…if I’m hiding my feelings…they’re in me…they’re just progressing…like a big ball of fire or whatever. And it’s like, if you are very angry and you don’t have nothing but anger inside of you and it just keeps building up, then what do you think is going to come out to the other person? Nothing but anger, right?”

““When I am violent, I explode When I am violent, I explode like a ball of fire.”like a ball of fire.”

“I be real quiet and I be looking around and then all of a sudden I have a look come up on my face and then that tear come out through this eye and that’s when I start going off. When I feel anything run down my face, a tear, or I just start thinking about a lot of stuff. A lot of stuff be shooting through my head, that’s when I go off.”

““When I am violent, I grow When I am violent, I grow bigger and stronger.”bigger and stronger.”

“ I still feel myself fighting and jumping on top of this girl. My whole body was jumping on top of this girl and crushing her skull and head and stuff…I was jumping on her with my whole body. I used to be big. I used to weigh 220-225. I was young. I was about 14, 13. She was pretty big, too. She was pretty good size.”

““When I am violent, I grow When I am violent, I grow bigger and stronger.”bigger and stronger.”

“Like I didn’t know I could be so mean, I don’t know. It was just like whoa. Well, I feel like big, like whew!”

“Usually it’s big boys that I do the fights with. And I usually win the fight, in all honesty. Cause I’m very violent and stuff.”

What stands out?What stands out?

The need for connectionThe importance of “family and kin”The acceptance of violence as “normal”The cycle of abuse/runaway/detentionThe implications of “voice”The potential of schools and teachers to

positively or negatively effect change

What can we do?What can we do?

Juvenile Justice SystemExamine gender biases in program

development and move toward creating gender specific juvenile justice programs

Seek out and listen to at-risk, adolescent females

Involve families in treatment

What can we do?What can we do?

SchoolsEstablish, foster, maintain, and initiate

collaborative partnerships between human service organizations and public school systems

Accept, embrace, and target innovative practices (Full-Service schools, alternative school calendars)

Support and hire teachers skilled in finding ways to connect with students at-risk

Final Thoughts…Final Thoughts…

What are the implications of this What are the implications of this study?study?

What can you do to make a What can you do to make a difference?difference?

scared/alone weak

good/bad

Activity ClosureActivity Closure

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