University of Helsinki
The staff members I met at the residential communities worked with the young people in an admirable manner. They kept to a certain professional role, and they did not attempt to become friends with the youths. They had respectful attitudes and they listened. When necessary, they were strict, but they always attempted to reach shared understanding through discussion and explaining.
Thinking back to my experiences of out-of-home care units that I have visited over nearly 30 years, I was surprised at the wonderful atmosphere and culture of discourse at this residential community. No one was shouting their head off, issuing threats, slamming doors or swearing loudly. The premises were also undamaged. I do not mean to say that the opposite is true of all other out-of-home care units or in all situations. I know that there are also home-like conditions in out-of-home care, as well as moments that connect the workers and children emotionally to each other. Nevertheless, this was an observation that alerted me to analyse the discourse practices at the residential community, and the possibility of the workers having altered their approach to their tasks.
The workers’ view is that the youths adjust to the prevailing culture at the residential community, and that the community teaches them to treat each other with tolerance and to speak politely to each other. The difference from out-of-home care places is that the youths arrive at the residential community voluntarily and as legally of age. In contrast, out-of-home care places rarely receive voluntary or adult clients. The young residents’ life situations can still be acute, which can be expressed as turbulent behaviour.
How much is it then about the workers’ approach to their job, and what attitudes they take towards young peoples’ problems? A critical analysis of this issue has been provided by the Canadian researcher Rebecca Ward (2016, 105). She considers it necessary to establish a therapeutic and empowering connection with youth in out-of-home care. This kind of connection is based on resources, on taking into account the developmental stage of each child or young person, and on reciprocity.
Ward considers it harmful to adopt a pathologizing approach, based on punishments and control of the young people’s behaviour through these. She has found that in such situations, youth often behave in an oppositional manner, and that it is then difficult to support them.
In both of the youth homes that I visited there was an emphasis on connecting with youth, in the way that Ward has promoted. The workers aim to establish a relationship with the young person, on an equal basis, and to build good dialogue with them. They can set limits to behaviour, but only when it becomes necessary.