Discuss the Potential Considerations for Working with Minors in a Crisis

Question

Examlex · Accepted Answer

The Answer is Answers may vary. Minors are more vulnerable and at greater risk when a crisis or traumatic event occurs (Halpern & Tramontin, 2007; James, 2008). Understanding the nature of the crisis and the minor's response to it is the first intervention step (Terr, 1991). Two distinct crisis categories can be used to distinguish the minor's reaction to a crisis (James, 2008, p. 163): Type I involves a single, distinct crisis experience in which symptoms and signs are manifested; for example, the minor can display fully detailed etched-in memories, misperceptions, cognitive reappraisals, and reasons for the crisis event (James, 2008). Type II, in contrast, is the result of longstanding, repeated trauma whose cumulative effects result in the minor's psyche developing defensive coping strategies, anxiety, depression, or acting-out behavior (James, 2008; Lindsey et al., 2006; Maschi, 2006; Voisin, 2007).
For minors, a crisis event has the potential to disrupt biological, social, and cognitive development, and age can make a significant difference in how minors respond. The Type I category seems to fit best with the basic equilibrium crisis intervention approach, in which the focus is on restoring the precrisis state of their caregivers in order to help minors. The stages of crisis and the reaction may differ with minors. They may, for example, need additional help in understanding their reaction to the crisis and in developing problem-solving skills. The triage system assessment can be especially important in determining the minor's cognitions and behaviors as a result of the crisis. Cognitively, a crisis event can increase minors' sense of vulnerability and their perceived lack of power. Behavioral interventions to a crisis event may involve the minor's coping by role-playing, for example, an all-powerful action figure of their choosing (Knox &
Roberts, 2008). Korol, Green, and Grace (1999) developed the Interactive Trauma/Grief-Focused Model (IT-GFT), which emphasizes a developmental ecological framework as another approach to crisis work with minors. The premise of this framework is that the developmental stage and the environment within which the minor operates are interrelated.

Discuss the Potential Considerations for Working with Minors in a Crisis

Definitions: