This Much I Know: Reflections on 25 Years of Research on Violence

Jane F. Gilgun, Ph.D., LICSW Professor, School of Social Work University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA Issues from the Frontline of Sexual Assault Melbourne, Australia 24 November 2011

Topics
Values What I Wanted to Know What I Did to Learn I Learned More than I Bargained For Sex Specific Violence What Makes a Difference What to do
Your

way My way

Values-Driven Research
Care Justice

Values-Driven Research
Care Justice

because I was aware of abuses of power

What I Wanted to Know

The Meanings of Violence to Perpetrators The Development of Violent Behaviors How Persons Overcome Risks for Violence

Why

Prevention Treatment

What I Did To Learn

What I Did to Learn

Case Study Research Reflective Practice

Sample of Research Projects

Sexual Abuse of the Young Female in Life Course Perspective Gender Role and the Development of Sexually Abusive Behaviors Toward Children Readiness to Graduate from Family Incest Treatment Programs

More
The

Development of Violent Behaviors That includes

The meanings of violence to perpetrators How persons overcome adversities

and More
Evaluation of a Womens Prison Treatment Program CornerHouse Formative Evaluation Minnesota Prison Inmate Survey Clinical Assessment Tools for Children and Their Families Minneapolis Crisis Nursery Intake Tool

and More
The 4-D Hennepin County Adoption Project ACE Research for Social Marketing Campaign to Encourage HelpSeeking Mothers Perspectives on the Sexual Abuse of their Children Evaluation of CornerHouse Interview

Products

Clinical Assessment Tools

Readiness

to Graduate from Incest Treatment Programs The CASPARS The 4-D Risk Assessment in Child Welfare Doing Something Stupid Checklist
The

NEATS

Products
Lemons or Lemonade Deductive Qualitative Analysis The Four Cornerstones of Evidence-Based Practice Process Model of Interpersonal Violence

Learned More Than I Had Bargained For

Violence is about me and you.

Learned More Than I Had Bargained For

Violence is about me and you Degrees of harm

Learned More Than I Had Bargained For

Violence is about me and you Degrees of harm Automatic protective processes for Some

Stimulus, Dysregulation, Outcome

Stimuli Hot Buttons Dysregulation Search for Coping Strategies Human Agency/Automatic Activation of Schemas Outcomes Pro-social Anti-Social
i

Selfdestructive

Inappropriate

Learned More Than I Had Bargained For

Violence is about me and you Degrees of harm Automatic protective processes for Some Choices, but limited choices

Learned More Than I Had Bargained For

Violence is about me and you Degrees of harm Automatic protective processes for some Choices, but limited choices Subjective meanings of violence

Learned More Than I Had Bargained For

Violence is about me and you Degrees of harm Automatic protective processes For some Choices, but limited choices Subjective meanings of violence Instrumental meanings of violence

Learned More Than I Had Bargained For

Violence is about me and you Degrees of harm Automatic protective processes For some Choices, but limited choices Subjective meanings of violence Instrumental meanings of violence We are flawed human beings

Learned More Than I Had Bargained For

We are flawed human beings We do wrong What to do?
Realize

what we have done Admit what we have done Take responsibility Be accountable Show contrition Do reparations/repairs

What Makes the Difference?

Secure Attachments

What Makes the Difference?

Secure Attachments to Prosocial Persons

What Makes the Difference?

Secure Attachments to Prosocial Persons

Secure Attachments to Prosocial Persons Lead to

Prosociality
Inner

working models

Beliefs
Behaviours

Automatic activation of protective processes

Secure Attachments to Prosocial Persons Lead to

Optimal brain development Good executive functions Good self-regulation skills Likelihood of seeking safe havens when stressed or traumatized

Executive Functions
Problem-Solving Big Picture
Consequences Consequences

for Self for Others

Short & long-term Short & long-term

Justice & Care as Values

Executive Functions
Importance of Challenging Desired Courses of Action in Terms of Justice Care Consequences

Secure Attachments to Prosocial Persons Lead to

Inner working models & beliefs that

connect to our enjoyment of fantasizing about violence help us see the efficacy of violence

DO help us see the long-term

damage of short-term solutions lead to high-road responses

From LeDoux (1996)

Secure Attachments to Prosocial Persons Lead to

Development

of capacities for Critical self-reflection based upon justice & care Clarity about ourselves as flawed human beings Willingness to challenge our own beliefs & behaviours Willingness to challenge the beliefs & behaviours of others

Why Sex-Specific Violence?

Some people are sexualized Some people come upon the emotional & sexual gratification of sex The perfect storm

o o o o

entitlements do unto others emotional & sexual gratification tunnel vision

o no

corrective experiences

Summary
Values of Justice & Care Violence infused in all of us Some people have protective processes that outweigh risks Protective processes
Based

upon secure attachment relationships

Inner working models Beliefs Corrective experiences

Summary

Protective processes
Automatic Based

upon secure attachment relationships to prosocial persons

Inner working models Beliefs Corrective experiences Lead to capacities for executive skills

& self-regulation skills

What to do?
I have no idea

What to do?

Evaluate ourselves
Reflective practice

Self-Care Do not kid ourselves Know we know nothing Change our beliefs

How to do this? I have no idea

How to do this?
Treatment
If people who do not act out their pro-violence strategies have automatic protective processes, how can service users develop automatic protective processes?

How to do this?
Responses
How does what we do lead to conditions where service users can develop automatic protective processes?

What to do?
Evaluate our intervention programs Evaluate our prevention programs Examine policies, beliefs, socialization practice

Framework for Evaluation

Justice & Care Self-evaluation Group evaluation Common language
Are

our responses to issues related to sexual abuse & assault like blind men & elephants

Framework for Evaluation

Common language
Whos

the master? Whose interests are we serving? Big picture in terms of whose best interest? Common understandings?
Core ideas
Assessment: NEATS or something else Intervention: Actions to take

Framework for Evaluation

Common understandings?
Core ideas
Assessment: NEATS or something else Intervention: Actions to take

Whos on what page?

How to do this?
Do it your way

My Way
Values-Based Self-Reflection Self-Care or Stop Doing the Research On-Going Dialogue
Case

Study Research Research of others Experiences of service providers Experiences of service users

My Way

On-Going Revisions of Understandings Dissemination

Your Way?

Extras

The Effects of Protective Factors on Human Functioning After Trauma

Jane Gilgun, Ph.D., LICSW

emotion cognition memory sympathetic nervous system

Time