Circles of change

In the case study, Julie and Peter have a young child who is aged 3 years. The couple has gone through a number of things in their marriage and Peter is known to have a weakness of being violent when drunk. This is, therefore, a challenge to the immediate family. Their three-year-old child is seen to get to be exposed to violence at a tender age because of Peter’s violent behavior while drunk. The risk associated to this is that they might lose their child to foster care because the Julie was admitted to the hospital as a result of the injuries sustained as a result of the domestic violence in her home (Coker, 2016).

Julie being admitted to hospital indicates that she had been put in harm’s way and this is also a risk to her child. Therefore, it is only obvious for the person assigned to Julie’s case to be concerned about her situation. Violence in the home is a problem that if not solved can lead to a more serious problem in the future such as the battered woman syndrome. The person assigned to assist Julie can offer support by helping her get help if it is divorce or counseling.

While this was being handled, there was a Child Safety Officer that was involved. A plan was given to Julie to assist her in getting herself safely as well as for her son, Robbie. However, Julie had indicated that she wanted to make things work with her husband. This is, therefore, a situation in which the violence can go in cycles. This is evident from the fact that the violence has occurred in the past. The plan that was given by the child safety officer is mainly to ensure that the Robbie and Julie are safe. The plan was given with a particular condition which is that, if violence was to be reported again, there would be a chance that Julie and Peter would lose their child. This is because exposing a child to violence can have long term effects on the child.

The children’s service sector, communities as well as the government tries to ensure that during the recruitment and selection process they get qualified and motivated employees. For the young children and families to get high-quality services, it will have to come done to the employees of the organization (Druehl, Magro& Wolf, 2014). Working with children requires individuals that are patient enough to interact and understand them at their level this needs for one to be of patience. The circles of change are one of the strategies that have taken a key interest in supporting as well as preparing the development of knowledge and skills in the way the practitioners’ deliver their service.

The main aim that COC (Circle of Change) was created with is that it has an innovative way in the way that it handles supervision, locating problems, assessing work, management of a large number of university based children and their families. The main goal of COC is to bring the different individuals from professionals, students to academics to be able to have a democratic discussion (Denzin & Lincoln, 2000). This is an important process as it helps students in a number of ways including; getting ways to work in a difficult sector, it ensures that the professionals are well skilled to deliver the services, gives room for individuals to learn from each other and lastly it provides an efficient work integrated learning model.

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The model of Circle of Change operates by having a number of people grouped together between six to fifteen individuals. This fact is usually important as it can give good room for individuals to reflect critically and challenge each other for the better. It is important for individuals to be able to challenge and think critically about how they solve or handle different situations this is positive as one will be in a position to be an insightful thinker (Grzesiak, 1981). To do this, one will need to analyze a situation keenly and deeply to get to assess the root of the problem. If an issue is not solved from its core, it is likely to keep recurring. These layers of many questions are what make it be an activity that is highly skilled.

A key part of the highly skilled activity involves one using, memories, senses as well as their feelings. The model of critical reflection is one that is quite important just as the structure of the circle (Watling & Crawford, 2010). This model involves deconstruction, confronting and then theorizing. This aspect is an important one as it shows people the importance of informing their thoughts through a number of multiple perspectives in a good order. First, it is important to deconstruct. This point refers to getting the main tenets together of the theory and then later one governing the particular practices. Secondly, it is to confront the social, personal and any other systemic issue that might have been there. This, therefore, indicates that issues can be faced head-on and handling the issues that may be seen to be tough. This stage is important particularly on a day to day basis as one is handling the various challenges that arise in the work place and need to be sorted instantly (Hepburn, 2002).

Thirdly, it is to theorize, this indicates the importance of one considering the practice that is there at all the levels as well as questioning the various issues by analyzing broadly. It is therefore important for individuals to synchronize theory and practice as well as its application. Whatever one has learnt in theory is the same thing that they will use to apply in practice. Lastly, it is important for individuals to think otherwise. This therefore means that it is important for individuals to go beyond the ordinary in their thoughts and also have a way of handling their thoughts. This is important because when one thinks out of the ordinary, they are likely to get very many opinions, professional ideas and so forth.

Therefore, in the work integrated spaces of learning, individuals are given sheets that have series of questions that they can ask themselves to help them be in a position to think critically. These questions are often important and they are used during the debriefing process. One of the importances of this model is that it has improved the quality of work that individuals are now providing as well as their responsiveness.

A more effective participation of notions of deconstruction is necessary for critical consciousness as well as justice. In the children service sector, this is quite an important rule. Cases where deconstruction is taken lightly can bring about understanding and knowledge on the various accounts of truth that need to be challenged. It is therefore important to understand power, justice as well as the reflective process (Martikke, 2003). Going back to the case study and deconstructing would indicate a number of things. Julie has been bartered to the extent of being hospitalized. The violence happened in their own home with their child present. This is therefore quite critical as it is not proper for a child to witness such as thing. Peter’s behavior is likely to recur because he has been violent in the past and even taken to jail as a result. This is definitely a situation that needs to be handle so as to avoid an individual going through the same or even worse situations (Maehara, 2015).. It is therefore, important for individuals to have a safety plan. Violence in the home is not allowed and is improper; the proper thing to do is to find solutions for the situation. In this process, one can ensure they consider the various things or ways in which individuals’ value. The values and beliefs that one holds can also come in handy in this stage.

While confronting, it is important to find out the things that can challenge an individual’s thinking. It is also important to address the social, personal or the various systematic ways that one can think of or be considered as difficult. The thing that could be considered as difficult or tricky to handle in this case is how to approach Julie to get professional help. The case would have been to divorce or separate or even taking legal action. This case is sensitive to approach because Julie is still saying that she is in love with her husband therefore there is a protective aspect that she has. After all, Julie is still protective of her child (Wildavsky, 2007). Therefore, it is a tricky situation to handle as one should be able to strike a balance to ensure the safety of not only the child but also the mother.

Theorize is one aspect that is important when thinking of getting to critically make questions. Theories can help an individual get much more understanding about a situation then the knowledge that is received can be used to apply in the situation that one is facing. Albert Bandura is the man that is behind the Social learning theory (Bandura, 2007). This theory focuses on how behavior is learned and it indicates that behavior is learned in two ways; by observing other individuals which are known as modeling and also by individual’s behavior being rewarded.

Various researchers are of the notion that if a child observes violence in their home or generally in the environment, there is a high chance that in future; the child is likely to turn out to become violent.  The pattern of learned aggression is what is often termed as the cycle of violence (Huang, 2016). Various findings are seen to indicate that approximately, twenty to thirty percent of neglect victims and child abuse end up being involved in criminal behavior or an abusive behavior. There are a number of effects that an individual that has been abused of been around abuse can face (Walko, 2005). These effects include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, memory impairment, difficulties parenting, re-victimization, and sexual difficulties.

In the case study of Julie, it is important to understand the things that are happening more so in a critical way. Peter being violent towards the Julie is not good especially in front of their child. There is the risk of the child learning by observation and also associated risks in the future such as re-victimization. This is, therefore, something that a practitioner could critically think of the consequences and there after study or understand the theory that is associated with it as well as put it into practice (Macfarlane, 2010).

Think otherwise is the last approach. It is necessary for individual or practitioners to be able to think otherwise. This is, therefore, to indicate that individuals or practitioners could get a summation of various concepts and ideas but still think beyond it (Livingston &Kurkjian, 2005). The group of up to 15 students and professionals can always challenge an individual though and in this case, one can find a way to do things in a different way. However, it is important for an individual to realize that when one thinks otherwise, they are still expected to have reconstructive thoughts.

The circle of change is, therefore, very important since it is what created a conducive climate that would allow for individuals to interact and share their intellectual knowledge. Having the ability to think critically is very important for a practitioner as it improves the practitioner’s ability to critically reflect on cases in the field (Vetere& Cooper, 2003).