“ But it ’ s not my fault! ”

1. Cognitive Behavioral Interventions with Youthful Offenders “But it’s not my fault!” Dr. Steve Parese Danbury, NC

2. Today’s Agenda 1. What predicts criminality? Which interventions work best? 2. What is Cognitive Skills Instruction? How do we use it? 3. What is Cognitive Restruct-uring? How do we use it?

3. Part 1: Predicting Criminality Is it possible to predict which youth are most likely to become habitual offenders later in life? And if so, does that mean we can intervene?

4. Predictors of Criminality What elements of ENVIRONMENTand/orPERSONALITY most accurately predict later criminality? Based on research by Paul Gendreau, 1996 through NIC Academy, Longmont, CO.

5. What Predicts Criminality? #6: Low Levels of Personal Achievement(academic, vocational, etc.) Based on research by Paul Gendreau, 1996 through NIC Academy, Longmont, CO.

6. What Predicts Criminality? #5: Criminality and Psychological Problemsin Family of Origin Based on research by Paul Gendreau, 1996 through NIC Academy, Longmont, CO.

7. What Predicts Criminality? #4: History of Antisocial Behaviorfrom an early age Based on research by Paul Gendreau, 1996 through NIC Academy, Longmont, CO.

8. What Predicts Criminality? #3: Temperament & Personality Factors(poor impulsive or anger management, poor insight, etc.) Based on research by Paul Gendreau, 1996 through NIC Academy, Longmont, CO.

9. What Predicts Criminality? #2: Association with antisocial peers Isolation from prosocial peers Based on research by Paul Gendreau, 1996 through NIC Academy, Longmont, CO.

10. What Predicts Criminality? #1: Antisocial and procriminal attitudes Based on research by Paul Gendreau, 1996 through NIC Academy, Longmont, CO.

11. B. What Actually Works? Which approach has the greatest success?

12. So What Works? 1. Psychotherapy Minimal impact on institutional adjustment 1% reduction in recidivism

13. So What Works? 2. Behavior Management Immediate but fading impact on institutional adjustment 10% reduction in recidivism

14. So What Works? 3. Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention Gradual impact on institutional adjustment 30% -50% reduction in recidivism

15. Key Point #1 The strongest predictor of criminality is antisocial thinking. As a result, the most effective approaches are cognitive behavioral interventions (CBI), which target antisocial thinking and help high-risk youth learn prosocial skills for handling challenging situations.

16. Part 2: Cognitive Skills Instruction Cognitive Skills Instruction is used when antisocial behavior is due primarily to a lack of prosocial skills.

17. TEACH NEW PROSOCIAL SKILLS Cognitive Skills Instruction = NEW TOOLS

18. Cognitive Life Skills What personal and interpersonal life skills are needed to succeed in today’s world -- without aggression or manipulation? Work in groups to brainstorm your ideas.

19. Cognitive Life Skills What personal and interpersonal life skills are needed to succeed in today’s world? • 1. SOCIAL SKILLS • Starting a conversation • Apologizing • Giving a compliment Drawn from “The Prepare Curriculum” by Arnold Goldstein

20. Cognitive Life Skills What personal and interpersonal life skills are needed to succeed in today’s world? • 2. DEALING W/STRESS • Controlling your anger • Making a complaint • Dealing with accusation Drawn from “The Prepare Curriculum” by Arnold Goldstein

21. Cognitive Life Skills What personal and interpersonal life skills are needed to succeed in today’s world? • 3. UNDERSTANDING FEELINGS • Expressing your feelings • Understanding others’ feelings • Dealing with others’ anger Drawn from “The Prepare Curriculum” by Arnold Goldstein

22. Cognitive Life Skills What personal and interpersonal life skills are needed to succeed in today’s world? • 4. PLANNING SKILLS • Identifying the problem • Setting a goal • Gathering information Drawn from “The Prepare Curriculum” by Arnold Goldstein

23. How to teach PROSOCIAL SKILLS

24. How to teach PROSOCIAL SKILLS 1. DESCRIBE IT Break the skill into simple steps. Provide a clear rationale for learning the skill.

25. How to teach PROSOCIAL SKILLS 2. SHOW IT Provide a dramatic instructor demonstration in a realistic setting.

26. How to teach PROSOCIAL SKILLS 3. TRY IT Guide student skill practice in personally relevant and realistic role plays.

27. How to teach PROSOCIAL SKILLS 4. COACH IT Provide feedback and coaching from peers and instructors.

28. How to teach PROSOCIAL SKILLS 5. PRACTICE IT Practice the skill in real life situations. Process these attempts in later sessions.

29. How To Handle Criticism What are the essential steps of this skill? Work in groups to brainstorm your ideas. 1. _________________________ 2. _________________________ 3. _________________________ 4. _________________________ 5. _________________________

30. How To Handle Criticism What are the essential steps of this skill? Work in groups to brainstorm your ideas. 1. Stop & Think 2. Listen Carefully 3. Show You Understand 4. Ask for Their Solution 5. Tell Your Side

31. Key Point #2 Youthful offenders have often never learned the prosocial skills that are necessary to manage social situations without manipulation and/or violence. Cognitive skills instruction teaches skills such as self-control, effective communication, and problem solving through a dynamic process of demonstration and role-playing.

32. Part 3: Cognitive Restructuring Cognitive Restructuring is used when antisocial behavior is due primarily to entrenched antisocial beliefs.

33. CHALLENGE OLD ANTISOCIAL ATTITUDES Cognitive Restructuring= NEW RULES

34. Antisocial Distortions • 1. Self Centeredness • Focusing exclusively on own needs, feelings, or perspective. Disregarding those of others. • 2. Blaming Others • Putting responsibility onto others, society, bad mood, etc. Seeing self as a victim of others or fate. Source: Gibbs, J. C., Potter, G. H., & Goldstein, A. P. (1995). The EQUIP Program. Champaign, IL: Research Press.

35. Antisocial Distortions • 3. Minimizing/Mislabeling • Understating the seriousness of actions, or labeling others in belittling or dehumanizing terms. • 4. Assuming the Worst • Attributing hostile intentions or fixating on negative outcomes. Assuming improvement is impossible. Source: Gibbs, J. C., Potter, G. H., & Goldstein, A. P. (1995). The EQUIP Program. Champaign, IL: Research Press.

36. Antisocial Distortions A. “It wasn’t that bad. I could have broken his nose and all I did was push him.” B. “Why should I feel bad? Everyone knows she’s a @#$%-ing whore.” Minimizing/Mislabeling Minimizing/Mislabeling 36

37. Antisocial Distortions C. “You have to look out for number one. Nobody else will.” D. “Give me a break! I was having a bad day -- what do you want? Actually, this never would have happened if my teacher hadn’t ....” Self-Centeredness Blaming Others 37

38. Antisocial Distortions E. “I saw the way she looked at me. She was getting ready to bust on me, make me look bad.” F. “Rules are meant for other people, not for me.” Assuming the Worst Self-Centeredness 38

39. Antisocial Distortions G. “I’ll @#$% up regardless, so why put in the effort? It’s hopeless. I’m just like my father.” H. “It’s not my fault he got hurt. He should have been watching where he was going.” Assuming the Worst Blaming Others 39

40. How to challenge ANTISOCIAL ATTITUDES BENIGN CONFRONTATION A cognitive counseling technique which leads youth to an uncomfortable level of self-awareness regarding their justifications.

41. Benign Confrontation Methodology • LISTEN • SUMMARIZE • 3.CHALLENGE RULES

42. “Where I come from you can’t let someone talk to you like that…” “ZINGERS” You can CHALLENGE a justification by SEPARATING LAWS OF: 1. Street vs School Help youth see that what might be acceptable at home or on the streets is NOT acceptable in school/program.

43. Benign Confrontatio Separating Street vs School “Now I want you to think about this while I take an important call.... “I understand that on the streets, you might have to take matters into your own hands. On the streets, there’s no one there to protect you, so you have to take care of yourself. But here in this program, things are different. Here, the staff are paid to keep kids safe.... “Where I come from…”

44. “He asked for it, he got what he deserved…” “ZINGERS” You can CHALLENGE a justification by APPEALING TO: 2. CHARACTER Help youth gain empathy for the other person by appealing to his better nature.

45. Benign Confrontation by Appealing to Character “I have another matter to deal with, but when I get back we’re going to talk more about this.... “I can see that there’s a part of you that thinks Richard deserves what he got. But there’s another part of you -- a kinder part of you -- that knows quite well that you went overboard. You were so helpful last week when I needed someone to do that tour. Where was that boy today?” “He asked for it, he got what he deserved…”

46. “It was worth it to teach that punk a lesson…” “ZINGERS” You can CHALLENGE a justification by APPEALING TO: 3. SELF-INTEREST Help the youth see how his choice was not in his own long-term best interest

47. Benign Confrontation by Appealing to Self-Interest “I need to use the men’s room, but I’ll be right back. Why don’t you think on this for a minute?” “So you’re saying that it was worth it all to put that aggravating classmate of yours in his place. I can see where you got some satisfaction by giving him a black eye... But look at all the consequences you have to deal with now! You’ll be confined to your room, unable to watch tonight’s movie, and restricted from playing in the basketball tournament. Honestly, I’m surprised. I’ve always thought you were way too smart to lose your temper this way.” “It was worth it to teach that punk a lesson…”

48. “What’s the big deal? I was only borrowing those tools...” “ZINGERS” You can CHALLENGE a justification by: 4. RELABELING Behavior Relabel the youth’s antisocial behavior in more accurate terms.

49. Benign Confrontation by Relabeling Behavior “I have to say, I’m disappointed. You have $20 worth of tools, and all it cost you was the respect I used to have for you. Think about it for a minute....” “You can say you were only ‘borrowing’ those tools from the auto tech shop, but we both know what happened. Mr. Johnson had to leave for a minute, and you took advantage of that moment to walk off with something that wasn’t yours. That’s not ‘borrowing,’ it’s STEALING... and you know it too.” “I was only borrowing those tools...”

50. Key Point #3 Many at-risk youth use distorted thinking to justify their antisocial choices, avoiding guilt and remorse for hurtful behavior. Cognitive restructuring creates an ‘uncomfortable level of self-awareness’ in them, bringing thinking to the surface and often motivating behavioral change as well.