Blog

The following offers some thoughts on how NVR can be utilised in response to harm that happens outside of the home.

Adolescence, for many, is a stage of thrilling opportunity and exciting possibility. It’s a chance for growing independence and asserting autonomy. To spend time with friends, hang out in new places, experiment with risks and develop an identity separate from parents/carers. For some, this exploration is taking place in contexts and relationships that are both attractive and enticing, whilst simultaneously dangerous and threatening. This pattern characterises many of the relationships of young people facing risk and harm outside of their homes and can pull young people away from safe adults who care deeply about them.

I chose this topic because it reflects the reality of my day-to-day practice and one of the most formative journeys of my professional life. Working as a Practitioner using the Non-Violent Resistance approach has repeatedly placed me alongside families living with fear, exhaustion, and profound uncertainty, they endure whilst navigating violence in the home and simultaneously facing serious risks that sit far beyond it.

Non-Violent Resistance (NVR) is an empowering, relationship-focused approach to working with young people, particularly those displaying challenging behaviours. Originally developed for parents and carers, NVR has found a powerful place within residential childcare settings. But one element often overlooked is self-care — not just for the young people, but for the carers, social workers, educators, and families forming the wider support network.

How does it feel, I wonder, to come to meet with someone like me, an NVR Therapist working in a CAMHS service, when your child is putting themselves at risk, acting in controlling and out of control ways and undermining your wishes for them as a parent in every way?

How much courage does it take to come to another “Parenting Course” and to open yourself up to meet with another stranger who is going to tell you how to manage your child when you know that other courses you have been sent on haven’t worked?

When I think about NVR, I imagine it to be a tree that grows and flourishes over many years.

The Roots: One of the main factors that has allowed me to fully embrace NVR in my thinking and my practice is that the principles of NVR are at the core roots of our team’s ethos and in the set-up and delivery of our offer within Children’s Social Care. At the heart of this are the relationships we have built within our team that are wise, caring, nurturing, compassionate and supportive. We hope to emulate these values with our colleagues and the teams we support, and which supports us to grow and hold presence within our team and with colleagues that we support.