Chapter 12 Groups for Adolescents Prepared by: Nathaniel N Ivers, Wake Forest University Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Roadmap Groups with Adolescents Types of Groups with Adolescents Settings of Groups for Adolescents Role of Leaders in Adolescent Groups Strengths and Limitations of Adolescent Groups Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12-2 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Groups for Adolescents Adolescence Age span between 13- and 19-years-old Can be extended to individuals as old as 25years-old A time of rapid change Groups for adolescents be life saving and life changing Groups can help adolescents make a successful transition from childhood to adulthood Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12-3 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Types of Groups for Adolescents Developmental Psychoeducational Groups Nondevelopmental Counseling/Psychotherapy Groups Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12-4 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Developmental Psychoeducational Groups Focus on common concerns of young people, such as Identity Sexuality Self-management Self-advocacy Depression Parents Career goals Educational and institutional problems (Dagley & English, 2014; DeLucia-Waack, 2006) Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12-5 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Counseling/Psychotherapy Groups Nondevelopmental Counseling/Psychotherapy Groups Tend to concentrate more on concerns adolescents have with adults and society Drug and alcohol use School Problems Deviant behavior May be voluntary or mandated Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12-6 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Counseling/Psychotherapy Groups Constructive ways of handling adolescents’ negative feelings and resistance: Meet with adolescents individually before the group starts Work with the resistance that uncooperative adolescents bring rather than fighting it Respond to adolescents’ sarcasm or silence with honest, firm, and caring statements (Corey et al., 2014) Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12-7 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Setting Up Groups for Adolescents Factors to consider: Nonverbal versus verbal communication Group structure and materials Recruiting members and screening Group session length and number in group Gender and age issues Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12-8 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Role of the Group Leader Multidimensional Determined by the type of group Group leaders Model appropriate behaviors Stress importance of confidentiality Express empathy yet are firm Facilitate and control Act and trust the process Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12-9 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Role of the Group Leader Six types of responses of effective leaders: Feeling-focused responses Clarifying and summarizing responses Open-questions Facilitative feedback Simple acknowledgement Linking (Myrick, 2011) Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12-10 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Role of the Group Leader Low facilitative, less effective responses: Advice/evaluation Analyzing/interpreting Reassuring/supportive (Myrick, 2011) Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12-11 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Problems in Adolescents’ Groups Outright Disruptiveness Hesitancy to Engage with Others Polarization Monopolizing Inappropriate Risk Taking Overactivity or Giddiness Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12-12 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Strengths of Adolescents’ Groups Natural environment of learning for adolescents Can facilitate the development of life skills through modeling, role-playing, group discussions, and brief lectures (Dennis-Small, 1986; Zinck & Littrell, 2000) Can create a sense of belonging and generalizable learning Provide for multiple feedback Provide opportunities for adolescents to help out each other Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12-13 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Limitations of Adolescents’ Groups May lack appeal to motivate participants May add pressure to conform to behaviors in which adolescents not believe May not give group members enough attention If screening is not done with care, the groups may have poor group communication and interaction Legal and ethical concerns regarding parental and adolescent consent Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12-14 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved ... communication and interaction Legal and ethical concerns regarding parental and adolescent consent Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12- 14 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights... other Groups: A Counseling Specialty, 7e Samuel Gladding 12- 13 © 2016 Pearson Education, Inc All rights reserved Limitations of Adolescents’ Groups May lack appeal to motivate participants... Meet with adolescents individually before the group starts Work with the resistance that uncooperative adolescents bring rather than fighting it Respond to adolescents’ sarcasm or silence with