BOYS’ EMOTIONAL NEEDS

Description

This workshop gives an opportunity to focus on the emotional needs of boys and how to meet these. We lift the lid on an emerging urgent inclusion issue,namely meeting the emotional needs of boys. Everyone knows a boy. They may be pupil, son, brother, parent or partner. Boys when they become adults are over represented in the prison, and mental health system.

Course Category

Meeting emotional needs

Description

This workshop gives an opportunity to focus on the emotional needs of boys and how to meet these. We lift the lid on an emerging urgent inclusion issue,namely meeting the emotional needs of boys. Everyone knows a boy. They may be pupil, son, brother, parent or partner. Boys when they become adults are over represented in the prison, and mental health system. In one recent year 1300 young men committed suicide in the UK. In the UK the commonest cause of death among those aged 16-35 is suicide. Three men for every one woman kill themselves every year (Guardian, June 2006). 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence and 2 women a week are killed by a current or ex partner. Boys and men are a major concern. We need to find ways to allow them to unclench their hearts and learn to experience, process, communicate and manage their own emotional lives for their own and for the good of the wider community.

Testimonials

‘Thanks for a super day, lots of good ideas for our citizens of the future. We need to offer them the best and what we would offer our own children’??

‘Enjoyed the day very much. Brilliant ideas and lots of food for thought. Will use the solution circle. A great tool!’

‘went well and the ethos/participation was commendably facilititated. well done’.

‘Wonderful day!’

‘Still getting lots of positive messages this end.’

Learning Objectives

1. Increased understanding of boys’ emotional needs
2. Access to a wider range of practical strategies to impact on meeting emotional and behaviour problems
3. Deeper understanding of core values surrounding inclusion of boys
4. Opportunity to reflect on professional attitudes and behaviour towards boys and their emotional challenges
5. New skills and processes to make boys’ inclusion and achievement more successful

Who Is It For ?

• Early years and school based practitioners
• Key workers
• Teaching Assistants with support roles
• Heads and deputies
• SENCOs
• Advanced skills teachers
• Primary and secondary classroom teachers
• Parents
• Local authority support services

Course Content

The course explores the questions :

• Is there a problem with boys?
• What can we do to meet the emotional needs of boys?
• What helps?
• What should our priority be with boys?

This workshop will explore:

• Cultural and historical expectations of boys in our society
• Shared experiences of teaching and parenting boys
• Circle of Courage as away of understanding emotional needs
• Fathers, mothers and sons
• Drinking and drugs: filling the emotional void
• Depression and suicide
• Anger and violence
• Solution Circle Problem Solving around boys needs
• What boys really need