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I was talking with my husband the other nite about what it meant for me to be working in a group home setting where there was the potential for individuals to become sexually aggressive.This scares the hell out of me.No matter how educated,how capable,how ready I am for such a response from a client, theres a little voice inside of me saying that it would be very bad, and theres a freezing sensation.
My husband responded this way ~ Im almost certain it was a "fear" response as he really does not like to feel as though he can not control an outcome from a potentially dangerous situation where I could get hurt~ was that he feels I should become more "calloused" to such remarks & behaviours, rise above them, dont let them get to me.Even though such behaviour freezes me to the core & freaks the hell out of me.He knows that as he has seen the flashbacks & been through the nightmares.
I dont think that you can BE a survivor & become calloused.I dont think that no matter how far you are into healing that if someone came at you, you couldnt "rise above" it to the point where it wouldnt matter.
Just thoughts...Im sure that there will be more to this as I move into the new position..
My husband responded this way ~ Im almost certain it was a "fear" response as he really does not like to feel as though he can not control an outcome from a potentially dangerous situation where I could get hurt~ was that he feels I should become more "calloused" to such remarks & behaviours, rise above them, dont let them get to me.Even though such behaviour freezes me to the core & freaks the hell out of me.He knows that as he has seen the flashbacks & been through the nightmares.
I dont think that you can BE a survivor & become calloused.I dont think that no matter how far you are into healing that if someone came at you, you couldnt "rise above" it to the point where it wouldnt matter.
Just thoughts...Im sure that there will be more to this as I move into the new position..
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Just some thoughts.....
When working with sexually aggressive individuals there are certain precautions you can take. For one thing, you can make sure not to be alone with clients who have a history of this type of behavior. For another thing, you may want to learn some restraining techniques incase you ever need them. There are classes available on this kind of thing, geared specifically towards people in helping professions. It's important to have good communication with your coworkers and to discuss how sexually aggressive behavior is dealt with in your particular group home. Sometimes it can be helpful to have walkie talkies that you keep with you (concealed, but with you) so that if you need backup you can call on the walkie talkie. Also, no matter what happens with a client, if you cannot handle the situation on your own and they are overpowering you, call for help. It's okay to call 9-1-1. Your safety is number one priority. A good group home works consistantly with clients on establishing healthy boundaries and helping them to learn what is appropriate or not. Those are things you can work on with clients as well, as a preventative measure. It might also be helpful for you to work with a therapist and talk about your fears to make sure that the transference and counter-transference between you and the residents is healthy, and so that you can construct safety plans for yourself if you need to.
Take gentle care....
Anne
take care,
Gabe