The Words of Change…Katherine Dillon’s blog – Demonstrating the power of voice, not violence

Violence and long-term plans with young people at the heart of them.

The heightened tensions feel strong, passionate and dangerous. Human behaviours demonstrating disregard to the social distancing laws, blinded by anger and suppressed feelings of alienation.

I believe that violence is a disease, spreading from one person to another, like a raging bush fire spreading quickly. We can use force to put the fire out, but what started the fire in the first place? By understanding that, we can begin to put measures in place to ensure there are fewer fires.

I believe that whilst punishment for the crime of violence has its place, that it is simply putting a plaster on top of the gangerus wound, only to be peeled off again when triggers arise and negative behaviours are repeated. This comes at a time when figures relating to the escalation of domestic violence and abuse in the household are alarming.

Tensions are clearly high.

It feels that large parts of our society are so broken. I am focusing on our country, the UK. Yes, it has things to be ashamed of in its history. But it also has much to be proud of. Most recently we have seen one of the best health care systems in the world which has been demonstrated in the last 12 weeks, the NHS have been moving mountains within weeks to be prepared for the onslaught of Covid 19.

We should learn from history and begin to plan our path forwards. The past cannot be changed. With the future in mind, we should be looking to the government and to ourselves to make long term plans and policies that will support sustainable healing of our wounds.

What I am wanting to convey here is; always from the place of the child, where we all begin from childhood brought in the world, vulnerable, precious beings capable of so much if supported and nurtured in those early developing years.

There is much evidence out there to support the belief that those children that have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACE) will go onto be at the most risk of committing and having involvement in crimes later in their lives. They will become perpetrators of violence to other themselves.

You cannot teach compassion and empathy, it has to be modelled by secure attachment figures (positive role models) from the very start of life.

Trauma is at the root of everything. Its paralysing influence affects so much of a young persons life in adverse ways. Children that have grown up witnessing parental separation, domestic violence, sexual /physical and verbal abuse. Unfortunately, general neglect in basic parenting responsibilities results in poor insecure attachment issues.

Today’s society is evolving and moving forward at such an alarming rate that it is desensitising human senses. Violence is everywhere and it seems to be the new normal in the media. There has been a rise in the number of gory dramas and documentaries which report on death through violence, gangs and the trafficking of children. Many often feature drug rings, how to become rich through less than honest means and corruption of those upholding the laws. Narratives of the ‘bad guys’ becoming the ‘good guys’ through learning consequences and how to make positive changes seem to have diminished.

A lot of the music that young people listen to also has a strong sense of hate and rejection which in a world that seems unsafe and insecure sends a powerful message that bad will ultimately win over good. Many young people’s belief systems can become fundamentally untrusting which drives selfish behaviours because they see no role or purpose for their life going forwards. Often they turn to violence, but violence does not have to be inevitable, enforcement will never be the answer.

At The Seeds of Change it is imperative that we get to the deep roots of the problems our young people face. By doing so this enables us to stand a chance of them avoiding their predictable paths towards a dark and violent future.

In our work, our whole approach is around intervention and engagement working with every young person as an individual demonstrating a non-judgemental, respectful and contained space in which to explore their story to date and enabling opportunities to look to the future with more optimism and hope.

A long-term plan is needed. Our young people need to be part of the plan, their voice must be heard and be at the heart of every intention. This will take vision and commitment, a recognition that change needs to happen to enable future generations of children to live within a society that is safe and again one that every citizen feels proud to be part of.

Katherine Dillion, The Seeds of Change Director

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About Katherine Dillion

Katherine started the Seeds of Change 14 years ago with her business partner Rachael Frossell. A trained counsellor and exceptionally experienced coach, Katherine pioneered the development of the Seeds of Change specialist coaching techniques and programmes using the equine facilitated approach. EAGALA trained, Katherine works with a high tariff of young people using equine therapy to address their mental health and human development needs.

The Words of Change…Katherine Dillon’s blog – EFL continuing to help the most vulnerable during COVID19

How Equine Facilitated Learning has been continuing to support the most vulnerable children in society during COVID-19.

We’ve been hearing on the national news recently that more and more vulnerable children are being drawn in to the bleak and dark underworld of child trafficking and country lines. This is a world where evil gang culture deepens its claws around innocent lives, taking children as young as 10 years old into the depraved criminal underworld. Alarming figures show the number of young girls being groomed by older gang members is on the rise due to the thinking that targeting them will cause less attention.

Innocent young lives are continuing to exist in unhappy, unsafe and insecure home environments, often with little chance of protection or escape. They’re exposed to the horrors of domestic violence, poverty, neglect and physical abuse often by the people who should be protecting them from the harsh realities of life in many sectors of our communities.

Beyond their homes children are being increasingly groomed to undertake dangerous street level work, delivering drugs, coerced into the manufacturing of drugs and forced into risky sexual activities. Often getting caught up in conflicts between vying gangs and made to endure unspeakable punishments and consequences.

As a compassionate society, this harsh reality, is surely something that we cannot continue to turn our backs on.

There are those in our society that choose to believe this problem is only affecting a minor number of Young People, sweeping such heinous activities under the carpet. Even when the media has brought more attention to the problem during subsequent weeks of lock down people may have tried to rationalise or convince themselves the problem has gone away, or think that lockdown has made it almost impossible for these gangs to carry on endangering so many lives.

Sadly, this is not the case and I take little comfort that the issue is at least being reported on and that nationally there is an increasing acknowledgement that as a society we have a huge problem that is not simply going to disappear. Like COVID-19, it’s not going away any time soon and action is needed in the form of practical solution focused interventions that lead to greater consequences and punishment that fits the crime.

This human tragedy, effectively a child slave trade it seems, is pushed around Government departments, through a system that feels disconnected to me, out of date and touch with the harsh realities that growing numbers of children are enduring.  All the while, the poverty and deprivation gap widens between those that have and those that have not.

Lock down has prevented or at least impacted on the effectiveness of intervention between support agencies and social workers abilities to make visits into homes. Meaning the true increase in numbers of victims being exploited during COVID-19 are hard to ascertain.

Travel restrictions may have impacted the county lines networking but then if the manufacturing of drugs has been made more difficult, I believe that this will only have made the violence between rival gangs worse as they experience financial challenges that threaten their dominance and presence in the communities in which they hunt for the most vulnerable prey. With the lack of support and intervention from key workers, this escalating problem will only worsen, its evil roots driving ever deeper into so many areas of daily life.

Whilst I understand that the reopening of schools has been and is complex, it is the vulnerable children in our society being the most adversely affected.

School is the place of sanctuary in many cases, feelings of sudden loss and separation from any fragment of normality, of structure, purpose and routine in their daily lives, is causing many to feel fear and experience levels of anxiety at escalating and alarming rates.

Positive adult role models, established relationships which have been formed through months and years of effort by committed teachers and support professionals have been severed, like an injured limb being torn off without pain relief.

At The Seeds of Change, we use horses as our co-coaches and deliver therapeutic and academic courses in non-judgemental, stimulating, outdoor environments. During COVID-19 we have worked hard to continue to support our Young People to maintain contact with those that could not access our provision face to face because either they didn’t fit into “the right box” or needed to isolate because of health issues that themselves or their primary carers have.

We have been determined to find a way to be “present”, meaning it has been essential to learn new skills that have allowed us to set-up secure online pathways which allow us to continue our support through videos relating to course work and the natural environment  that so may of our Young People are missing at this critical time. Alongside the videos, we have set-up an online platform and call line that enables the Young People to contact us directly if they need support or simply a familiar and friendly face to chat to.

For those that have been able to physically access our provision we have been able to socially distance in our beautiful open rural setting, working outside with the horses, following strict protocol ourselves around health and safety, hygiene and finding innovative and creative ways of working to engage Young People. This enabling them to have a space in which to express anxiety and talk through their on-going fears with our trainers, and learn strategies to support safety and healthier choices.

As professional facilitators of education and mental health intervention, our role to coach using our “Positive Parent” approach allows us to contain, enable and encourage every individual to find their own inner strengths, skills and abilities. Allowing them to grow in resilience, confidence and determination to rewrite where they are now and, so importantly, the next part of their life.

Finding different ways to understand their feelings and emotions allows our Young People to develop the ability to link behaviours and identify those links which will enable them to make different choices for themselves, regardless of the dark and dangerous influences that they are exposed to in their communities.

As an organisation, we are committed to improving the quality of life for all that are able to access us. We feel determined to stand alongside every child and adult who wants to find a different pathway to encourage them to open outwards, and seize the opportunities that will lead to a change for the better.

We remain committed and strong. It is our mission, born out of a genuine intention to help make a change for the better.

Katherine Dillion, The Seeds of Change Director

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About Katherine Dillion

Katherine started the Seeds of Change 14 years ago with her business partner Rachael Frossell. A trained counsellor and exceptionally experienced coach, Katherine pioneered the development of the Seeds of Change specialist coaching techniques and programmes using the equine facilitated approach. EAGALA trained, Katherine works with a high tariff of young people using equine therapy to address their mental health and human development needs.