The advertisement below was written for Singaporeans a few years ago but fits the American scene rather well. Read and see what you think.
Dr Sweeten’s program has been selected by Ministry Of Education to train Teacher Counsellors in each Singapore school. In this seminar he will offer you to the insights developed for MOE. Including:
How to talk so students will listen
How to listen so students will talk
How to ask the right questions
How to ask questions the right way
Dealing with bad behavior in a good student
How to change a student’s mind without losing yours
How to motivate students to change
USA Crisis
The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in the USA did a survey on violence in schools. Their insights shocked the mental health experts and school leaders.
One of the most important findings had to do with the power of teachers and parents on children. There are significant benefits from positive adult interactions with youth. For example, when young people are able to simply communicate effectively with responsible adults, healthy behavioral outcomes occur. They found that:
Kids who communicate with parents and teachers are less likely to become victims of school violence. This is amazing. Simply finding an adult to talk with reduces victimization! Parents, teachers, pastors and businesspeople can be trained how to relate more effectively with each other and to young people in ways that reduces their likelihood of becoming a victim of violence. We can set up programs that make adults available for kids to be with to talk. Simple, inexpensive and effective.- Kids who are victims of school violence feel isolated from responsible adults. Of those surveyed: 29% say their parents cannot help them; 47% say that their parents do not understand their problems; 22% say that if they do talk to their parents it will get them into trouble; and 17% say their parents are too busy or simple aren't interested.
- Met Life's conclusion: The possibility that improved communication can reduce violence in and around schools is an intriguing one. It is an idea that may provide a foundation of opinion leading toward an overall solution to the problems of violence we see in schools and communities.
- The seeds of rebellious behavior, gang membership and poor school performance are also correlated with poor relationships with adults.
- Many citizens are aware of the fact that addictive behaviors are more effectively treated when spiritual issues are addressed. For example, 12 Step Groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous proclaim that alcoholism is idolatry and healing can come only when a person confesses and repents. What is not widely known is the fact that there is a great deal of research showing that other types of mental, emotional, behavioral and addictive disorders are also most effectively and efficiently treated when the Helpers recognize and deal appropriately with spiritual realities in the Client's life.
- A University Of Minnesota Medical School study in 1988 found that a majority of the psychiatric patients the studied had a strong commitment to some kind of faith and that members of the helping Professions need to take that fact into account in treatment. Dr. Elizabeth McSherry indicates that about 75% of all psychiatrically needy persons are treated in general or family practice medicine rather than a mental health specialist. This number may, in fact be greater since the advent of managed care. A great deal of the non-psychotic mental distress is related to life priorities, life style decisions, life's meaning, core values and relationships.
- Dr. Elizabeth McSherry also noted that studies at the Kaiser HMO in California found that some 60 to 80 percent of all first visits to their internal medicine outpatient clinics were non physical and non psychiatric in nature. When Kaiser referred these patients to a local "whole person" counseling center located at a local church and staffed by trained paraprofessional helpers, the annual outpatient visits for illness-care were reduced by 60 per cent to only 40 per cent of their control group's average number of visits.
posted by Gary Sweeten @ Friday, June 30, 2006
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