Dealing with children is a sensitive activity that requires good communication from the adult parties involved. Communication with children can be termed effective or non-effective by studying the general body language of the children as they interact with others. This essay will analyze and develop the appropriate ways to communicate with children by analyzing the video clip ‘Unloved’ by Tony Grison, where different social workers handle an eleven-year-old girl named Lucy. The first social worker Vicky, a White British support worker, takes her time to know Lucy and takes her shopping in her car; she makes Lucy comfortable and genuinely helps Lucy feel relaxed and comfortable. On the other hand, the second social worker, Jackie, is solely interested in filling out the paperwork and ignores every other gesture or question that is not beneficial for her paperwork, and her interaction with Lucy is ineffective. To effectively analyze the described scenario, there will be an application of theoretical approaches, including narrative therapy, Cognitive-behavioral therapy, and psychodynamic therapy, to comprehensively determine the communication dynamics of the social workers with Lucy.
Three main psychological perspectives are evident in the film that propels the success and failure of the two professionals in our case study. To begin with, Vicky largely applies the narrative therapy theory when dealing with Lucy. According to Ilame, this theory involves the creation of a meaningful conversation with the child, such as storytelling, to create a comfortable environment for them to speak their mind freely (2020). While driving, she engages Lucy in a conversation about religion, which puts Lucy at ease as she expresses her belief. Additionally, there is evidence of cognitive behavior theory observed by Vicky but ignored by Jackie, and the results are seen in Lucy’s reaction to each conversation. By observing Lucy’s body language, Vicky could tell that Lucy desires the kind of treatment that she sees other kids get at the store, and this prompts her to buy a new pair of shoes and a coat for her, and this uplifts the conversation that the engage in after that. Lastly, the psychodynamic theory focuses on the personality of individuals and is shaped by the psychological processes such as desires, fears, and traumas that an individual has in their lives. This aspect greatly affects individuals’ level and interaction with each other as it shapes their personalities.
Communication theories and models categorize the type of interactions people have based on the nature of the conversation. To correctly classify a particular communication theory, it is mandatory to analyze the whole scheme of interaction, paying attention to all participants’ verbal and non-verbal cues. Additionally, classification can be based on the social and cultural norms of the people involved in the exchange. In the film Unloved, several communication models and theories can be pinpointed from Lucy’s interaction with the two social workers. These models include The Gesture theory, Transactional Theory, Role Theory, Schons model, and Carl Rodgers’s model of person-centered communication.
To begin with, the gesture theory can be used to analyze the communication skills in this scenario. This model involves total observation of individual non-verbal cues and then judging the effectiveness of the communication being held. When talking to Vickie, Lucy laughs, smiles, and is playful, but with Jackie, she is seen to be in a still posture, restless, and her face appears dull. This can be used to conclude that she enjoys talking and sharing her experiences with Vickie but not Jackie. The transactional theory of communication is also evident in this case. This theory can be described as the communication rapport generated when people interact. This can be analyzed by checking how people send or receive information. This theory has majored in the complete observation and interpretation of non-verbal cues of the other person. The analysis can be made by observing people’s responses to certain situations after interacting with them on the same issue. In our case, for instance, Jackie fails to get through to Lucy effectively, which is evident by Lucy’s frowning and slouching posture during their talk. On the hand, Vickie has had a successful implementation of this theory, as Lucy is seen to be cheerful and lively throughout their interaction.
Role theory is a communication strategy that helps understand other people’s expectations and cultural practices in their daily lives. It becomes evident, especially when therapists have to assume certain personalities so that they can understand the situations of their clients better and help them deal with them appropriately. Vicky is seen to spend much time with Lucy, and eventually, she gets to create a very good communication sit down with Lucy as she understands how Lucy lives and some of her life perspectives. On the other hand, Jackie has no effort to subject herself to the place of Lucy and understands her scheme of life and ends up casually conversing with Lucy, which results in a strained conversation for them. Studying the cultural background of the other individual improves communication levels and avoids utterances that may make the other person uncomfortable, as is the case in the second interview.
Consequently, Schons Theory is also evident in this case. According to Schoon 1991, individuals can create a meaningful conversation by stimulating responses during the interaction (inaction) or after the event (on the action). In her interview with Jackie, Lucy is forced to reflect on her current situation with her parents and relatives, prompting her to ask about her mother. Based on this theory, this particular instance makes Lucy think about her current situation, learn from it and make strategies for coping with it. This leads to the development of strong cognitive skills of mental response and critical thinking for the girl. The concept of attachment theory can also be used to describe the relationship between lucy and her first social worker. Although the two starts as strangers, they grow fond of each other, have a lively chat while driving, and embark on a joyous shopping spree. Lucy is also seen to love Vicky’s gifts just before the interview. This is a healthy relationship between the practitioner and the child, as there is a great room to help the child have positive psychological development.
Lastly, Carl Rodger’s person-centered theory is an application to this case. According to the theory, the social worker should be attentive to the individual’s experiences and work to build a relationship. The core belief of this theory is that individuals can achieve self-actualization mindsets for their psychological well-being and that their therapists/counselors should provide a safe environment for them to explore their emotions and thoughts in a safe space (Witty & Adomaitis, 2014). The first therapist utilizes this strategy by allowing Lucy to speak her mind on religion and, later on, allowing her to select the type of design she wishes for her shoes. On the other hand, Jackie has no regard for the self-development of Lucy as she quickly dismisses the personal question that Lucy asks as she is solely focused on getting the answers based on the booklet she carries. According to Hodgkins, the theory of the person-centered approach is the most effective form of counseling for social workers (2022). It focuses on creating a strong connection between the social worker and the other individual, and this relationship is usually aimed at supporting people in positive personal growth and self-empowerment. As seen in Vicky’s and Lucy’s relations, practitioners should create healthy relationships with their clients, help them learn about themselves, and create strong psychological independence.
Interpersonal communication is influenced by the power dynamic illustrated by the power-control and power-influence theory concepts. The concept of power control suggests that people with authority often have more influence, and their presence and activities are conducted officially with utmost seriousness (Redhead & Power, 2022). This can be seen in the case of the second social worker, whose interview was strictly official, and she stood out to be a person of high by the way she spoke, wore, and displayed general conduct. The first social worker demonstrates the second concept of power-control theory. The concept indicates that people in authority can determine the scope of a conversation and its outcome (Redhead & Power, 2022). While Vicky chose to be friendly with Lucy, she achieved incredible results from the interaction, unlike Jackie, who remained rigid and strict in her verbal and nonverbal communication, which led to an ineffective conversation with the young girl. Both concepts impact power and authority during communication, and mastery can lead to improved communication.
Based on the theoretical analysis, it is clear that the second social worker needed to be better equipped to handle the case of the eleven-year-old Lucy. She ought to embrace improvements to be a more effective social worker. She could learn to be friendly with children and adopt a friendly language to avoid instilling fear in the children involved, as this was the case with Lucy. Additionally, she could learn how to make the conversation person-centered get to know and the child personally rather than rushing to fill out the paperwork. Lastly, the social worker should pay more attention to her social etiquette and revisit social skills as she even fails to greet Lucy, yet it was their first encounter.
According to Bernard, conducting interviews with children is an activity that requires one to be very sensitive in the way the interviewers handle the young interviewees ( 2020). He states that just like any other type of interview, several barriers may hinder effective communication between the social worker and the child in the context, as is our case. The age difference is one of the greatest problems that may be encountered. When social workers are not accustomed to dealing with young children, they often address them as adults, creating a barrier in the communication relay. In our scenario, for instance, the second interviewer addresses Lucy very strictly and uprightly. This created tension with the child as her consequent actions of a dull face and short answers resulted from this approach.
Additionally, cultural differences are a great communication barrier, and people have to make an effort to understand and accept the other individual’s way of life and eventually make an effort to foster good communication with them. In the clip, we see Vickie make an effort to prepare her interviewee something to eat, a gesture that makes Lucy more friendly, and this could imply that she was not used to such kind gestures in her life. The effort that Vickie makes bridges a cultural norm and makes Lucy more comfortable and relaxed around her.
In addition to that, mistrust can result in communication barriers between individuals. In the film, when Jackie becomes professionally official, there is evident tension from the tone that Lucy uses with her, unlike with Vickie, where she is open and even dares to speak of subjects that do not involve religion, such as shoes. She trusted and enjoyed Vickie, which can be seen with every interaction, from the care to the shopping stores. The power dynamic is a potential communication barrier between a child and a social worker, as the child may feel intimidated by the authority of the adult and tend to be uptight. As seen in Jackie’s case, a weak rapport is created between them, resulting in poor communication. Lastly, an emotional difference can cause a strained communication thread between individuals as the social worker may fail to understand the child’s emotional needs, and the child may be too scared to express their feelings.
To overcome the challenges mentioned above, interviewers should learn how to bridge the age differences and adopt a language that favors the complexity of the interviewee’s age. Additionally, they ought to conduct a cultural search of their clients before the interview to understand the culture and practices of the interviewees to avoid making comments that may upset the other person. Despite the interviewer having power/authority, they ought to create a friendly and comfortable environment that does not intimidate the interviewee into being free to trust them enough to offer the required information for the interview. Overall, social workers should understand that the children in the children’s homes are accustomed to living in the monetized and authoritative environment, and many of them end up uptight and should therefore create a very friendly environment for them to be resourceful in their responses.
From the case study above, it is clear that children’s communication is propelled by the adult handling them. When Vicky dealt with Lucy, she handled her in a friendly manner. She treated her regarding her young age, resulting in a very healthy conversation between the two, as demonstrated throughout the essay. However, the second social worker creates a very hostile and unfriendly environment, resulting in a strained conversation that disadvantages Lucy. The clip demonstrates how different people handle and treat children in homes and how this affects the children’s behaviors and responses around them. Adults that deal with children ought to understand that they control the psychological perspectives of children by how they address them and should therefore create a healthy environment of person-centeredness.
In conclusion, the discussed communication theories are critical for any social worker and applicable when dealing with individuals of any age group. Interviews should be person-centered, and those in authority should promote positive communication. Most importantly, it is important to study the non-verbal cues the other person displays to detect any discomfort in the conversation and make corrections whenever necessary. All individuals respond to environments that are safe spaces, and creating safe social zones should be the aim of every social worker when handling individuals.
References
Bernard, C. (2021) “Intersectionality for social workers.” Available at: https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429467288.
Hodgkins, A. (2022) “Exploring early childhood practitioners’ perceptions of empathy with children and families: Initial findings,” Educational Review, pp. 1–19. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2021.2023471.
Ilame, V. (2020) “Critical analysis of Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory of Development.” Available at: https://doi.org/10.22161/ijels.book.veena.ilame.critical.
Redhead, D. and Power, E.A. (2022) “Social hierarchies and social networks in humans,” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 377(1845). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2020.0440.
Witty, M.C. and Adomaitis, R. (2014) “Carl Rogers and client-centered counseling,” Counseling Theory: Guiding Reflective Practice, pp. 171–199. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483399621.n7.
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