CASE SCENARIO:
Kate is a 5-year-old female, and she lives with her 5-year-old twin brother, Ty, and their mother, Ms. Peel. This group has been referred to see you by a school counselor due to concerning changes. Although teachers are providing extra instruction and attention to Kate, reports state that “Kate’s grades have declined, she has become more introverted, and her appearance often presents as repetitive, meaning Kate will wear the same outfit to school every day with dirt or stains from previous days. Kate’s hair appears to be unkept and dirty”. Teachers have noticed other children teasing Kate about her appearance, and not playing with her. Kate often plays alone and cries when the children taunt her, although teachers stop the students as quickly as possible. Kate reports that her mom “lets her wear what she wants to school, and it is easier to get ready for school if she sleeps in school clothes”. Kate reports that she “cannot find a brush”, so she “does not brush hair anymore and it’s okay because [her] mommy doesn’t brush her own hair anymore either … mommy doesn’t do much anymore”.
Ty reportedly has become disruptive when he does not get his way. His behaviors have been described as aggressive and loud, and Ty’s appearance is as concerning as Kates. When Ty is reprimanded at school for aggressive behaviors, he reports that he is not being mean, but he is just “pretending to be one of the guys on TV”. Ty proudly boasts about the television in his room and how he falls asleep watching guys wrestle around and beat each other up. Reportedly, school children avoid playing with Ty because of his “aggressive behaviors, and appearance”.
After working with the mother, you discover that the mother deals with the aggression by allowing Ty to have what he wants to calm him down. She lets Ty fall asleep watching TV because it keeps him entertained and then it wakes him back up in the mornings. The mother reports that she allows Kate to wear what she wants to simplify her own life. You discover that the children’s father died unexpectedly 4 months ago, and since his death family dynamics changed.
When working with families, you will discover that you will not only assess the family, but their environment as well. It would have been easy to report to the Department of Human Resources (DHR), regarding this mother, but instead the school counselor considered the recent change in the family structure and contacted you. The mother was given the choice to either meet with you or have DHR become involved. You were the mother’s choice.
As you work with this mother it is important to remember that she has been through a lot lately. Her spouse has unexpectedly died, and she is now a single mother raising two small children. Times in our lives can cause us to drift, rather than staying the course. When we drift it is good to have someone that will help us steady the course.
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ASSIGNMENT:
In this assignment, you will address 4 topics.
Your task involves explaining to Ms. Peel what each topic is, and then explain how it relates to this case scenario. Think of it this way, you are assessing the situation, writing down concerns to explore, and then sharing concerns and goals in order to re-establish balance within this family. Empower Ms. Peel by giving her examples of what she can alter and do to help this family find a new healthy normal.
Explain what it is and why working towards negative entropy could be beneficial. Select a quote from the information in this chapter about negative entropy and quote it correctly.
Topic 1) The first topic you will address with Ms. Peel is “Negative Entropy.”
(QUOTE: “Negative entropy is the process of a system moving toward growth and development.” page: 169)
Explain what it is and why working towards negative entropy could be beneficial. Select a quote from the information in this chapter about negative entropy and quote it correctly. Research negative entropy and provide another quote from your research to Ms. Peel.
Topic 2) The second topic to address with Ms. Peel is “Modeling.”
(QUOTE: “Modeling is the learning of behavior by observing another individual engaging in that behavior.” Page 177)
Topic 3) The third topic to address with Ms. Peel is “Bullying.”
(QUOTE: “Bullying refers to aggression by an individual that is repeatedly directed toward particular peers (victims)…it may be physical, verbal (teasing, harassing, name-calling) or social.” page 206)
Topic 4) The fourth topic to address with Ms. Peel is “Child Neglect.”
(QUOTE: “Child neglect is a caregiver’s “failure to meet a child’s basic needs”; this may involve depriving a child of physical, emotional, medical, mental health, or educational necessities.” page 218)
Each topic selection must have an individual paragraph response with at least one quote from the textbook for each topic.
Textbook Citation:
Zastrow, C.H, Kirst-Ashman, K.K, & Hessenauer, S.L. (2019).
Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment
(11th ed). Cengage. Pg. 169, 177, 206 & 218.