Needs specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people

The practitioner’s cultural competence can have a significant influence on positive outcomes for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people who are making the transition to adulthood.

Ensuring that this important transition is done well for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care is an essential part of early intervention to break the cycle of inter-generational trauma and child abuse.

The experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people may differ from non-Indigenous young people, and they will have variable experiences of racism and dislocation from culture, kin, community and country. (Refer to the practice kit, Safe care and connection, Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people who are removed from family can be cut off from kin, culture and spirituality and are at great risk of psychological, health, developmental and educational disadvantage. They often suffer as children and later as adults experiencing grief, loneliness and a lack of belonging.

Understanding adolescence from a cultural perspective

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, traditional perspectives see adolescence as a time when young people go through the processes of becoming an adult and establish their place within the community. If a family is connected to their culture, and are aware of traditional practices, it would be helpful to consider these perspectives. For young people who aren’t connected to culture, it may be helpful to develop their understanding of these practices as part of their cultural support plan. (Refer to the practice kit, Safe care and connection, Cultural support plans.)

There has usually been a process of initiation where they are given sacred and secret cultural knowledge. In some communities, these practices continue or have been revived. Be aware of initiation traditions and encourage the young person’s knowledge and experience of traditional practices through community activities to ensure their connection to culture and identity.

This knowledge is often particular to a person's gender and eventual status/role in the community. It is a time when they learn who they are in relation to family, nation (a collection of clans), ancestors and land. (Refer to the practice kit, Safe care and connection, Women's business and men's business.)

For an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young person, adolescence is the time when understanding their cultural identity is critical to their development.

Aboriginal men have a specific role in the process of a boy’s transition to manhood, and this is a very significant time for all. This is a time for learning and celebration, with song and dance forming part of the celebration.

Women’s major responsibilities in child rearing have been to teach young girls important cultural information about being a woman, including about spiritual and social wellbeing, ancestral laws, information on how to care for land and information on fertility and child rearing. Mothers, grandmothers and aunties also have responsibilities for teaching male babies and young boys respect for women as well as basic hunting techniques.

Today’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander grandparents have critical roles in imparting culture, particularly through storytelling and assisting parents in the raising of their children.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people: shared cultural grief

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people may share the experience of cultural grief because of personal experience, shared experiences or intergenerational trauma. (Refer to the practice kit, Safe care and connection, Intergenerational trauma.)

Young people’s reactions to trauma (cultural grief) can often be misunderstood as ‘difficult’ or naughty’ behaviour. This cultural grief can manifest itself in the following ways:

• reliving the trauma through repetitive play, frightening dreams, or distress when reminded of the event
• having negative thoughts and moods such as fear, guilt, sadness, shame, or confusion; losing interest in activities that used to be enjoyed; and spending more time alone.
• feeling wound up—having trouble sleeping or concentrating, feeling angry or irritable (or having temper tantrums), being easily startled or constantly on the look-out for danger, or doing things that might be risky or dangerous (especially older children and adolescents)
• displaying general misbehaviour or attention-seeking behaviour
• performing poorly at school
• having unexplained aches and pains
• demonstrating substance use
• acting out or displaying general anti-social behaviours.

Additionally, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are likely to experience amplified feelings of shame, despair, demoralisation and hopelessness—or what is sometimes called ‘community depression’, which is a shared cultural grief born from intergenerational trauma and oppression.

Biases and assumptions

It is important to acknowledge any stereotypes you have about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.

When thinking about what has informed these beliefs, consider:

• your own personal values and beliefs and how they impact on your practice, for example ensuring that you aren’t making judgements about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional child rearing practices
• how this affects your interactions with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. Are you speaking to them respectfully and endeavouring to learn about their culture and life experience?
• what you might need to do to ensure your beliefs do not affect your interactions. Ensuring that you can seek advice and support to develop your cultural knowledge and competence.

Know and acknowledge your privilege and power, especially as a representative of the statutory child protection system. As such, you represent the white privilege and power of government departments and policies, both past and present.

Due to the legacy of past government policies, overcoming mistrust and misunderstanding between Child Safety staff, cultural service providers, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and families can be challenging. Building strong relationships and fostering collaborative practice, including cross-agency education and the development of individual and team connections, is essential to establishing trust and creating effective partnerships.

Responding to a young person who has grief, loss or intergenerational trauma

A child’s or young person’s own coping style and mental wellbeing can have a big influence on how well they recover from a traumatic event.

It is also important to be aware of your own coping style and mental wellbeing when working with young people who have experienced grief, loss or intergenerational trauma. Look after yourself and seek help as early as possible if you are finding it hard to cope.

If you find a young person you are working with is having problems because of loss, grief, intergenerational trauma or a specific traumatic event, it may be good to seek professional support for them.

Phoenix Australia is Australia’s National Centre of excellence in posttraumatic mental Health. They offer the following guidance for helping children and teenagers who are exhibiting behaviour such as challenging or withdrawn, that reflect past trauma.

It is normal to find [their behaviour] frustrating, but expressing anger or blaming the young person for this behaviour might make things worse. Instead, try the following strategies (Phoenix Australia (b)).

• Reassure the young person that they are safe and cared for.
• Listen and talk to the young person about the trauma. Like adults, young people often find what they don’t know to be more frightening than the reality.
• Encourage the young person to express their emotions—this is part of the healing process, and can happen through a variety of creative ways, like painting or music. Art and music have been an integral part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
• Encourage the young person to participate in activities with their family and/or community.
• Keep family roles clear. Don’t expect young people to take on too much responsibility, but don’t become overprotective either. Try to be understanding of where they are in their journey of recovery.

Using cultural identity development to overcome emotional and psychological pain

Providing the young person with positive role models and cultural information from community elders or cultural practice advisors. Allow young people to develop a spiritual connection to country and culture through the development of a cultural support plan that is structured in partnership with cultural practice advisors, family members or an independent person. This can assist them in forming a positive cultural identity as a source of strength.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture as a strength

Ensure that cultural concerns are given equal priority alongside immediate needs such as housing or financial issues. Supporting a strong connection to culture helps build an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young person’s sense of identity, resilience, and self-esteem, empowering them to face future challenges with confidence

To ensure a positive experience, incorporate cultural planning into transition to adulthood planning for young people leaving care.

Using therapeutic life story work is a means to develop life and cultural understanding. (Refer to Therapeutic life story work.)

Consider the following ways we can utilise culture to help young people overcome violence through community support.

Work with the community

The concepts of extended family and ‘community as family’ in Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities encompass the idea that children are not just the concern of the biological parents, but of the entire community. The raising, care, education and discipline of children are the responsibility of everyone—male, female, young and old. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have strong family values.

The presence of positive, supportive adult relationships is a strong influencer for young people, encouraging them to develop lives they see as meaningful and positive. These important relationships carry them through the difficult phase into adulthood and are particularly important for young people who have been in care, without their families around them.

Working with the community the young person originally came from, or the community that they now live in, helps to give them a sense of belonging.

Create connections with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations. This will enable you to link the young person to the organisation/s that will best suit their needs. (Refer to Building partnerships with the community in the Safe care and connection practice kit.)

Join the community in acknowledging key dates of significance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by getting out into the community and participating in community events.

Elders provide wisdom and leadership

In many communities, elders provide support and influence. Ask local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander workers which community leaders may give insight into and leadership about family violence in their community.

Develop relationships with the local Elders group by inviting them to the Child Safety Service Centre or attending their meetings. Cultural practice advisors and independent persons supporting the family can assist in establishing relationships prior to when you need them for advice and guidance creates trust. Be there in the good times, not just the difficult times.

When planning for the transition of a young person, talk with the young person about whether they want an independent person to facilitate their participation in decision making. If the independent person is an elder, they will have the knowledge and wisdom to help the young person talk about the cultural support they need and how their cultural needs can be met in the transition discussions and planning processes.

Kin and community as a resource for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people

Family is the cornerstone of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, spirituality and identity. Maintaining connection to family for young people when they are in care promotes strong ties that can support them during their transition.

When young Aboriginal and Torres Strait people understand their own history and how they are connected within their community, they can learn how to develop safety in future relationships. This can be done by:

• identifying kin and exploring what role they might play with the young person
• taking active steps to strengthen a young person’s connection to their family and community through contact arrangements, family finding or therapeutic life story work
• having face-to-face contact with family and visiting their community and country
• involving kin in building identity and confidence in a young person.

Be willing to explore barriers to parenting that the young person’s parents may have experienced, given the history of trauma for all Aboriginal people. Be curious and open-minded. Some families may use traditional Aboriginal child rearing practices, while others may not.

Get to know and appreciate the different child rearing practices and how you can engage with these practices. This will help maintain the young person's connection to their family members and deal with issues that have arisen resulting in abuse and neglect. (Refer to the Safe care and connection practice kit, Child rearing practices.)

Develop the young person’s knowledge of their culture and provide them with opportunities to experience Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through connection to kin, community and elders. Engaging with tools such as the Circles of Safety and Support Tool, Life Story Work, genograms and timelines can aid conversations to explore and promote this knowledge.

Timelines

A technique to identify family and inform the members of a safety and support network is completing a timeline with the young person. This can help identify people who have cared about the young person throughout their life.

Timelines can showcase gaps in what we know about the young person and point out family members who may have dropped out of the picture when the young person entered care.

One thing to note is that doing this with a family or young person can be empowering or traumatising. Be sure to prepare the young person before you try this technique to ensure that it is done safely and without detriment.

Helpful questions for creating the timeline:

• Who was in the young person’s life at this time?
• Who would have cared about the young person during this time?
• What do we know or imagine their relationship was like?
• What was the young person’s ethnicity, culture and religion during this time?
• Who do we suspect might have been in the young person’s life (for example, teachers) about whom we don’t know much yet?

Genograms

Yet another useful technique is genograms, which are pictorial displays of a young person's family relationships and other factors, such as medical history and complicating factors. It is best completed with the young person and family to ensure accurate records are used to inform the genogram.

The genogram can then be used to source family members, who may reach out to support the young person. It becomes a useful tool to see which family members the young person is close to, and ensure we provide family contact and connection with all important biological family members while the young person is in care.