Reviews : Drama Workshops for Anger Management and Offending Behaviour James Thompson Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1999; pp145; £14.95, pbk ISBN 1853027022
| DOI | 10.1177/026455050104800119 |
| Author | Alyson Rees |
| Date | 01 March 2001 |
| Published date | 01 March 2001 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
58
ever
provide
this,
however
much
it
is
modified,
as
punitive
and
adversarial
measures
are
endemic
m
the
family
justice
system.
She
recommends
its
replacement
with
a
system
operatmg
on
a
different
philosophical
basis,
such
as
the
one
found
m
Scotland.
The
final
chapter
is
by
Mary
Neville,
and
presents
her
personal
experience
of
senal
abuse
within
the
medical
system.
It
is
a
horrific
chapter,
documentmg
how
professionals
have
been
the
cause
of her
mental
and
physical
suffering
through
repeated
sexual
assault,
misdiagnosis
and
false
imprisonment.
The
book
provides
guidelines
for
future
policy,
and
should
be
essential
readmg
for
legal,
social
and
mental
health
professionals
and
policy
makers
seekmg
to
refine
their
practice
and
to
understand
the
inherent
structures
and
processes
which
govern
their
work.
Kiran
Kaur
Researcher,
Avon
&
Western
Wiltshire
NHS
Trust
Drama
Workshops
for
Anger
Management
and
Offending
Behaviour
James
Thompson
Jessica
Kingsley
Publishers,
1999;
pp145; £14.95,
pbk
ISBN
1853027022
This
is
an
interesting
book
which
is
offering
itself
as
a
manual
for
utilising
drama
techmques
with
groups
of
offenders.
It
would
be
particularly
useful
for
those
with
limited
knowledge
of
drama
techniques.
The
introduction
bnngs
together
the
threads
of
the
past
mfluences
and
theoretical
trends
m
probation
practice.
The
author
notes
that
drama
techniques
did
not
fit
m
well
into
the
’nothing
works’
era,
but
he
more
readily
within
current
evidence
based
practice.
Whilst
this
may
be
true
in
theory,
m
practice
current
prescriptive
group
work
programmes
allow
little
leeway
for
the
mcorporation
of
drama
based
exercises.
Twelve
years
ago,
when
I
worked
m
a
probation
centre,
this
book
would
have
been
a
more
valuable
asset.
The
book
is
a
manual
for
both
Blagg!
and
Pump!
programmes,
the
former
developed
first
by
’Theatre
m
Prisons
and
Probation’
at
Manchester
Umversity
drama
department
m
1991
to
challenge
offendmg
behaviour.
It
was
initially
set
up
as
a
voluntary
programme.
The
term
’blag’
originates
from
the
French
word
’blague’
meaning
claptrap
or
humbug;
blagging
is
thus
actmg
and
acting
is
indeed
learned
behaviour.
The
book
also
describes
the
‘set’
that
can
be
designed
and
could
thus
also
incorporate
the
use
of
art
into
the
process,
though
it
is
not
strictly
necessary.
The
techmques
m
the
book
are
very
similar
to
those
used
by
Geese
Theatre,
although
I
have
never
seen
a
manual
produced
by
Geese
m
this
format.
The
use
of
the
central
character
Jo
Blagg
is
developed
by
the
participants
to
avoid
focusmg
on
individual
case
histories.
The
Pump!
programme
was
developed
later
as
an
off-shoot
particularly
for
work
with
violent
offenders.
The
book
is
well
written.
Both
programmes
are
easily
accessible,
would
be
easy
to
use
and
are
flexible
enough
to
develop.
The
exercises
are
creative
and
fun
and
would
obviously
be
thought-
provokmg
for
participants,
particularly
the
ones
takmg
the
victim’s
perspective,
&dquo;turnmg
the
flip
chart
and
pen
approach
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