Working with Parents
| Date | 01 September 1965 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455056501100305 |
| Published date | 01 September 1965 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
99
figures.
There
was
constant
reference
to
us
by
the
members,
not
only
by
direct
verbal
communication
but
also
by
silent
questioning
of the
eyes
to
see
how
we
were
reacting
to
the
content
of
the
discussion
and
on
occasions
anxieties
were
raised
about
the
necessity
for
us
to
be
present
at
all.
On
one
occasion
there
was
an
interesting
discussion
taking
place
of,
in
effect,
drinking
under
age,
though
this
had
been
veiled
under
talk
of
&dquo;Youth
Club
Coach
Trips&dquo;
and
&dquo;Christmas
drinks
at
home&dquo;.
When
this
was
reflected
to
them
I
was
met
by
the
comment
from
Sheila
&dquo;Oh,
Mr.
Ashley,
you
can
smack
us
if
you
like,
but
don’t
split
on
us&dquo;.
In
closing
I
would
like
to
mention
what
arc
called
the
&dquo;qualifications
and
training
of
a
group
therapist&dquo;
in
an
Introduction
to
Group
Therapy
by
Slavson.
(I
am
leaving
out
one
section
dealing
with
manual
activity
groups.)
Slavson
says:
&dquo;A
group
therapist
must
be
(1)
sensitive
not
only
to
himself
and
to
his
own
feelings
but
also
the
feelings
and
needs
of
others;
(2)
fundamentally
unhostile,
one
whose
adjustment
to
life
is
on
the
side
of
masochism
rather
than
sadism
(such
persons
are
sometimes
characterised
as
‘saintly’);
(3)
of
few
words
and
of
good
judgement
in
the
use
of
language;
(4)
of
a
placid
temperament-one
whose
manner
and
speech
are
relaxed,
quiet
and
comforting
to
others,
or
what
is
sometimes
referred
to
as
a
’therapeutic
personality’;
(5)
positive
in
his
approach
to
lif~he
cannot
be
cynical
or
destructive;
(6)
objective,
for
he
cannot
become
involved
in
the
emotional
stress
of
his
charges;
(7)
possessed
of
what
is
known
as
psychological
insight-the
capacity
to
recognise
and
observe
the
latent
con-
tent
and
meaning
of
what
appears
to
be
ordinary
behaviour;
(8)
able
to
meet
unusual
problems
and
resourceful
in
devising
psychological
and
physical
con-
ditions
to
cope
with
difficult
situations;
(9)
receptive
to
suggestions,
emotionally
responsive
and
intellectually
hospitable,
not
on
the
defensive
and
unable
to
grow
in his
work.
There
is
no
room
in
group
therapy
for
the
compulsive,
the
para-
noidal,
the
rigid
or
the
moralistic.
The
adult
must
be
psychologically
free
and
receptive
in
his
attitude
towards
his
charges
and
toward
conditions
that
may
contribute
to
his
own
development
and
effectiveness&dquo;.
Perhaps
despite
all
this,
we
have
held
discussion
groups
which
we
feel
had
a
helpful
effect
upon
our
charges.
WORKING
WITH
PARENTS
A.
R.
Stanley
and
John
McCarthy
IT
IS
NOT
often
that
a
probation
officer
will
find
himself
supervising
a
youngster
whose
parents
will
respond
in
a
way
that
will
compare
with
their
attitude
to
the
family
doctor
when
their
son
or
daughter
falls
ill.
The
majority
of
parents
will
not
hesitate
to
bend
the
truth
somewhat
in
order
to
give
a
good
impression,
especially
during
the
social
enquiry
period,
and
the
motive
behind
this
is
probably
a
need
for
self-preservation
when
the
social
status
is
threatened
or
reaction
to
the
anxieties
and
fears
of
what
they
may
unconsciously
see
as
a
resurgence
of
their
own
repressed
selves.
Or
perhaps
a
mixture
of
both.
Many
of
us see
delinquency
as
a
symptom
of
sickness,
whether
of
an
individual,
a
family,
or
of
society
as
a
whole,
but
probation
officers
often
have
irrational
fears
which
cloud
these
issues,
so
what
of
parents?
It
does
sometimes
happen,
unfortunately
too
rarely,
that
the
love
of
parents
for
their
children
is
strong
and
their
insight
sufficient
to
overcome
some
of
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