The Protective Behaviours Process

1
The Protective Behaviours Process

• The Language of Safety
• Unwritten Rules
• Feelings, Thinking, Behaviour
• Theme OneWe all have the right to feel safe all
  the time.
• Theme TwoThere is nothing so awful, or too
  little, we cant talkabout it with someone.
• The Seven PB Strategies

2
The Language of Safety

• Shared
• Meaning
• Ownership Clarity

- Racist
- Sexist
- Homophobic
Quality
- Command
- Victim
- Violent
- Empowers choice
- Solution-focused
- Hopeful
- Enhances relationships
- Optimistic
- Confident
3
Unwritten Rules

• The unwritten rules are social expectations
  and stereo-types that we encounter through our
  lives. Over time we may internalise them as
  part of our personal belief systems and they
  usually include the following characteristics
• .
• External - family, religion, school, media etc.
• We can choose - whether to follow them
• Change over place and time - cultures, life
  styles, generations
• Can be helpful - can encourage socially
  acceptable behaviour
• Possible basis of discrimination - label
  people/groups
• Contradictory - can give confusing messages
• Often command language - Should, Ought, Must
• Underlying heterosexual assumptions - gender
  roles etc.

4
Feelings, Thoughts, Behaviour

• Feelings
• emotional
• physical
• Thinking
• Behaviour
• MASK
• 
  feelings/feelings
• . feelings/behaviour
• Feelings are feelings
• Behaviour is a choice with an effect(s)
• Our thinking can influence both

BELIEF SYSTEMS
UNWRITTEN RULES
5
We all have the right to feel safe
all the time.

• We all - PBs universal equal opportunities
  statement
• have the right - not always able to exercise
  right to feel safe
• to feel safe - difference between feeling safe
  and being safe
• all the time. - all times, places, people and
  situations
• Others have the right to feel safe with us
• Rights and Responsibilities - Responsibility to
  and for
• Safe place - visualisation - a personal concept
  of safety

6
The Continuum of Safety

• Feeling safe - safe place
• Fun to feel scared - roller coaster, bunji-jump,
  scary movie etc.
• Risking on purpose - may not be fun but we want
  the outcome
• Feeling unsafe - may not have Choice, Control or
  Time-Limit
• Early Warning Signs - our body telling us we
  dont feel safe

7
There is nothing so awful, or too little,we
cant talk about it with someone.

• There is nothing - absolutely no thing
• so awful - terrible dreadful, ghastly,
  disgusting, embarrassing etc.
• or too little - small, unimportant,
  insignificant, nothing etc.
• we cant talk about it - relief, share,
  embarrass, relax etc.
• with someone - difference talk with/talk to
  someone

8
Building a Personal Network

• Talk - what talking can do for us
• Qualities - the qualities of someone we might
  talk with
• How know - finding out if someone has those
  qualities
• Who - a comprehensive list of possible network
  people
• How contact - many different ways to contact
  network people
• Friend Network - 4 friends in addition to those
  we live with.
• Adult Network - 4 adults, in addition to adults
  we live with.

9
The Seven PBs Strategies

• Theme Reinforcement - visual,verbal, role
  modeling
• One-Step-Removed - third person, puppets,
  stories, pictures
• Network Review - frequent, on the spot review
  (available people)
• Persistence - keep on telling till EWS subside.
  If return tell again
• Protective Interruption - potential/actual unsafe
  situation
• Risking on Purpose - do something because we want
  the outcome
• Language of Safety - quality, shared meaning,
  ownership, clarity