AVITH in Context: Working with Children Under 12 Webinar

In a recent AVITH in Context webinar, a panel of practitioners discussed the emerging trend of children under 12 years old engaging in challenging and aggressive behaviours.

The panel included:

• Alexandra Bruinier (Coordinator – Step Up: Building Healthy Relationships, Meli),
• Allen Jeffress (Clinical Team Leader – Restoring Childhood, Northern Healing and Recovery Program, Berry Street),
• Jenny (Specialist Family Violence Children’s Practitioner, Nexus Primary Health),
• Emily Doddrell (Advanced Practitioner – Strengthening Connections, Child and Family Services Ballarat) and
• Kelly Daley (Community Connection Practitioner, Upper Murray Family Care).

Drawing on their experiences working with children across the Child and Family Services and Specialist Family Violence sectors, the panellists shared invaluable insights into working with this younger cohort. Through this frank, conversational webinar style, the panellists were able to bring unique perspectives to the discussion, exploring all the nuances of working with children who are using aggressive, externalising behaviours.

Key discussion points

Panellists discussed considerations for thinking about and working with children under the age of 12, including how the presenting issues and behaviours seen in younger cohorts compare with those of older age groups. The webinar also addressed supporting parents in building capacity and developing skills in order to develop a whole-of-family, strengths-based approach to addressing a child’s behaviour.

Practical strategies and resources

Panellists discussed some strategies for working with children who are using violent or aggressive behaviours, recognising the need to work flexibly with a developmentally appropriate lens. Attendees were highly interested in the topic and submitted many questions that were unable to be answered during the webinar due to time, suggesting that we may need to revisit this topic in the future.

Implications and moving forward

This webinar served as a valuable platform for frontline staff, researchers, and policymakers to deepen their understanding of working with children under the age of 12 who are using violent or aggressive behaviours.

By adopting a trauma-informed, developmental lens, the panellists emphasised the importance of considering the language used when describing violent and aggressive behaviours and whether this language suitably captures or distorts the behaviour. Additionally, the panellists discussed the need to understand a child’s developmental age to recognise developmentally appropriate behaviour.

For more resources, visit the AVITH Knowledge Hub and explore their catalogue of webinar recordings on the AVITH in Context page.