Everyone must feel safe at all times, so keep in mind the CPR rule for all your interactions:
- Connect
- Protect
- Respect
Bring them together
Once this is done the parties can be constructively brought together to “compare notes” and to begin to genuinely to repair the relationship and regain their equilibrium. It’s critical that everyone involved must have an agreed story about the process and its intention, for they will be asked by others (staff will ask staff, kids will ask kids and often staff not involved will ask kids as well).
Everyone will have an idea of what should have been the response/outcome and often the real outcome is not what they anticipated, or “what they would have done!” The judgement of others should not influence the process or outcome.
In Relationship Based Education, we always go back to the five essential elements of a quality relationship: trust, forgiveness, integrity, hope and compassion.
Each case is unique! That great resolution you found for the last issue might not work this time.
