It’s Not All About The Behaviors: Identifying and Addressing Relational Neglect in Adolescence within the Familial Environment

Authors

  • Tawanda L. Hubbard DSW Candidate at Rutgers University

Keywords:

neglect, relational neglect, adolescence, parent-adolescent relationship, in-home therapy, child welfare, parenting, oppositional behaviors in adolescence, clinical practice with adolescents, Neglect, Relational Neglect, Adolescence, Parent-adolescent relationship, In-home Therapy, Child Welfare, Parenting, Oppositional Behaviors in Adolescence, and Clinical Practice with Adolescence

Abstract

As an in-home therapist working with adolescents, the presenting problem in most of my referrals focuses on the adolescent’s behaviors and the negative impact on his or her family and community. The most common solution is to place the youth in an out-of-home placement. Here, I share some of my most poignant cases, in order to illustrate how some adolescents, labeled the problem, suffer from what I call relational neglect. It is a phenomenon I define as the absence of nourishing interactions of attunement and quality connection within the familial environment. The two adolescents in this paper were described as the problem at home because they demonstrated oppositional behaviors and poor attitudes. Caregivers were under the illusion the adolescents’ behaviors were created in isolation. I will utilize the cases of Mike and Michelle to join the debate on neglect, to challenge negative notions of adolescence, and to address relational neglect in adolescence. I will make a call to action for all clinical social workers working with families with adolescents to assess and treat relational neglect, which requires a focus on quality connections and the adolescents’ lived experiences, habits, and attunement with caregivers.

Author Biography

Tawanda L. Hubbard, DSW Candidate at Rutgers University

Tawanda Hubbard is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 10 years of experience in child welfare, behavioral health, advocacy, case management and clinical practice.  She is currently pursuing her DSW at Rutgers School of Social Work.  Tawanda has held positions as a case manager in child welfare and behavioral health, social work instructor, therapist and supervisor in therapeutic foster care and intensive in-community services apart of New Jersey’s Children’s System of Care and private practice, where she has provided individual, couple and family therapy.  Tawanda has served as an active member and held leadership positions within NASW-NJ, former Vice-Present, and NABSW-NNJ, former Treasurer.

Tawanda provides individual and family therapy as a private practitioner and independent contractor, certified child sexual abuse therapist, DRCC, Rutgers’ part-time lecturer, clinical supervisor, field instructor, and trainer.  She is the current President-Elect of NASW-NJ and active member of the Board of Directors, finance committee and Delegate Assembly.  Tawanda serves on Rutgers School of Social Work Alumni Council and member of NJ Chapter of NABSW.

Downloads

Published

2017-12-26

How to Cite

Hubbard, T. L. (2017). It’s Not All About The Behaviors: Identifying and Addressing Relational Neglect in Adolescence within the Familial Environment. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 23(1), 52–65. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/1504

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 1 (2017): General Issue, Volume 23#1(Winter, 2017), Published December 26, 2017

Section

General Submissions

License

REFLECTIONS:
NARRATIVES OF PROFESSIONAL HELPING
SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY, PUBLISHER 

PUBLICATION AGREEMENT

1. COPYRIGHT: If the manuscript you submit to this site (the “Manuscript”) is selected for publication in Reflections, the author(s) of the Manuscript hereby agree to transfer copyright of the Manuscript to Salem State University, including full and exclusive rights to reproduce the Manuscript in all media now known or later developed, including but not limited to electronic databases and microfilm, and in anthologies of any kind.

2. AUTHOR RE-USES OF MANUSCRIPT: As a professional courtesy, the author(s) retains the right to reprint the Manuscript again after publication in Reflections, in any work the author(s) is sole author, or in any edited work for which the author(s) is senior editor, though the author(s) is required to cite the Manuscript as a prior publication in “Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping.” No further permission is necessary in writing from SSU, nor will SSU require fees of any kind for this reprinting. This statement is intended to provide a copyright release for the purposes set forth in this Section 2, and a photocopy of this Publication Agreement may be used when another publisher requires a written release.

3. READER RE-USES OF MANUSCRIPT: The author(s) acknowledge that registered readers of Reflections and others with access to the Manuscript may use the Manuscript consistent with applicable law including, but not limited to Fair Use under 17 U.S.C. § 107.

4. AUTHOR WARRANTIES: The author(s) represent(s) and warrant(s):

a.) that the Manuscript is the author's (authors') own work;
b.) that the Manuscript has been submitted only to this journal and that it has not been previously published;
c.) that the Manuscript contains no libelous or unlawful statements and does not infringe upon the civil rights of others;
d.) that the author(s) are not infringing upon anyone else’s copyright.
e.) that the author(s) are responsible for any individual or organizational names that are mentioned in the Manuscript, as SSU disclaims responsibility for references to individuals, organizations, facts, and opinions presented by the published author(s) in the Manuscript.
f.) That the author(s) have taken care to ensure that the Manuscript does not contain any identifiable information about clients or patients except as pursuant to appropriate permissions and forms of informed consent as provided for in all relevant laws and codes of ethics.
g.) That the Manuscript in no way violates any individual’s privacy rights.

The author(s) agree that if there is a breach of any of the above representations and warranties that the author(s) will indemnify SSU, including the publisher and editor of Reflections, and hold them harmless.

5. AUTHOR RETENTION OF PATENTS: The author(s) may have, within the Manuscript, descriptions of the author's (authors') own proprietary patents. Nothing herein shall be construed as a transfer of any proprietary right in such patents. Accordingly, the author(s) retains all proprietary rights in any such patents described in the Manuscript, but such reservation in rights does not include ownership of the Manuscript, and SSU shall retain full and exclusive rights to the Manuscript as set forth herein.

6. NOTE FOR U.S. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES: Any Manuscript authored by a U.S. government employee(s) as part of the employee's official duties, must be noted with your submission.

7. JOINT WORKS: Any Manuscript written by two or more authors with the intention that the Manuscript will be merged into one inseparable or interdependent parts of a unitary whole are considered a “Joint Work” under § 101 of the U.S. Copyright Act. This Agreement must be signed by all contributing authors to any Joint Work.

8. “WORK FOR HIRE” AUTHORS: If the Manuscript was written by an author(s) who was hired by another person or company to do so, the manuscript is considered a “Work Made for Hire” under § 101 of the U.S. Copyright Act. This Agreement must be signed by the “employer” who hired the author(s), as well as the author(s).

9. NO AMENDMENTS: This form is not valid if the author(s) add(s) any additional constraints and amendments. Please submit the article elsewhere for publication if the author(s) do not sign the form without alteration.