Reference no: EM133674531
Assignment:
Can you suggest any future therapeutics work for Arthur? You are working as a psychotherapist in a community service that provides psychological interventions for people who have served sentences for criminal offences.
Arthur is 21 years old and has been referred, as part of a plan for his release from prison, for assessment for suitability for attachment theory-based psychotherapy intervention.
Arthur's mother Kelly was 16 when she gave birth to Arthur, who was fathered by her 19-year-old boyfriend. Kelly was living with her boyfriend's family when she became pregnant. She had to move out soon after the birth due to her boyfriend's violence. Having approached the local domestic violence unit, she and Arthur were put into emergency accommodation. Close social service support enabled Arthur and his mother to stay together for the first two years of his life, but their living arrangements were chaotic and her own difficulties became too apparent as her drug use increased. Kelly then became involved with an older man who was aggressive and violent towards her. Arthur was taken into local authority care and placed with a foster family.
This family consisted of two parents who already had two children of their own who were both older than Arthur. Arthur stayed with them until he was seven, and this was described as a relatively stable and happy period of his life. He enjoyed school and he had a particularly good relationship with one female teacher. Unfortunately, the placement had to end as the foster family moved abroad. He also had to move school. The next placement was not successful as the new foster family struggled to care for Arthur as his behaviour became aggressive both at home and in school. He was aggressive towards the foster parents and towards teachers. This family also had another child who had been fostered with them since she was a baby and there was real anxiety that Arthur was turning his aggression towards her. He was placed with another set of foster carers who had experience of coping with children whose behaviour could be quite disruptive. His local authority also agreed to fund a place at a specialist residential school. He did well at this school and at age eleven was able to live full-time with his foster family and attend the local secondary school. He had occasional contact with his mother throughout this time. By this time she had another two children, both of whom were considered by social services to be at risk of neglect.
Whilst his first year or so of secondary school was quite stable, his relationship with teachers became more strained as he approached his 13th birthday. He was often disruptive in the classroom, not able to concentrate and getting into arguments with fellow pupils and teachers. Overall, he did not do well in school, he was described as having few friends, but did find some companionship with some older boys who were known in the area to be involved in minor criminal activities. He had a girlfriend when he was 16, but her family stopped the relationship as they were concerned about his bullying behaviour towards her. There was another fostered boy in the household but they were often arguing and fighting. He had a number of temporary exclusions from school, but was never permanently excluded as the school worked hard to keep him there. He had not achieved any formal qualifications when he left school at age 16.
Arthur's first contact with police was at age 14 when he was caught and cautioned with older friends vandalising and attempting to break into a local shop. His first conviction was at age 16 for theft and handling of stolen goods. Since then he had a number of convictions for crimes of violence and theft, culminating in a three-year sentence when he was 20. It was during this sentence that he was recommended for therapeutic intervention.
The report read:
A. finds the prison environment very challenging. He was often involved in fights in the early months. He was not seen as being the instigator of violence but would react strongly to any perceived insult. He responded well to the opportunity of literacy and numeracy classes, which went well until the teacher was changed after 4 months. He then stopped attending. With no qualifications and difficulties with relationships and problems with anger he will not cope well on release.