“People feel listened to…it’s user led. Disabled people helping as opposed to
‘experts’. We provide a place for people to truly express themselves. A ‘safe place’ because the group is not attached to a service.
ROLE PLAYS
We use role plays a lot. We like “Doing it right – Doing it wrong”. This is what we think:
•We enjoy putting them on
•We enjoy watching them
•Gets people interested
•Everyone gets involved
•Each role play is developed from something simple
We
HOW THE GROUP WORKS
The structure is very flexible
– no chair, secretary form
… we are all equal members.
teams
Everybody puts in.
to do the work.
Everybody joins in brainstorming. Everybody is listened to.
WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT OF OUR
WORKSHOPS
ROLE PLAYS HELP US TO
•Learn ourselves during practice
•We learnt the difference between one violent act and bullying
•Do it wrong – we ask, what is wrong?
•Do it right – we ask, is it better?
•People join in
• SUPPORT STAFF LEARN TOO!
OUR HISTORY
There was a research project (NRWU) funded by the European Union – people with intellectual disabilities were part of the research team.
Bullying was seen as an important issue to research. We found out a lot about bullying.
To share what we found out, we held a 1 day workshop on bullying
(July 2007).
It was very successful.
Lots more people wanted to attend than there were places for.
In August 2007, we decided to form a group to plan and run workshops on bullying.
The group plans, carries out and evaluates the workshops. Members:
•give presentations;
•do role plays;
•chair panel discussions;
•lead small break-out discussions;
•invite experts to come and talk;
•advocate for others;
•facilitate;
•assist with refreshments;
•plan;
•work together and share ideas;
•talk to press and radio.
•A professional motivator – someone to keep people focussed
•it should be user led and controlled
•keeping in touch – phone - web page – letters - minutes etc - word of mouth
•someone to organise venues, times for meetings, travel plans etc
•someone who has time to contribute to the group
•someone to get things done – like making a DVD so it actually happens
•support person needs to be a good listener
•needs someone who knows how to train people for workshops
We also need financial support and to network with other people and groups.
We have support from the trade union
SIPTU, members of parliament, the
Garda (police) and Dublin Bus
WE RECOGNISE BULLYING IN OUR
LIVES
We see bullying happening such as:
•gossip in workplace and where we live
•bullying on public transport – companion passes
•lack of choices in residential homes – when to go to bed, what to wear, when to go out etc.
•being bullied in medical situations – having control taken away
– being spoken about and not spoken to
•bullying in workplace by supervisors – threats made and being watched all the time and being treated ‘differently’
•complaints we make not taken seriously when something is happening that is upsetting people – we worry that nothing will happen when someone is bullied
The group talked a lot about when people are not addressed directly by staff, doctors etc but rather ‘spoken about’ to the support staff. Marie said:
“It’s as if your life isn’t in your own hands
– it’s in your supporter’s”
The group thinks that “continually taking choice away is a type of bullying”. This often happens when staff have control of people’s money.
We want to do role plays for doctors as part of their training. Everybody needs to learn!
BULLYING GROUP MEMBERS
Paul Alford, Brendan Carroll, Stephen
Curtis, Helen Donnelly, Alice Donovan,
Carol Hamilton, Edward Kennedy,
Stephen MacDermott, Darach Murphy,
Seamus Murphy, William Roberts, Martin
Rowan, Helen Taffe, Fiona Weldon, Marie
Wolfe.
Email: curtisr@tcd.ie
Web Page: www.tcd.ie/ciid/research/antibullying/index.php