City of Greater Dandenong
Youth Services
Gain Respect and Increase Personal Power
(GRIPP)
Sylvia Marov
Counselling and Support Team Leader/GRIPP Clinician
GRIPP is a voluntary program for young males between 13-17
years, who have come to the attention of the court or police for
violent offending.
GRIPP aims to assist these young males by;
•Encouraging the development of positive values, attitudes and
beliefs towards aggressive behaviour and violent offending;
• Assist in developing positive behaviours and skills, and
•Enhance the resilience to the underlying risk factors contributing
to his aggressive or violent behaviour that will promote the
development of respectful and non-violent relationships with
family, peers, schools and community, and future intimate
partners
The City of Greater Dandenong Youth Services provides both direct service
provision and social and recreational opportunities to young people within the
municipality
Benefits of GRIPP within a generalist service include;
•Sits within a holistic setting
•Minimise stigma
•Opportunities for direct pathways to social and recreational options
•Broader community options that are available to all young people
Background to the GRIPP program
In 2005, the Victorian Government released “A Fairer Victoria: Women's Safety Strategy” policy that
directly identified measures to reduce incidences of family violence and violence against women
GRIPP pilot was initiated in 2008 and was initially funded by the Department of Justice Courts and
Tribunals branch.
Evaluation undertaken by Health Outcomes International identified:
•Improved family, community and intimate relationships
•Higher levels of self esteem post program completion
•Improved impulse control
•Significantly high rates of re-engagement in employment, training and education
•Reductions in violence towards significant others
•Receive significantly lower sentencing dispositions
•11% recidivist rate compared to state sample of Youth Supervision orders at 26%
Collaborations across:
•Magistrates Courts
•Mandated System; Youth Justice, Child Protection
•Clinical Services; Southern Health ELMHS, Primary Mental Health Teams
• Drug and Alcohol Services
•Secondary Schools; mainstream and alternative
•Community Services; Education and Training, Mentoring
GRIPP Criteria
 Young person is aged between 13-18 years
 Has been found guilty of a violent offence which include but not limited to;
assault, family violence, street violence, criminal damage, aggravated
burglary, armed robbery
 Has been placed on a Deferral of Sentence, Accountable Undertaking,
Good Behaviour Bond, Probation Order, Youth Supervision Order or
Intervention Order from Frankston, Dandenong or Melbourne Children's
Courts
 Resides in City of Frankston, Greater Dandenong or Casey or Cardinia
Young person has consented to the program
How GRIPP works
 Intake and Assessment
Criminogenic and Psychosocial assessments
 Individual Intervention
12 individual sessions: ART and CBT model
 Family Intervention
Brief Solution Focused Therapy: crisis driven
Collaborative problem solving model
Parenting Sessions/ Sibling/ Carer
 Court
Progress reports and Attendance
What GRIPP does:
Aggression Replacement Therapy
Social Skill Building: redevelopment of social skill deficits in the areas including but not
limited to: negotiation, listening, apologising, confrontation, environmental analysis, risk
analysis, dealing with fear, shame, guilt, dealing with an accusation, expressing affection
Understanding triggers and anger reducers
Consequential thinking: ABC model of anger
Moral Reasoning: development of insight, and victim empathy
How to retain status whilst not engaging in violent behaviour
Family Intervention:
Hierarchy of systemic issues
Re establishment of effective communication
Crisis response and immediate solution
Advantages of Staying Angry
(short term)
Disadvantages of Staying Angry
(long term)
•Feeling in control of social environment
•Power
•Protection
•People take notice of me
•I get what I want
•I get respect
•It’s easy, it’s what I know
•Keeps me safe
•Don’t have to change
•Approval
- prison
- employment
- relationships
- health
- people avoid me
Advantages of working at reducing the Anger
(long term)
Disadvantages of reducing the Anger
(short term)
•Avoiding further punishment
•Positive relationships
•Happier
•Free up feelings and thinking
•identity
•I’ll have to take responsibility and work on
- pride and losing face
- standing my ground
- respect
- social standing
Case Presentation 1
Demographics:
•16 year old male, violent towards father and sibling whom resides in the
family home (sister aged 19)
•History of aggressive behaviour since age 10 within family home,
escalating to physical violence to both person and property from age 14
•Resides in residential care since age 15
Intervention
Attended 13 individual sessions and 7 family sessions
Focused on identifying history of trauma involving family violence, death of
grandfather, displacement and its interplay in current behavior
Mental health concerns: ODD verses anxiety and complex grief
Substance misuse
Social skill deficits, developed insight and understanding, moral reasoning
Family intervention to begin process of reconnection
Outcome:
Currently in third year mechanics apprenticeship, in private rental and has
maintained connection with family. No further offending for a 18 month
period.
Case Presentation 2
Demographics:
17 year old male
Self referred following Interim Violence Order being applied for, whereby
his mother was the protected applicant
IVO was applied for following incidents of aggressive behaviour including
criminal damage within family home
YP presented with history of trauma related to family violence,
perpetrated by his father
Intervention
Attended 6 Individual sessions and two family sessions
Focused on consequential thinking, social skills training, conflict
resolution and triggers to anger
Family session focused on repairing relationship, including identifying
reoccurring problems, conflict resolution and problem solving skills
Outcome:
At point of closure, YP was working part time as a tutor, dedicating time
to VCE commitments, later gained entry into Defence Force in Canberra,
No further offending
Demographics:
•16 year old male
•Referred by Dandenong Children’s Court following Interim Violence Order being
applied for, older brother protected applicant
•IVO was applied for following ongoing incidents of aggressive behaviour perpetrated
towards both older brother and mother
•History of trauma related to family violence
•Interfamilial conflict together with significant trauma identified as main trigger for
aggressive behaviour
•Behaviour continued to escalate within family home following referral, lead to
homelessness
•Mental health deteriorated, major depressive episode with suicide intent
Admitted to Stepping Stones Adolescent Inpatient Unit at Monash medical Centre
Intervention
Attended 3 individual sessions and 1 family session
Facilitated care team involving ELMHS, WAYSS, CP
GRIPP worked closely with clinical mental health services and advocated
for ongoing engagement and referred to IMYOS assertive outreach case
management and mental health management service
Closed in light of mental health concerns and need for specialist
intervention
City of Greater Dandenong Youth Services
9793 2155
Sylvia Marov: Team Leader
smarov@cgd.vic.gov.au
0403 390 591