1. Kids & Caregivers

2. Learned Helplessness:
Experiment Part 1
Acting or behaving helplessly in a particular situation, not realizing you have the power to change the circumstances
Martin Seligman & colleagues Experiment 1
Group 1 dogs – no shocks
Group 2 dogs – shocks which the dogs could end Group 3 dogs – shocks which the dogs could not control
This link is a helpful video on learned helplessness

3. Learned Helplessness:
Experiment Part 2
Placed all dogs in a shuttle-box apparatus. The dogs could escape electric shocks by jumping over a low partition. Response?
Group 1 dogs – Jumped out of the box, escaping the shocks
Group 2 dogs – Jumped out of the box, escaping the shocks Group 3 dogs – Passively laid down and whined

4. Learned Helplessness:
Foster Care and Abuse
How could abuse or neglect create Learned Helplessness?
How could foster care create Learned Helplessness?

5. Learned Helplessness:
Long Term Impact
Mental and physical illness
Chronic Victimization
Repeating the cycle of abuse and neglect

6. Learned Helplessness:
Personal, Pervasive, Permanent
Learned helplessness and depression result from responding to negative life events with a pessimistic explanatory style
PERSONAL “It’s all my fault!”
PERVASIVE “I can’t do anything right!”
PERMANENT “Nobody will ever like me!”

7. Reversing Learned Helplessness:
Personal
Mentoring Club materials focus on providing new explanations for bad life events using the Word of God
PERSONAL “It’s all my fault!” To
“God loves me no matter what happens!”

8. Reversing Learned Helplessness:
Pervasive
PERVASIVE “I can’t do anything right!” To
“God gave me strengths and talents!”

9. Reversing Learned Helplessness:
Permanent
PERMANENT “Nobody will ever like me!” To
“God has a plan for my life!”

10. Reversing Learned Helplessness:
Vicarious Learning
People can learn helplessness through “vicarious” learning (or modeling), i.e., observing another person encountering uncontrollable events
Example?
Vicarious learning can also teach positive messages and behaviors that empower children

11. RFK’s Relationships with Caregivers
RFK’s position is that of supporting the year round job taken on by these care givers of desperate children in our society--children who we all care very much about. Work to enhance the relationship by
Believe every child comes from a loving, caring foster home
Recognize foster parenting is difficult and challenging
Appreciate opportunity to reach foster parents and kids
Expect the foster child to give a biased opinion of home life