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Talking circles contribute to interpersonal connection and understanding.

Yesterday, 10/26/19, I went to the From Conflict to Collaboration workshop at St. John Fisher college in Rochester, NY, sponsored by PiRI, Partners In Restorative Initiatives. The keynote speaker was Dr. Lauren Abramson whose talk was entitled "Biology and Restorative Practices." On the handout which Dr. Abramson provided was the video below about "Daily Rap Dialogue Circles."

Talking circles is one of the fundamental restorative practices which are implemented in all kinds of settings for all kinds of situations. "Talking circles" is a respectful way to structure talking and listening experiences. Talking circles enable participants to communicate with one another in respectful and heart felt ways which foster interpersonal connection and understanding.

This video depicts how talking circles can be implemented in school settings. In Baltimore schools they are called "Daily Rap" dialogue circles.


Daily Rap dialogue circles in schools with students of all ages and with staff from www.communitytransformation.net on Vimeo.

What do peer kinship care navigator's do?

Editor's note:

I see many child caregivers who are grandparents and aunts and uncles who have raised children belonging to their adult children and siblings. This is very common especially because of the substance misuse of the parents.

If your project doesn't have a deadline make one up

From Harvard Business Review Tip of the Day on 10/02/19 If Your Project Doesn’t Have a Deadline, Make One Up

It’s easy to prioritize projects that have deadlines — you know exactly when they’re due. But how do you motivate yourself when a project doesn’t have a deadline? Try making one up. Pick a date that you want the work done by, or set aside a certain amount of time for it each day or week. You can also create accountability by enlisting positive peer pressure. Tell a colleague what your deadline is (even if you picked it), and send them updates regularly. For additional motivation, incentivize yourself. For example, you might decide that after spending a morning on the project, you’ll treat yourself to lunch. Or you could let yourself work from your favorite coffee shop — as long as you finish the project’s next step. If those incentives aren’t powerful enough, try penalties. Decide that if you don’t complete the task as planned, you won’t be able to listen to your favorite podcast or watch your favorite TV show tonight.

This tip is adapted from “How to Motivate Yourself When You Don’t Have a Deadline,” by Elizabeth Grace Saunders

Female sex offending

From The Conversation on 09/24/19:

The majority of sex offenders are male. Research suggests that between 1% and 9% of those who offend sexually worldwide are women, depending on the source of data. Most estimates settle on 5%.

In surveys of people who have been victims of sexual abuse or assault, 3% of female victims and 21% of male victims report that the perpetrator was female.

However, official data of arrest and conviction rates may underrepresent the number of female sex offenders, as those who have been assaulted by a woman are less likely to report the abuse. Female offenders are also less likely to be arrested and convicted. If they are convicted, they receive shorter sentences than male offenders.

For more click here.

Editor's note: In my practice and experience, women are often what are called "co-offenders," meaning that they often don't act alone but in concert with another person. The article above describes this phenomenon.

Making a plan makes it more likely that personal goals will be achieved.

Planfulness leads to success. In other words, people who makes plans to achieve their goals are more likely to be successful. Seems like common sense doesn't it?

The old saying, "Plan your work and work you plan," is validated by social psychological research.

For more click here.

Suicide rates vary widely by state in the United States with twice the rate in red states as in blue states.

From the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on suicide rates by state in the United States in 2017.

In 2017, the U.S. age-adjusted suicide rate was 14.0 per 100,000 population, but rates varied by state. The five states with the highest rates were Montana (28.9 deaths per 100,000 population), Alaska (27.0), Wyoming (26.9), New Mexico (23.3), and Idaho (23.2). The five with the lowest rates were the District of Columbia (6.6), New York (8.1), New Jersey (8.3), Massachusetts (9.5), and Maryland (9.8).

Editor's note: Suicide rates are twice the rate in red states the five highest as compared the the suicide rates in the lowest which are blue states. Makes one speculate how political ideology is correlated with suicide.

The states with high suicide rates also tend to be big gun states has compared to states with low rates that have lower gun ownership rates and tougher gun control laws.