youthwork ethics

Let's make music together

2011-11-03T12:50:00.001+11:00

A young guy (aged 18) who regularly attends and sometimes volunteers at your youth centre gets employed by you in a 3 month paid position, 6 hours/week to help organise music events over the summer. He tells you that he is really keen on another young person (aged 17) at the centre and is planning on making a move at the next event.

What would you do, if anything?

Dress for success!

2011-05-15T13:11:00.000+10:00

Your boss is the Manager of Youth Services for Vision Australia, a large non-religious charity. She has been asked to write a dress code to cover all Vision's youth workers in city and rural areas.

The dress code needs to:

cover things like clothing, footwear, slogans on clothing, tattoos and piercings
apply to the whole range of Vision youth services (refuges, recreation, streetwork, advocacy, working in schools, working with families)
apply to workers with all client groups including migrant communities, Aboriginal communities, street kids, and various youth subcultures.

She asks you to jot down some random bullet points to get her started. What would you jot down?

How should youth councils & youth services use Facebook?

2010-10-15T17:11:00.009+11:00

[This post is by Mark Egan & Jelena Alavanja, Liverpool City Council. You can agree, disagree, or add your own strategies by posting a comment below].

Part of being an effective youth worker is keeping up-to-date with the most current ways that young people communicate. In the early 00s, I used MSN to keep young people up-to-date with opening times at the youth centre I worked at. In 2005, young people had ventured into social networking sites with Myspace and some young people would add me to their band or personal profile. As this site gained popularity, discussion began to emerge in the youth sector about what young people disclosed in their profiles.

In 2010, Facebook has become the dominant social networking website with the youth demographic. Young people set up profiles that reveal information about themselves and facilitate interaction with their peers, their families and others in their circle of social relationships. Facebook also supersedes the functions of MSN chat by providing the same level of interaction, and is a more popular platform than Myspace because it is more user-friendly and has a wider range of functions.

Facebook functions primarily by allowing users to ‘add’ other people to their profiles, thereby mutually agreeing to allow each other access to their profile and other interactive functions. It is through this that I have a highly efficient and effective method of communicating with my 15 current youth council members.

By using Facebook both during and after work hours, I can easily check in with my youth councillors about tasks they need to complete, confirm times that they need to be at particular places, clarify short-notice changes or provide updates, and also be available to answer quick questions. I am also free to (and sometimes need to) let young people know if I’m not able to talk with them during after-hours periods, and they can do the same.

The three main ways that Facebook functions is through the development and updating of individual Profiles, of Pages (that are for either a group or an organisation, eg. YAPA), and for Events (that advertise an event, and its location, start and finish time, and cease activity when the event is completed). Use of Pages and Events are highly effective promotional tools if they are used well, but the most useful field of Facebook in terms of interaction is the individual Profile pages – these have the Facebook chat function.

There is debate about the ethics of workers adding young people to their personal profile page. Some workers choose to set up special “work” pages that contain limited information about themselves. This certainly makes sense, but I choose not to use this option. Since I would not log into a work-based account after hours, I’m then not able to make full use of the communicative functions of Facebook after hours.

Contrary to some views, Facebook offers an incredibly sophisticated level of control over what information is displayed and to whom. Some of the ways that I manage ‘personal disclosure’ (or what a worker reveals about their personal life to their clients) is through creating a friend group on my Facebook profile and creating specific parameters around what that group can do and see. For example, I shield some of what my friends say in their updates from my youth councillors. I also post some updates on my page that are only (or not) visible to youth councillors.

Here’s an example of why Facebook is so effective: In the evening after attending YAPA's recent SHIFT THIS youth event with some youth councillors, in a period of 10 minutes:

I checked that one young women had gotten home safely
I gave a few encouraging words to another youth councillor who had performed in the hip-hop workshop
I confirmed the rendezvous time with another young person for tomorrow morning’s journey back into the city
I connected an ex-youth councillor who now lives in another LGA with the YDO of her area!
I also answered a detailed question from a youth councillor about a park and asked that they provide me with further information to my work email so I could follow it up the next week.

There is simply no way I could have done all this, with such ease and efficiency with any other mode of communication!

Advantages of communicating with my youth council via Facebook

More reliable means of communication as young people check Facebook more regularly than they do email.

Young people are comfortable and confident with communicating through Facebook.

Facebook allows for photos/videos to be shared with numerous people at the same time and for these people to comment on photos/videos. Notifications are also sent to alert users that someone has posted a comment after them. Users are also free to de-tag themselves in photos if they do not wish to be identified.

The layout of Facebook makes it easier to read a series of comments on a wall post/status/video/photo and so it is easier to include a group of people in one conversation.

Privacy settings:

Photo albums/ videos - can be customised so that only selected people (or groups) can view photos
Photos/ videos user is tagged in by other people - can be adjusted so that only certain people can see these photos.
Wall posts – can be customised so that only selected people can post on a user's wall and see posts by other people, posting can also be entirely disallowed.
Status (the information that is shared by the user, which appears on their wall and the News Feed (News Feed; Facebook home page which can include status updates, photos, videos and comments on other people's walls/photos/videos etc)) – can be customised so that only selected people can see it and comment on it.
Personal information – can be customised so that only selected people can see it.
Friend list – (a list of people who the user is connected with on Facebook and can interact and share information with) – can be customised so that only selected people can see who the user is friends with.
Interests and other pages – can be customised so that only selected people can see the user’s interests, events attending and so on.
Information accessed by Facebook applications through user and user’s friends’ profiles - can be customised so that only certain information or no information at all can be accessed and shared.
Public search – if this is switched off no one can find and view user’s profile.
Block lists – other users, applications, application invitations and event invitations can be blocked meaning that they can no longer contact the user.
All communication with youth council can be privatised by communicating through Personal Messages
Email settings – receive notifications from youth council Facebook group to work email, so that notifications from other friends and youth council are kept separate.

Promotion of youth events - When an Event is created on Facebook, it can be made open for the public to attend or only to specific people.

The advantage of the event being open for all Facebook users to see is that it can serve as a marketing tool of youth events to all young people.
The Event can also be privatised so that those people who aren’t invited are not able to view the details of the event.
The advantage of the Events feature is that Facebook sends the invitees reminders of the event, so it can serve as a more interactive invitation (than through email or phone) as the invitees can post comments on the event.

Disadvantages of communicating with youth council via Facebook

Documents cannot be attached on Facebook as they can be in emails.

More convenient to type large amounts of information in email due to the layout and formatting options.

Young people may not be fully aware of privacy settings and may inadvertently reveal private or inappropriate information.

Youth worker would have the responsibility to monitor what is being posted as public information by the youth council, particularly because of Council’s typical approach to the publishing information in the media.

If a user comments on a friend’s status/wall/photo/video, this may be seen by anyone unless that friend adjusts their privacy settings as listed above. This problem can be overcome by sending Personal Messages which can only be seen by the person they are sent to, like an email.

Communication through Facebook is not as well documented or recorded as it is via methods such as email.

The dilemma: God and youth work

2010-08-26T10:45:00.002+10:00

A welfare agency runs a government-funded youth program to address the needs of at-risk young people. One of the youth workers is also a volunteer youth leader at his place of worship, in his own time. The welfare agency manager becomes aware that the youth worker has been talking to various clients of the youth program about his religious activities and how they could become involved.

When the manager raises this with him, the youth worker says that religion can be a powerful tool for good in young people's lives, and points to the example of one of the agency's ex-clients whose new-found faith has completely transformed her life for the better.

The manager acknowledges that there is some truth in what the youth worker says, but still feels uneasy.

What would you do if you were the manager?

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle… no more?

2010-04-29T09:55:00.001+10:00

The end of the year arrives and a staff member suggests that the youth service put up Christmas decorations to liven the place up. Another staff member points out that there are plenty of non-Christian clients too and that no-one has ever suggested that you celebrate any of their religious holidays with decorations.

The Manager points out that the service has a sign on the door that says "Newmont Youth Services promote equal access to all young people regardless of gender, culture, religious belief, ability or sexuality", and proposes a new policy banning all celebrations which are specific to one religion.

What would you do?

Jump in my car?

2009-10-15T14:24:00.001+11:00

You have just run a night-time youth event. After staff have packed up the venue, you find a lone young person who had been at the event, hanging around outside. The young person lives about 5km away, wants to go home, but says that there is nobody who could come and pick them up.

It is midnight, it is dark (obviously!), it is an isolated area and there is no public transport - not even taxis at that time.

There is no MissionBeat, Salvos, outreach or "youth bus" type service in the district.

Your agency does not normally transport clients, and the event advertising had said that young people would need to arrange their own transport home. However several staff have their own cars there, and one staff member offers to drop the young person home.

You are the boss - what do you do?

Dilemma: Family & friends

2009-03-25T11:40:00.000+11:00

You live near the youth service where you work. There are no other youth services in that area, and there are very few other activities for young people.

One day your 14-year-old daughter shows up at the drop-in program you are running and makes a number of new friends. The next day when you arrive home from work, several young people from your service are hanging out with your daughter at home.

What would you do?

Dilemma: The gift

2008-11-26T11:44:00.000+11:00

You have been working with a young person for over a year. They are about to leave the service as they are now too old for your target group. They mention that they have a gift for you in appreciation of the work you have done for them. They will bring the gift tomorrow.

What issues are relevant to this dilemma? What should you do?

Dilemma: Should we police internet use?

2008-08-05T09:06:00.004+10:00

Our Youth Refuge recently got the internet connected for the young people living at the Refuge. Over the past few months, we have noticed young males and females using FACEBOOK, myspace, msn, tagged etc.

The pictures that are sent and received between all the people in cyberspace seem to be of a highly sexual nature, naked pictures are being received on a daily basis to and from our young people. Most young people say they are a lot older than they are, and post information about their favourite sex positions!

We have all the latest security systems in place, although they can’t control the content of what photos and information are being passed! They just keep coming through and hidden in residents' profiles for different sites that are password protected, therefore it is almost impossible for youth workers to police and delete (without the help of young people trying to get others into trouble!!).

We feel the internet is very important part of young people’s daily communication to friends and family etc.

Management have now given us two options: stop these images from coming through or the internet gets disconnected.

We are running out of ideas! Please help.

What can they do? What would you do?

Dilemma: Mum says "Fix my daughter!"

2008-02-12T15:29:00.001+11:00

A woman comes to your youth service to talk to you about her 15 year old daughter (who has never used your agency and who you have never met).

The mother says that if her daughter does not give up drugs she will throw her out of home. She has tried everything and nothing has got through to her. The mother asks you to contact the daughter to deal with her drug use.

You say it is best if the daughter initiates the contact, not you. The mother replies that her daughter won't do anything the mother ever suggests, but she might listen to someone outside like you. She urges you to contact her daughter.

What would you do?

Dilemma: Get out of MySpace!

2007-11-01T10:51:00.000+11:00

Your agency has set up a MySpace page and have found it to be really useful in connecting with young people on their own terms. One of your clients invites you to be her MySpace friend. You are not sure whether to accept, so you have a look at her MySpace page. Her photo slideshow presents what looks like a lot of teenage binge drinking.

While you are there you stumble across the profile of another young woman from your agency. You have a look at her MySpace profile and notice that she says she is 18 years old – in fact she is 13, and in the comments there are a few older men asking for her contact details.

What would you do?

Dilemma: A fair cop?

2007-08-01T12:24:00.000+10:00

You have organised an aerosol art workshop at the Youth Centre. Lots of local young people have turned up to participate, and it's a great opportunity to engage with some of the more at-risk young people in your area. Everyone is happy.

Then a local policewoman, who is on your management committee, arrives. You are pleased to see her there, especially because of the history of poor relations between your agency and the local police, which you have worked hard to improve.

During the workshop you notice the policewoman taking young people aside one at a time. When you ask if everything is OK, she tells you that there has been some petty theft in the area and she's asking questions to work out who's responsible.

What would you do?

June 07 dilemma: Come and work for me?

2007-05-18T10:48:00.001+10:00

You are on 12 months parental leave and have several jobs around the home that could be done by a young person such as weeding, babysitting and housework. There were several young people from the program that you previously ran (who will not be clients when you return to work), who are desperate to get their first job (and the good reference that would hopefully come with it).

You want to offer one or more of these young people a few hours work on a regular basis over a few months, just to help you get on top of things at home.

What do you do?

May 07 dilemma of the month: Give me a bloody cigarette!

2007-04-12T19:22:00.001+10:00

Kim is a 17 year old young woman who has been sleeping rough, working as a prostitute and using heroin. Nick, her youth worker, has a good rapport with her and is hoping to make some progress soon on the various issues Kim faces.

Kim calls Nick one day in a state of distress and asks to meet in a nearby park. When Nick gets there Kim is bruised and dishevelled. Nick ask what has happened to her and Kim says "give me a cigarette". Nick has a pack of cigarettes sitting visibly in a jacket pocket. Nick ignores the request and asks her again what has happened. Kim again says "give me a cigarette". Nick mumbles something about not being allowed to give cigarettes to young people, but Kim interrupts and says "Look. I've just been raped. I've just been beaten up. And I've just been robbed. Now give me a bloody cigarette!"

What should Nick do?

April 07 dilemma of the month: A quiet drink or three?

2007-03-15T17:39:00.001+11:00

After a hard week at work you head off to your regular pub with your friends.

You've had a few drinks and are feeling "happy", when you notice Belinda, an 18 year old client you work with. She is heading in your direction and may or may not have spotted you.

What would you do?

March 07 dilemma of the month: 8 year old at youth centre

2007-02-15T15:27:00.002+11:00

Tilly, who is 14, has started coming to your youth centre with her younger brother who is 8 years old. He is much younger than all the other young people who attend the centre, and strictly speaking, he is outside your centre's target age range. He does, however, really seem to enjoy the activities and some of the older young people like looking after him.

When you approach Tilly about it, she says her dad gets really drunk and aggro and yells at everyone, and so the kids like to get out of his way until late at night.

What would you do?