Radical systemic intervention that goes to the root: working alongside inner-city school children, linking trauma with oppression and consciousness with action

Trauma can be viewed through the lens of oppression, and a radical systemic approach in groups is an example of this view in practice. Group-work in an inner-city secondary school, with twelve 13-14 year-olds the school was concerned about, and eleven 12-15 year-olds at risk of exclusion, drew on systemic, narrative and critical consciousness ideas. This approach enabled the young people to link what they understood about trauma and oppression (consciousness) with what they wanted to do about it (action). An independent qualitative evaluation suggested that participants valued being listened to, the improvement in their confidence and behaviour and the opportunity to be change-makers. Recommendations were made by the participants about future groups and by the participants and group facilitators about whole-school approaches to wellbeing based on challenging oppression. Practitioner points How we name experience (consciousness) shapes what we deem appropriate in response (action) Levels of consciousness reflect how problems are named, explained and addressed; levels of action range from oppressive to transformative A radical systemic approach to trauma involves joining with the marginalised, naming oppression and collective social action This involves the body as embodied consciousness and as embedded in social, cultural and political contexts In schools, clinicians direct their intervention at the entire system based on the views of the most marginalised pupils