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Agency-wide, Cunningham uses the Circle of Courage
resiliency model, articulated by Brendtro, Brokenleg
and Van Bockern in Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our
hope for the future to guide our youths' psycho-social
development.
The Circle of Courage is derived from Native American
child rearing practices. Native American philosophies
of child management represent what is perhaps the most
effective system of positive discipline ever developed.
These approaches emerged from cultures where the central
purpose of life was the education and empowerment of
children. Modern child development research is only
now reaching the point where this holistic approach
can be understood, validated, and replicated.
The Circle is in keeping with the Cunningham philosophy
of "Kids' Needs First" and our agency tradition
of family, and involves four interrelated dimensions:
Belonging (attachment), Mastery (achievement), Independence
(autonomy), and Generosity (altruism).
 
 
The Circle of Courage has no sharp edges. It serves
as a nurturing framework for guiding a child away from
isolation and despair into a community of love and caring.
In the words of poet Edwin Markham:
He drew a circle to shut me out.
Heretic, rebel a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win.
We drew a circle that took him in.
The following excerpts from Reclaiming Youth at
Risk provide futher explanation of the four elements
of the Circle of Courage.
Belonging (attachment):
Right now, I belong here.
"In traditional Native society...treating others
as related was a powerful social value that transformed
human relationships. Drawing them into one's circle
motivated one to show respect and concern, and live
with a minimum of friction and a maximum of good will."
"For many troubled children, belonging will only
be found in relationships with adults who recognize,
in the words of American psychiatrist Dr. Karl Menninger,
that "living with and loving other human beings
who return that love is the most strengthening and salubrious
emotional experience in the world."
Mastery (achievement):
I may not be perfect at everything I try, but I
will always try to get better.
"When the child's need to be competent is satisfied,
motivation for further achievement is enhanced; deprived
of opportunities for success, young people express their
frustration through troubled behavior or by retreating
in helplessness and inferiority."
"The simple wisdom of Native culture was that since
all need to feel competent, all must be encouraged in
their competency. Striving was for attainment of a personal
goal, not being superior to one's opponent...Success
became a possession of the many, not of the privileged
few."
Independence (autonomy):
Earning independence by building trust.
"As Maier puts it, 'Children's ability to separate
and manage on their own is anchored in the degree of
security of their attachments.'"
"Native child care philosophy recognized the necessity
of harmonizing apparently conflicting needs, by blending
autonomy with belonging."
Generosity (altruism):
Giving to others makes you feel good.
"Elkind suggests that helping others improves self-esteem,
and increased self esteem allows young people to 'de-center'
and contribute to others. Hans Selye concludes that
altruism is the ultimate resource for coping with life's
conflicts, for reaching out to help another, one breaks
free from preoccupation with the self."
"Words from Little Tree: "Grandma said
when you come on something good, first thing to do is
share it with whoever you can find; that way, the good
spreads out where no telling it will go."
The above passages and illustrations are excerpted from
Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our hope for the future
by Brendtro, Brokenleg and Van Bockern. More information
about the Circle of Courage can be found at www.reclaiming.com.
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