Understanding and working with resistance

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Rangatahi may resist our presence in their lives through their behaviours. Resistance can be an important form of communication.

The word resistance is used to describe ways that rangatahi can resist or push back against our involvement in their lives. This may include behaviours such as silence, not showing up, absconding or acting up. Thinking about resistance from the perspective of rangatahi, we can see that they have no guarantee that things will improve for them when we get involved in their lives. Seeing it this way, we can understand that they might respond to us with suspicion, hostility, or resistance (Barker & Thomson, 2015, 141).

Resistance is often seen to have a negative meaning, but in relationship based practice (RBP) we define resistance positively. Resistance is an important tool to help us understand the helping alliance between rangatahi and kaimahi (see The helping alliance). When we think about resistance as a positive resource, we can use in our mahi. Rather than a problem, we can think of resistance as a valuable strategy rangatahi have used to manage challenging lives. Here are some examples of what resistance might mean.

Rangatahi can use resistance to communicate with us. They can use it to test us out, to see if we will stick around. It can be a way of telling us that our suggestions will not work. They can use it to tell us that they are not feeling safe (Barker & Thomson, 2015; Bottrell, 2009; Haw, 2010; Theron et al., 2011) (see Power).

When we think about it in these ways, we can see that resistance has many possible meanings. Our job is to work with rangatahi to figure out what it means and then channel this energy into positive change. To do this we need to think of resistance as rangatahi actively negotiating how they want our relationship to be (Heron, 2005). What does it mean when they don’t attend appointments, comply with conditions around behaviour, or agree to particular interventions (Pollack, 2010)?

Asking this question gets us to think about what the logic of the resistance is. This understanding of resistance and rebellion comes from Foucault’s work (Guo & Tsui, 2010, 236–237). Here we don’t make judgements or blame rangatahi. We work with them to understand the purpose – is the resistance defence, protest or coping? Is our mahi missing the mark? Rather than responding with demands and trying to control rangatahi, we respond with care and compassion. We encourage rangatahi to exercise their agency in ways that help them thrive (Severinsson & Markström, 2015; Trevithick, 2011; Watson, 2011) (see Positive youth development; Recognition and shame; Agency and voice).

Given the complexity of the issues vulnerable rangatahi face, resistance should be expected and seen ‘as a positive force rather than as something that must be defeated’ (Severinsson & Markström, 2015, 1). What this means is that resistance can be harnessed in interventions across service systems to facilitate positive change. To achieve this we embrace resistance, understand the motivation behind it and the purpose it holds for rangatahi (Watson, 2011, 465- 467).

Some strategies to manage resistance creatively

We can create opportunities for new experiences that help shift rangatahi perspectives.

 

Interrupted space

Rangatahi are given opportunities to participate in new activities and have different types of experiences. In the process they explore new ways of being and of interacting with others. Adult reactions are critical in these interrupted spaces. They need to ensure that rangatahi perspectives and behaviours receive constructive and supportive responses. This makes these new experiences positive. It also respects the knowledge and expertise of rangatahi. Through these experiences, rangatahi learn to trust adults and they learn how to participate in new activities and settings. This creates a sense of belonging and a positive sense of self (Bolzan & Gale, 2012,505).

Think of ways rangatahi can creatively use their resistance skills

Roll with resistance

Watson (2011, 468) suggests kaimahi ‘roll with resistance’. This is about understanding rangatahi perspectives and working to understand what resistance is communicating, rather than trying to make them do something different. By doing this, kaimahi observe and understand the purpose of resistance.

Motivational interviews (see https://motivationalinterviewing.org/understanding-motivational-interviewing and https://www.tepou.co.nz/resources/takitaki-mai-a-guide-to- motivational-interviewing-for-maori) can be used to support rangatahi reflections on their actions and emotions. They learn how to harness their resistance as a positive resource. This creates safe relational spaces so that rangatahi can start to address the things that bring them to services the reasons why they resist (Barker & Thomson, 2015; Reimer, 2013; Ruch et al., 2010; Tassie, 2015; Trevithick, 2014).

Remember often resistance has been a useful self-protection strategy.

Understand the reasons

Resistance can be a reaction to negative labels given to some behaviours. Instead of agreeing with these negative labels we can work with rangatahi, exploring the reasons for their actions and then promote new, more positive ways of responding (Severinsson & Markström, 2015, 8; Trevithick, 2011, 389). Then we can use our power as an ‘expert’ to promote this more positive view with other kaimahi and others in the rangatahi network. Understanding resistance and its purpose begins with active listening to learn the ‘back story’ of rangatahi and the strategies they have used to manage challenging circumstances. A focus on strengths and their coping capacities enables kaimahi to harness these in the helping alliance (see Power; Agency and voice; Hearing rangatahi; The helping alliance).

How do I use these ideas in my mahi?

This example shows how a kaimahi learned about the role resistance played for a rangatahi and then used that knowledge to build a positive helping alliance.

I work in a youth health agency; one of the programmes we provide is a group for rangatahi experiencing social anxiety. Krissy was referred to the group by a teacher who was concerned that her anxiety was getting in the way of her learning. Krissy had been in foster care for several years and while she had contact with her birth family the contact was infrequent. Krissy previously had some contact with a statutory mental health service, but this did not work out; the medication they gave her made her feel sick and she put on weight, so she abandoned it. She had not returned to the service.

When she was referred to our agency and the group, she said she did not really want to join, but she would give it a go. She did miss meetings and when she did attend, she was very quiet and found it difficult to contribute to the discussion. I decided to work with Krissy outside of the group, so we could explore together the issues she was facing in a safe environment. I hoped that this might also help her feel more comfortable in attending the group.

She said she was happy to do that. It was interesting to hear the views of the teacher and school counsellor; they said that Krissy seemed to resist the help she was given. However, as I spent time with Krissy, she began to talk to me about her situation and explained that she felt anxious most of the time because she didn’t feel she could trust people. She said it was easier to manage things by herself. She had not been able to find a stable foster care placement where she felt comfortable and while she enjoyed school, she felt overwhelmed there because she thought people just looked at her as the foster kid. She thought that this foster home might work out, but she had her doubts.

She said when she went to the mental health service, she felt they didn’t really understand her and just gave her medication to sort out her issues. When hearing Krissy’s perspective, it was understandable that she resisted engaging with adults as she had been let down many times; no-one had helped her manage her anxiety which escalated as she faced new situations and new people. Her way of coping was to withdraw. This could be seen as a positive coping strategy as it helped her avoid difficult situations and the possibility of being hurt and let down.

As she started to trust me, we talked about her coping strategies and over time we worked on finding different strategies that would help her deal with difficult situations. It was important that she had a chance to test out these new strategies and the group was a safe place that she could begin to do this as others in the group had faced similar challenges. They were supportive of Krissy and shared their strategies with her which she respected because she knew they also had struggles.

In supervision I talked to my supervisor about how it was helpful for me to think differently about what had been labelled as Krissy’s resistance and to understand this as a coping strategy. When I looked beyond the label and what had been said about her, and listened to Krissy’s perspective, new possibilities for change opened up.

 

Here are some places to look for more information

 

We thank the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for funding the research that created this resource (MAUX2006).

This resource was developed by Professor Jackie Sanders. It was refined with input from Donna MacNicol, Te Aroha Noa Community Services, Justina Webster, Dr Linda Liebenberg, Professor Robyn Munford, Dr Jayne Mercier, Davinia Abbott and the team at Dingwall Trust Launch Programme

Citation: Sanders, J. with MacNicol, D., Webster, J., Munford, R. Liebenberg, L., Mercier, J., Abbott, D. and the Dingwall Trust Launch Team (2023). Understanding and working with resistance. Relational Resources for Change, https://youthsay.co.nz/rbp-theories/understanding-and-working-with-resistance/

CC BY-NC-ND Licensed using Creative Commons Licensing. Relational Resources for Change Project. You are welcome to use this resource individually, in your teams and in supervision/coaching/critical reflection, you should acknowledge the source using the above citation. You may not change this document, use it to develop your own external training, or for commercial purposes (e.g by charging a fee).

This work by J. Sanders, R. Munford, J. Webster, J. Mercier, D. Abbott & L. Liebenberg is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. 
This site was created as part of a research programme (MAUX2006) funded by MBIE. We thank them for their support.

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