What My Grandmother Would Have Taught Me: Enhancing Resilient Behavior in Unaccompanied Young Males in Denmark – A Pilot Project

Abstract

This chapter describes a project for refugee youth in Denmark. It explores a corner of social work that lies in the overlapping areas of psychosocial interventions, mentoring and deliberate, structured group interventions that aim to enhance resilient behavior in a group of especially vulnerable youth. The intervention was specifically aimed at young unaccompanied male asylum seekers in Denmark – all living in residential care in an asylum center designated for this age group. The objective of the pilot project was to explore efficient methods to address specific behavior problems, such as aggression, withdrawal, sexualized behaviors among the youth in the center and in the local community, as well as vulnerability to “grooming” for purposes of sexual exploitation, petty theft, illegal labor, and drug-related crime. The project applied a resource-oriented approach, focusing on well-being and coping abilities, and used a mixed-methodology sequence of 10 thematic 2-hour workshops with 20 youth in each group, complemented with center staff supervision. The applied intervention used music, play, nature, and a range of psychological interventions including psychoeducation. The chapter describes the content and intervention style and discusses the advantages and weaknesses of a tailored resilience-building response and special considerations for working with youth, who do have strong personal resources but also massive psychosocial challenges. The target group was perceived by authorities to be hard to reach with usual social work and mental health approaches. The chapter discusses the potential for this model as a tool for participatory, community-based social work and psychosocial support.