replys 3

1 day ago

Jenna Lee 

DB 5

COLLAPSE

Top of Form

            The most common problem situation that I would like to elaborate on and have had experience with is the dominator. The dominator is a member who tries to rule the group (Jacobs et al., 2018) From my personal experience from leading groups in my residential setting where dominator’s are common in, this individual was the oldest of the group and liked to be heard and hear herself speak. She also liked to put the leader, whether it was myself or my co-leader, on the spot and trying to prove us wrong or make us look bad in many ways. She tried to lead the group and speak for others in the group. Many times, we have had to ask the individual to leave the group and we would process with them after the group was over. There were times she was told to “stay in her lane” by members letting her know that she was crossing the line. (This is a phrase we use on the unit where it is letting someone know boundaries are being crossed that should not be crossed) Sometimes, even the other members would ask her to leave so someone else could talk or so that the actual leader could lead the group. 

            Dominator’s are fairly common in residential treatment settings, and in school groups. (Jacobs et al., 2018) They like to try and lead the group and sometimes they feel they could run it better than the leader. They want to have control over a topic that they can have more say so in the discussion. They can also feel that they can give better advice to the group if they control the topic that they choose. This can lead to conflict between members because some members are in the group because they want to be. They want to learn what the leader has to offer and grow from the experience. Others may want to have a different topic to discuss and they start arguing with the dominator. This can also rile up members who are forced to be in the group to essentially help the dominator gang up on the leader. This can make individuals uncomfortable and unwilling to share in fear that they will get criticized by the dominator and possibly make them not want to return to future groups. Once individuals gain power over others, they tend to defend their sources of power through manipulation, the formation of coalitions, information control, and favoritism…but they nonetheless cause waves of tension, conflict, and anger to ripple through the group. (Forsyth, 2017) 

            Knowing how to handle these situations is crucial to leading groups. Proverbs 15:1 says, A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. We must be calm, collected and skilled to be able to deescalate situations that could arise from troublemakers. 

Word count: 473

 References

Forsyth, D. (2017). Group Dynamics (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Jacobs, E. E., Schimmel, C. J., Masson, R. L., & Harvill, R. L. (2018). Group Counseling: Strategies and Skills (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Bottom of Form

Teerica McClain 

Forum 5 

COLLAPSE

Top of Form

Becoming part of a group is very hard due to everyone having different personalities and upbringings.  When a group members come together it is usually for a certain purpose and to accomplish a goal. However, during the process of healing and learning; there are bound to be conflicts between the members. Therefore, it is very important for the leader to figure out what is the conflict, and how can the group overcome it so that they can move forward. Conflicts tend to occur between the group members, because the members are so used to being by themselves working on their issues and not really used to the group concept yet. Also, I have seen that a lot of group members who are used to working independently, tend to want to take charge of the group.  

        Another situation that can occur and cause conflict is when a negative person that is in the group, makes it their mission to disagree with what everyone else is saying in the group and just complains all day, until others starts to be on their side in the group (Jacobs et al. 2018. Pg 410). These individuals are in the negative mindset of believing that nothing will truly change because of their past, so it will take them time to change their mind. Did you know that there are many different conflict roles that can affect all areas of the individual? When looking at the term conflict role, it is usually associated with the personality traits, behaviors, and values a person should have when in a certain role (Forsythet al. 2014. pg.177). When you are in a certain role, it is important to exceed all of the expectations of that role. There can be certain situations where certain members might be pushed into having a variety of different roles in a group setting and life, that can make it hard for them to do well in each individual role. A negative group member tends to be in this position a lot because they are usually trying to show that they are better than everyone. 

     Also, the author stated that role conflicts tend to cause a lot of distress, or state of tension, that is caused by high expectations that the person can not perform in a role (Forsyth. 2014. Pg 176). Therefore, it is very essential that the leader knows how to resolve conflicts when they arrive, because it can throw the whole group’s environment. The members of the group should always be nice and non judgemental so that conflict doesn’t occur. A Lot of people do not like to put themselves in other people’s drama, but it is sometimes essential because the environment has to be in harmony in order for the members to thrive. 

 

References: 

Forsyth, D. R. (2014). Group dynamics, 6th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Jacobs, E.E., Schimmel, C. J., Masson, R. L., & Harvill, R. L. (2016). Group Counseling. 

Strategies and Skills.  Boston, MA. Cengage Learning.

Bottom of Form

Jeanette Penton 

week 7 

COLLAPSE

Top of Form

Jacobs, Schimmel, Masson, and Harvil (2016) listed 13 common problems that may cause conflict within groups ranging from the chronic talker, to the negative member, dealing with silence, etc. just to name a few. The chronic talker is one problem that I think may be one of the more common occurring problems that effects the entire group. Jacobs et al. explain that it is not hard to figure out who is a chronic talker. What can happen is that other members may have concerns or issues that they wish to discuss but due to the chronic talker, they are prevented from the opportunity to do so (Jacobs, et al., 2016). As a result, the members end up tuning out this person or they end up losing interest and get frustrated and mad at the chronic talker and possibly even the group leader as well (Jacobs, et al., 2016). This is problematic as, “when people express their anger, it redefines the situation, changing it from a cooperative one into one of conflict” and anger can become a contagious emotion in a group (Forsyth, 2019, p. 429).

Forsyth (2019) points out that many times, conflicts are built off of misunderstandings. This may be the case with other group members and the over talker as far as misunderstanding why they are over talking to begin with. Jacobs et al. explains that the chronic talker can fall into three categories: the rambler, the nervous member, or the show off. The nervous member many times is the first to answer the leader’s questions, and the first person to volunteer for tasks (Jacobs, et al., 2016). They further explain that this is done as a means to alleviate anxiety. The rambling person tends to dominate the conversations and is not aware of how their rambling is effecting other group members (Jacobs, et al., 2016). This member often repeats himself or herself and tells stories that are long and drawn-out and they are many times not meaningful to the group (Jacobs, et al., 2016). The show-off member wants to impress the group, which is a result of their insecurities (Jacobs, et al., 2016).  They will answer every question and give unwanted advice to group members, which translates to other group members disliking him or her (Jacobs, et al., 2016). The show-off member can quickly move the group from the group’s intended purpose (Jacobs, et al., 2016).  The show off person could very well translate into a competition versus cooperation scenario as presented in Forsyth’s text. 

References

Forsyth, D. R. (2019). Group dynamics (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage. 

Jacobs, E. E., Schimmel, C. J., Masson, R. L., & Harvill, R. L. (2016). Group counseling:            Strategies and skills (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage. ISBN: 9781305087309.

Bottom of Form