Why water canons won't work...

Tony believes there are 6 HUMAN NEEDS that every person strives to fulfil regardless of creed, colour, class or upbringing.  These are made up of four basic needs which come as two paradoxical sets and a further two, more spiritual needs which become more important when the first four are met.  They are:

CERTAINTY/SECURITY

VARIETY/UNCERTAINTY

SIGNIFICANCE

CONNECTION and LOVE

CONTRIBUTION

GROWTH

The point to remember is these are human NEEDS – not wants, wishes, dreams or goals but NEEDS and we will strive to have our needs met at any level we can, which won’t necessarily be in a way that is acceptable to the majority.

There are four levels in which we can meet our needs, these are:

Level 1:            It feels good, it is good for you, good for others and serves the greater good

Level 2:            It doesn’t feel good, but is good for you, good for others and serves the                                     greater good.

Level 3:            It feels good, but is not good for you, not good for others and does not serve the                              greater good

Level 4:            It does not feel good, is not good for you, not good for others and does not                               serve the greater good

When applying this model to the children out wreaking havoc on our streets – what needs are being met by the actions they are taking?

Well, the biggie is    SIGNIFICANCE   – they are getting all the attention they need

Next                 CONNECTION     – they feel closely connected to the other ‘gang’ members

Then comes     VARIETY              - in the heat of the moment they have no idea of what will happen, they are fuelled by the adrenaline rush of fight or flight

And finally       CERTAINTY -  They are absolutely certain people will sit up and take notice of them now.

And, it is known that when a minimum of three of these needs are met by our actions they become habitual.

The next question is at what level are their needs being met?

I would suggest it t be LEVEL 3 - It feels good in the moment, is not good for them, not good for others and certainly does not serve the greater good.

So how can this help?  As parent’s teachers and leaders there is a simple 3 step processyou can apply when with your children, charges or team:-

1:         Ask yourself, how are they currently meeting their human needs?

2          Ask at what level is they meeting them?

3:         How can I help them fulfil their needs at a higher level? For instance with your children, they NEED to feel significant, ignoring them or making them feel small andinsignificant will not work.  Give them some responsibility, acknowledge them and their opinions, PRAISE them!

Applying these principles to the kids rioting in our streets does not condone their behaviour but it sure can go a long way to providing a workable solution.

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