I.D. is the model that underpins all our work and is based on the principle that the negative thought processes, negative personalities and subsequent negative actions of the dispossessed are largely derived from having an identity that is defined by what you are not rather than by what you are (i.e. not white, not educated, not employed, not wanted, not adult, not important). The majority of young people caught in this cycle of negative identity share the same early signals of emotional and psychological trauma as well as isolation in their life histories. Our experience shows that young people in the grip of a negative identity cycle will project their rage onto what they consider to be different from them, often drawing them into a cycle of hate and crime.
By creating a positive sense of identity it is possible to reverse this cycle and to replace it instead with a cycle of self-discovery and empowerment that is driven by the young person him/herself, creating the necessary momentum for genuine long-term change.
All I.D. processes are tailored to the specific needs of their respective target groups, but they all share the same overall structure, broken down over the duration of the process into the following three stages:
Identity
This stage is about exploring the ‘who are you’ question. Innovative and therapeutic exercises explore questions of identity such as: Who do you care about? Who cares about you? Why do you get upset about particular things? What are you afraid of? What are your dreams? What are you hiding? What is your pain? This stage takes up approximately 30% of the total number of sessions.
Change
This stage is about learning that once you understand who you are, you can decide to change those aspects of your thinking and your behaviour that hold you back. It is about letting go of your pain. It is about observing how you talk and how you listen. It might be about changing the people you hang out with and the places you go. It’s about changing the direction your thoughts naturally take when you feel threatened. And about acknowledging the affect that these changes have on how you feel about yourself. This stage takes up approximately 30% of the total number of sessions.
Process
This is the final stage, where you understand that identity development is an ongoing process, and that all the tricks and tools in the world will not stop you from finding yourself back at square one time and time again. I.D. teaches that self-development is about focus, discipline and application. Young people who complete the I.D. process do not change over night nor are they free from the temptations that used to surround them, but they are significantly more aware of their own internal processes and are no longer controlled by the anger and hopelessness they used to feel.