What to do after an incident of AFCCA?
After an episode of aggression, there may be a period of calm when you can reflect on what worked well and what didn’t work so well. Think about what changes you might want or need to make to the Family Safety Plan. You should also prioritize taking restorative time, since these incidents are draining and exhausting, and recovery time is essential.
A very real concern for parents and caregivers after an incident of AFCCA is “how can I make sure this doesn’t happen again”? While it’s not always possible to prevent future instances of aggression, you might be able to put some practices in place to help reduce the impact or severity of these.
For example, creating a structured, secure environment, and addressing small problems before they become big ones can be effective in lessening AFCCA. As well, you may develop a sense of what situations or stressors provoke aggression in your child or young person. Clearly identifying these and trying to remove or reduce them may lessen the impact of these incidents.
Finally, talk with your child or youth and encourage them to share how these incidents impact them, what you might do together to prevent them next time, etc.