An Introduction To Using RPGs to Foster Positive Youth Environments- By Thomas R Wilson
An Introduction To Using RPGs to Foster Positive Youth Environments- ByThomas R Wilson
Youth in today's age are so often silenced, shut out, disregarded, and placed in confining boxes; because of this, Teens rebel against a system that so frequently does not work for them. However, what would happen if we truly listened, put aside our biases, and treated them with genuine respect? As an event specialist who works with teens in and out of underserved communities, I have seen the outcomes of this mindset. That means most teens truly thrive, communicate better, and process the information presented to them with aplomb.
Acknowledging the complexity and challenges of youth's daily lives is crucial. While many have reasons to be joyful, they also deserve validation for their pain. It's not a matter of their families and supports not trying their best or individuals not working to repair broken systems. The harsh reality is that many youth face obstacles, mistreatment, and neglect. This often leads to underdeveloped self-advocacy skills. However, there is a potential solution for RPGs, such as role-playing games, to teach more vital self-advocacy skills. This method can support youth in various scenarios, fostering their growth and resilience.
Many are unaware of the interactive nature of games like Dungeons and Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, and Break!! These games are designed to encourage participants to ask and answer questions. The Game Master presents scenarios where nonplayer characters (NPCs) offer opportunities for players to make decisions. This could involve interacting with a shopkeeper, a tavern owner, or even an enemy character. Players then strategize their actions and communicate them to the group. This interactive process stimulates critical thinking, mindfulness, role play, math, and public speaking skills. All of this takes place in an environment that values listening and encourages kind communication.
When it comes to building self-advocacy, safe spaces are paramount. As facilitators, we must strive to create environments that genuinely honor and motivate safety. This includes considerations such as the setup, the number of participants, and even the energy of the space. Each of these elements requires intentionality and cooperation. We must prioritize the needs of those at the table and be open to adjusting our approach to meet the needs of the youth. This involves being an authority figure who listens and is willing to admit when they're wrong. While we set the rules, an authority figure who believes they're infallible can not truly support those in need. We must be accountable and open to feedback, which is the key to creating a safe and supportive space.
In practice, this is the beginning of building self-advocacy in youth through these games. We must honor youth's emotional, sensory, and security rights before we can help them build skills for life. We must be able to foster the understanding of what better systems are for youth so that they can believe that they deserve these rights before they can fully work toward them. Once this is established, we can proactively use the more in-depth elements of play to help youth develop these skills.
The final aspect I encourage at the beginning of this work is to apply and enforce boundaries. While it is wise to keep boundaries flexible, it is also wise to make sure they can bend instead of break. An aspect of this is to make sure that you know the rules of your game well enough to keep the game structured and flowing freely. As game masters, we must be comfortable as a source of information and fun. Knowing that your players will look to you to tell stories and facilitate the game's energy is essential. What we allow will be enforced by players, and what we say no too much will be viewed as the walls we can not pass through. Like a fenced-in boundary, people will try to get past our rules, and we must stop that. However, like fences, we should have opportunities to walk in freely if we have the right keys that allow entry. And in establishing ourselves as the group leader, we have the responsibility to be genuinely accountable for what we do and don't allow.
Overall, there is much to building a safe space; however, we can begin to foster genuinely safe spaces with these skills. This process will constantly evolve, and with each new youth, we should continually strive to develop new techniques to match their needs. Youth genuinely deserve to be confident that their needs are met and that the trust they offer us will be met with respect. And it is our responsibility to fulfill those needs fully and with intention. It is not the youth's fault when we fail them; we must always strive to do our best. As so many have said, youth are our future, and because of that, we must set them up for success as they hold the world in their hands.