Non Violent Resistance (NVR) parenting approach

Non Violent Resistance (NVR) is an approach that helps to raise the presence of adults in a young person’s life in order to foster positive relationships.

It can be applied to multiple situations where the young person displays undesirable behaviour for example hitting, kicking, spitting, threating behaviour, violence to themselves (self-harm, suicidality, disrupted eating patterns) or isolating themselves.

Many influential people such as Ghandi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela have been advocates in this approach.  They were using the principles to bring about peaceful political difference, following difficult and often volatile struggles.

Key principles to the approach

  1. Avoiding violent reactions.
  2. Realising that continued struggle is not necessary.
  3. Being open about the struggles being experienced, don’t keep it to yourself.
  4. Recruiting supporters.
  5. Taking unconditional reconciliatory action.

Based on these principles a parenting and psychological intervention was developed by Haim Omar nearly 20 years ago.

Bitesize audios

“Strike when the iron is cold”

NVR does not ignore challenging behaviour, but chooses to deal with it when emotions in both the young person and the adult are not as high.

Book recommendations

For more CAMHS parent information, please check out Good Advice and the Parent and Carers resources.

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Page last reviewed: 18 April, 2024