Institution: IMMA e.V.- Initiative for Munich Girls
Duration / funding: as a private youth welfare organisation, IMMA receives financial support in the form of grants and daily pay from Munich’s Social Services Department
The purpose of the association is to better the situation of girls and young women and support working with girls and young women. The main goal is to support girls and young women in various difficult situations so that they can claim their place independently and on equal terms in all public and private areas of life. To achieve these goals, the association takes a partisan feminist and systemic approach with an intercultural focus.
IMMA e.V. takes an integrated approach that provides both protection and counselling for girls in special situations and also offers intervention measures such as specific anti-violence training for girls as perpetrators of psychological and physical violence.
Zora groups and school projects For the Zora groups and school projects, IMMA e.V. has developed various group offers for girls and young women between 11 and 27 years old. These includes prevention offers for schools and other gender-specific trainings for girls prone to violence who have drawn attention to themselves with physically and/or verbally aggressive behaviour, e.g., insults, threats, bullying, physical fights or extortion. In addition, there is also a group which assists the socialisation of young lesbians.
Training for violence prone girls
IMMA e.V. anti-violence training is basically built on the following steps: building trust, biographical experience, family, friendships and relationships, experience with violence and violent behaviour, treating acute action, initiation and triggers for aggression and violence, developing alternative ways of acting. Based on AAT ® training.
The training focusses on the violent behaviour of each girl. The group addresses this topic thematically by thinking up scenarios to stimulate changes in behaviour/different ways to act when in similar situations. The settings are not set up to cause humiliation but, rather, the group works together to provide support. An important part of the training is to reflect on the importance and meaning of one’s own gender, gender-specific correlations in violent behaviour, and so on.
“Courage to Change” long-term intervention Suitable for girls prone to violence, also good as a follow-up for the short-term training “cool for life”. Time frame: 24 x 3 hours over a period of 6 months. The course takes place with a minimum number of five female participants. Ages: 14 and up. Goals and content:
- changing behaviour in terms of reducing violent behaviour
- facing up to the action(s) and, in doing so, take responsibility for their own violent behaviour
- learning prosocial and non-violent behaviour
- learning to deal constructively with aggression by also reflecting on their own gender role
- increasing self-esteem and self-confidence
- improving chances for participating in formal educational processes
- referral to additional offers of support
Methods: The training is based on the AAT ® + Coolness Training standards, as well as AGT/KRT. Furthermore, we also use elements of experiential education and educational theatre.
“Cool for life” short-term intervention, also particularly for younger girls This short workshop is suitable for girls and young women at school and in social care like AEH, SBH and residential groups. The workshop includes 6 sessions each 2 hours in length. Training is 1 x weekly in the afternoon. A course can begin with a minimum of five girls. Ages: 12 and up. Prerequisites for course participation are a one-to-one consultation and a pre-meeting in the group before training starts.
Goals and content of the workshop:
- increasing social skills such as communication and body language, feelings and empathy
- facing up to the action(s) and, in doing so, take responsibility for their own violent behaviour
- increasing willingness to work on and change their own violent behaviour, e.g., through exploring their own spiral of violence and anger barometer
- practicing new, non-violent and prosocial behaviour through role plays
- increasing emotional, cognitive and social resources by working in the group
Methods: elements from AAT®, Coolness and social skills training, playful elements, role plays, video work, relaxation techniques, experiential education methods
VIP – girls using violence – Intervention and Prevention Since 2011, IMMA e.V. has worked at the international level on the topic girls acting out violently. The Daphne project “VIP – girls using violence – Intervention and Prevention” started in 2013. The German states, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Spain, England (UK) and Wales have conducted research and worked together on the topic violent girls and young women for over two years. The project seeks to point out examples of the best practice for working with violent girls. For this, a guide will be developed which lists the best methods and practices. The international youth meeting in the summer of 2014 at the youth hostel castle Schwaneck in Pullach was the highlight of the two-year EU project. 15 girls and young women met from the 13 to 15 June together with their 15 caregivers and 18 people from the EU project team to share their experience as well as explore useful information for intervention measures. The formerly violent girls and young women were between 15 and 22 years old and came from Poland, England, Wales, Spain, Norway, Sweden and Germany.
Further information here and here.
Further offers from the association for work relating to girls: Contact and information centre for working with girls Counselling centre for girls and young women
Contact and information centre for working with girls offers professionals in child and youth welfare and educational support for qualifying and becoming professional in partisan, feminist oriented work with girls and young women and gender-specific differentiated and reflective work with girls and boys.
Counselling centre for girls and young women offers professionals in child and youth welfare and educational support for qualifying and becoming professional in partisan, feminist oriented work with girls and young women and gender-specific differentiated and reflective work with girls and boys.
The refuge centre is a safe haven in Munich which offers girls and young women between 13 and 20 with different backgrounds refuge, temporary housing and care round the clock. Girls can turn to IMMA e.V. in cases of violence, crises and emergency situations because they are experiencing or being threatened with psychological, physical and sexual violence, are being forced into engagement or marriage against their will or have other reasons for needing escape.
Specialist unit for forced marriage supports girls and young women as well as boys and young men who are being threatened with or have experienced forced marriage. IMMA e.V. is also there for people who are being threatened with violence in the name honour. For this, the association advises the caregivers of those affected and further training on the topic of forced marriage.
Organigramm Imma e.V.
E-Mail: info[at]imma.de www.imma.de