On the last lesson on Friday we began with the statement “Everything is going to be all right. I promise”. So we thought about it and looked it up in our books to find the context. It was Christopher´s mother who said it to her son after she had an argument with Christopher´s father in her flat in London. The topic was that Father wanted his son back but Christopher wanted to live with his mother.
We took this situation as origin for a role-play: the hearing between Ed Boone and Judy Boone about the custody of Christopher. So we built six groups each for one character and worked out a statement of two minutes to say our position about what the best thing would be for Christopher.
The mediator started the hearing and gave an overview about the confused situation in which Christopher and his parents are. After that he handed over to the lawyer of Christopher´s father. He said that Mr. Boone could handle with Christopher alone, because he cooked his meals, cleaned his clothes, looked after him, took him to the doctor and went to school if Christopher was in trouble. On the other side Christopher´s mother left him, because she was be a very hot-tempered person and had hit him if the situation was too much for her. Therefore, she would not able to take care of him. Then the lawyer of Christopher´s mother gave his view on it. He wanted that Judy Boon gets the sole custody for Christopher because it was the wish of Christopher to live with his mother. Moreover, his father hit him after writing the book. That showed that he was unable to take care of Christopher he said. Next Siobhan a teacher of Christopher told her opinion. At first Christopher´s father did a good work handling Christopher, but Christopher is in a deep shock because he is scared about the killed dog and he would be frightened that his father could kill him. But Christopher´s father supported him in everything and so she would suggest that the father got custody. Then Mr. Jeavons the school psychologist went on. He said that it is important to know that Christopher had the Asperger's Syndrome. So he should live with his mother because he is frightened of his father. Christopher could not trust or believe in his father anymore because he could not understand the emotions and feelings of his father. Therefore, he does not know why his father has not shown him the letters and could not understand why father told lies like that mother was dead. But there was the option to trust his father again. Then he should live with both parents together. And at last a social worker said that he would like to have custody for the mother because it was Christopher´s wish. Even if the father was the better option because he had more experience, it was Christopher’s wish so he had to decide where he wanted to live. After that the jury gave short statements - one said he would prefer the sole custody for the mother another said the shared custody, so Christopher could learn to trust his father again. In the following voting eight jury members decided for a sole custody for the mother. Only two preferred a sole custody for the father and one went a shared custody.
Then the lesson ended.
(by Martin S.)
We took this situation as origin for a role-play: the hearing between Ed Boone and Judy Boone about the custody of Christopher. So we built six groups each for one character and worked out a statement of two minutes to say our position about what the best thing would be for Christopher.
The mediator started the hearing and gave an overview about the confused situation in which Christopher and his parents are. After that he handed over to the lawyer of Christopher´s father. He said that Mr. Boone could handle with Christopher alone, because he cooked his meals, cleaned his clothes, looked after him, took him to the doctor and went to school if Christopher was in trouble. On the other side Christopher´s mother left him, because she was be a very hot-tempered person and had hit him if the situation was too much for her. Therefore, she would not able to take care of him. Then the lawyer of Christopher´s mother gave his view on it. He wanted that Judy Boon gets the sole custody for Christopher because it was the wish of Christopher to live with his mother. Moreover, his father hit him after writing the book. That showed that he was unable to take care of Christopher he said. Next Siobhan a teacher of Christopher told her opinion. At first Christopher´s father did a good work handling Christopher, but Christopher is in a deep shock because he is scared about the killed dog and he would be frightened that his father could kill him. But Christopher´s father supported him in everything and so she would suggest that the father got custody. Then Mr. Jeavons the school psychologist went on. He said that it is important to know that Christopher had the Asperger's Syndrome. So he should live with his mother because he is frightened of his father. Christopher could not trust or believe in his father anymore because he could not understand the emotions and feelings of his father. Therefore, he does not know why his father has not shown him the letters and could not understand why father told lies like that mother was dead. But there was the option to trust his father again. Then he should live with both parents together. And at last a social worker said that he would like to have custody for the mother because it was Christopher´s wish. Even if the father was the better option because he had more experience, it was Christopher’s wish so he had to decide where he wanted to live. After that the jury gave short statements - one said he would prefer the sole custody for the mother another said the shared custody, so Christopher could learn to trust his father again. In the following voting eight jury members decided for a sole custody for the mother. Only two preferred a sole custody for the father and one went a shared custody.
Then the lesson ended.
(by Martin S.)
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