An example of living a life of mistrust

When we first arrived at the site, one of the clinicians described how the girls are almost always angry and mean. She warned us about some the things that we might see and hear. She told us (I am at this site with another student, who is AWESOME!) that they would interact defensively with us and would not be welcoming. She also said that if we react impulsively and are offended easily we won't make it. You have to be strong and have a lot of confidence in yourself because the girls will 'try' us and attempt to push every hot button. Here is my journal entry from that day:

I close with this (paraphrased) quote from a supervisor to illustrate the life and thought process of girls who are always defensive: "These girls have lived a hard life in the 'system'. They have been hurt so many times by those closest to them that they don't know how to trust. They immediately lash out with anger and strong words. You two are young, pretty girls so be prepared for the language and the attitude. You're already on their bad side. You need to have a lot of confidence in yourself to work here because [pointing at my peer] you'll be a white b*tch and [pointing at me] you'll be a black h*e. You need to be prepared to hear that without responding negatively."