It’s not the first time, of course, but that doesn’t stop the excitement when the issues surrounding child to parent violence and abuse (CPVA) are brought to greater public awareness through inclusion in a popular soap on TV or even the radio!
We’ve had Coronation Street in 2015, and Holby City in 2018 to name but two, and I was definitely convinced The Archers was touching on the issue when Jamie Perks started causing trouble around 2010; and now in 2024 we have an announcement that Eastenders will be featuring a storyline examining the relationship between Tommy Moon and Kat Slater over the course of the summer.
Whenever a topical issue is featured in a drama, the writers and researchers draw on the support of experts in the relevant field. These may be soap operas, but they aim to be realistic in the events they portray and to use the opportunity to raise topics and encourage discussion. So it is great that the teams at Family Based Solutions and at PEGS were brought in to consult on this particular storyline, as well as the NSPCC, and others. They will ensure the issues are addressed sensitively and as authentically as possible, and also offer the opportunity for viewers to access help after the episodes are aired if they are in need of help and support themselves.
We have yet to see how this storyline unfolds, but we are grateful to the BBC for covering the issue of CPVA, and to all those who have contributed their wisdom in it’s development.
HOLES IN THE WALL 