A post from Respect caught my eye at the end of last week, and in the run up to World Autism Awareness Day.
The Respect Young People’s team, who developed the Respect Young People’s Programme (RYPP), one of the first programmesfor families experiencing child//adolescent to parent violence and abuse (CAPVA) in the UK, became aware of the high number of referrals from families where there was an additional diagnosis of autism, and worked with a research team and families to make adaptations that would make the programme more autism-aware, more accessible, more effective.
I arrived home late last night from the 1st Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s Festival of Practice, exhausted but buzzing!
The Festival brought together those working in statutory agencies at the frontline or in decision-making or commissioning capacities in relation to domestic abuse, those working in the domestic abuse specialist sector, and very importantly, survivors of abuse who have such an important role to play in developing responses in this field. There was consideration of progress since the Domestic Abuse Act came into law, and the launch of the DAC Strategic Plan.
One of the many joys of what I do is hearing about research that is taking place, bringing greater understanding of the issue of child to parent violence, and developing resources that will better help and support families in the future. So forgive me if the blog posts seem a little research-focussed over the next weeks!
Bethan Pell, studying at Cardiff University, contacted me some time ago and I have been eagerly waiting the report from her Masters studies and her plans as she progresses to begin her PhD.
We would like to hear from people with a lived experience of child to parent violence and abuse to inform a resource tool that can be used by professionals supporting families experiencing #CPVA.
Capa First Response is a remote resource for families, offering a 1-2-1 service tailored to each family’s situation. They offer support and advice, for both the adults and the children, with the focus on putting in place strategies to reduce harmful, explosive and controlling impulses, often referred to as abusive and violent behaviour in the home.
Founded by Jane Griffiths in 2019 with an aim of providing support options for families who struggle to find help in their local area, Capa First Response has expanded over time to work not just with families in need, but also to train professionals working with families in order to allow more people access to help in this vital area. Jane has over 30 years of experience working with families, and for the past 11 years she has worked specifically with families where a child uses harmful behaviours towards a parent or caregiver.
I heard this week some wonderfully encouraging news from a family in Canada who had been in touch some years ago looking for help and advice concerning the daughter’s use of violence in the home. At that time they had no hope that they would find someone who understood their experience, or would be able to offer the therapeutic help their family so desperately needed. Through their perseverance and determination, they have not only secured help for themselves, but also worked towards developing understanding and support for many other families experiencing child to parent violence across Canada. I would like to share the blog post they have written for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and to bring hope, perhaps, to other families by doing so.
We talk a lot about how child to parent violence and abuse disproportionately affects women – citing the ‘availability’ of mothers because of their particular caring responsibilities, and the societal messages that young people pick up. We talk about more boys than girls, and more young men than young women, using harmful behaviours – and indeed their behaviour being perceived as more harmful, or more likely to bring them to the attention of the police. These are real issues and ones which deserve our attention and our consideration.
The Home Office launched a set of 7 over arching principles and practice guidelines yesterday, January 9th, to support the commissioning and delivery of services in domestic abuse perpetrator work. The Standards centre the enhanced safety and freedom of all victim-survivors, including children, and are based on evidence of what has been shown to be important and effective through an evaluation of the available literature and consultation with stakeholders. The report was written by Professor Nicole Westmarland and Professor Liz Kelly. I was privileged to be part of the supporting group.
But what does this have to do with child and adolescent to parent abuse you might ask.
Sometimes life doesn’t play out the way you hoped – or planned. For those living with children who use behaviour to express hurt, distress or anger, the reality can turn out to be very different. Those working in this field are getting hold of this idea properly and in that respect it’s been a good year – more awareness, more research, more funding and provision. But the truth remains that there is a long way still to go before everyone who needs it has access early on to support, in order to understand what is happening in their family and to make things safer and happier.
But I have to live in hope, however hard; and so I wish every family and everyone touched by CPV some hope for the new year. This time of year can feel very dark (in the northern hemisphere at least) but the light will grow stronger over the weeks ahead!
For myself, I look forward to continuing to build networks: to connect all those with an interest and curiosity; to linking up professionals and policy-makers to bring about system change; to bringing together people across continents to learn from eachother. This is your invitation to join the party! Get in touch. Tell us about your work. Share your own hopes and dreams. We cannot make the change on our own, but together we can do great things!
If you need help over the Christmas period, many services will have shorter hours and are closed some days. If you feel in danger then always consider calling the police or mental health services. Family Lives are closed 23rd – 27th December and 31st to 2nd January. The Samaritans will be open all over the holiday.
HOLES IN THE WALL 