I was privileged to be asked to speak at the DVCN conference, organised by Standing Together, this Tuesday in London, opening up the issue of child to parent violence to an audience very familiar with the issue itself, but not necessarily aware of the range of circumstances in which children and young people might exhibit abusive behaviour, or the types of help available. It felt particularly apt to be talking about the Mapping Project, when an analysis of the findings so far has shown that domestic abuse agencies are the most likely to be offering support programmes to families. Indeed a number of the conference delegates were from agencies offering specialist work, or from parts of the country where work is already established. This represents quite a movement from a previous focus on adult perpetrators, which had the effect of making the issue of violence from children even more invisible. Continue reading
Tag Archives: child to parent violence and abuse
Child to Parent Violence and the Coronation Street spin-off
As the Coronation Street story line featuring Simon’s abuse of his step-mum Leanne Battersby rolls on, Radio York featured child to parent abuse in the “Georgey Spanswick at Breakfast” show last week. For those not following the soap, there has been considerable exploration over the last months of the difficulties in the relationship, and things came to a head after an argument over the washing up when Leanne was knocked unconscious.
With three segments, (at 00.13, 01.08 and 02.07) Georgey, and reporter Sarah Irwin, interview “Kitty”, a parent who has experienced violence from her young son, and Sarah Hill, Director of York IDAS; Sandra Hiller of Family Lives; and Angela Whitlock, Parent Coach in Ripon. Continue reading
Filed under radio and video
When children kill their parents.
The book currently at the top of my “to read” pile is Kathleen Heide‘s Understanding Parricide. Twenty years on from her first book, Why Kids Kill Parents, this book builds on and develops the understanding from the earlier work. In this comprehensive tome, Heide relies on accounts from the literature and her own significant clinical experience, to answer the questions everyone wants to know: who, how often, what weapons, is it increasing and most of all WHY? Continue reading
Filed under Book review, Discussion
And the winner is … Everybody Hurts!
Congratulations to Sarah Swift and Everybody Hurts, winners in the Foundation Derbyshire Awards 2015!
Sarah had applied to Foundation Derbyshire for funding to cover costs of books and travel for those attending the support group Everybody Hurts. In a rural area there can be long distances to travel and it can be really difficult to get to events, especially when there might be trouble brewing at home, so every incentive to make it possible is important. The top 12 groups to win funding (as chosen by the Foundation) were then entered into a further round of competition, from which the top 6 received an additional £150 as announced at an event celebrating the good practice of all concerned. Sarah plans to put the unexpected windfall towards advertising costs. Continue reading
Filed under projects
HOLES IN THE WALL 