Mothers Accused and Abused: Addressing Complex Psychological Needs

195 Pages·2018·4.88 MB·English

by  Angela Foster

Mothers Accused and Abused
Mothers Accused and Abused: Addressing Complex Psychological Needs brings
together stories about motherswho are accused of harming, and in some cases
killing, their children, children who subsequently harm or kill others and the
challengestoprofessionalswhoworkwiththem.
Contributors consider the deeply rooted cycles of neglect and abuse mani-
festedinthechildhoodsofmothers,whoonlycometoourattentionwhentheir
extreme distress is expressed through their actions. By recognising the long-
standing, unmet dependency needs of abused and neglected women, the book
argues that longer term engagement can prevent a seemingly endless repetition
of court hearings and imprisonment, and thereby address cycles of neglect.
Withsectionsonmothersinprisonandinterventionsfollowingchildcarepro-
ceedings,MothersAccusedandAbusedwillbeavaluableresourcetothosework-
inginthecriminalandciviljusticesystems,socialworkandmentalhealthaswell
asotherswho,inaprofessionalorpersonalcapacity,encountertroubledmothers
andtheirchildren.
AngelaFosterisapsychiatric socialworker,apsychoanalyticpsychotherapist,
supervisor and consultant working with clinical teams and individuals in
mental health, forensic, substance misuse and child care services. She has
published many papers and co-edited a number of books.
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Mothers Accused and Abused
Addressing Complex Psychological Needs
Edited by
Angela Foster
Firstpublished2019
byRoutledge
2ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,OxonOX144RN
andbyRoutledge
711ThirdAvenue,NewYork,NY10017
RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness
©2019selectionandeditorialmatter,AngelaFoster;individualchapters,the
contributors
TherightofAngelaFostertobeidentifiedasauthoroftheeditorialmaterial,
andoftheauthorsfortheirindividualchapters,hasbeenassertedinaccordance
withsections77and78oftheCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988.
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Trademarknotice:Productorcorporatenamesmaybetrademarksorregistered
trademarks,andareusedonlyforidentificationandexplanationwithoutintent
toinfringe.
BritishLibraryCataloguing-in-PublicationData
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Names:Foster,Angela,1948-editor.
Title:Mothersaccusedandabused:addressingcomplexpsychologicalneeds/
[editedby]AngelaFoster.
Description:Abingdon,Oxon;NewYork,NY:Routledge,2018.|Includes
bibliographicalreferencesandindex.
Identifiers:LCCN2018028429|ISBN9781138095809(hardback)|
ISBN9781138095847(pbk.)|ISBN9781351601498(epub)|
ISBN9781351601481(mobipocket)
Subjects:LCSH:Abusivemothers--GreatBritain--Psychology.|Childabuse--
GreatBritain--Psychologicalaspects.|Childabuse--GreatBritain--Prevention.
Classification:LCCHV6626.54.G7M682018|DDC362.76/30941--dc23
LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2018028429
ISBN:978-1-138-09580-9(hbk)
ISBN:978-1-138-09584-7(pbk)
ISBN:978-1-315-10555-0(ebk)
TypesetinTimesNewRoman
byTaylor&FrancisBooks
Contents
List of contributors viii
Acknowledgements xiv
Introduction 1
ANGELAFOSTER
PARTONE
Setting the scene: Reflections on a ground-breaking book 9
1 Mother, madonna, whore: understanding perverse mothering:
Reflections on a ground-breaking book 11
ESTELAV.WELLDON
2 Caring for the mother aswell as her children 16
ANGELAFOSTER
3 Mothers and the law: Mythologies and stereotypes – awoman’s
lot? 27
HELENAKENNEDY
PARTTWO
The pain of relationships lived and re-lived 31
4 Infanticide, matricide or suicide 33
CARINEMINNE
5 Treating violent men: The significance of the mother–son
relationship 42
CELIATAYLOR
vi Contents
6 Staff accused and abused: Managing anxiety, pain and distress in
systems of care 61
ANGELAFOSTER
PARTTHREE
Mothers in prison 75
7 Transition to motherhood and becoming a child-less mother in
prison 77
LAURAABBOTT
8 Therapy with a mother and baby in prison 87
PAMELAWINDHAMSTEWART
9 Cover stories: Art psychotherapy with mothers in prison who
have killed or harmed their children 96
JESSICACOLLIER
PARTFOUR
Interventions following child care proceedings 113
10 Last chance saloon: From repetition to growth, ayoung mother’s
journey in brief psychotherapy 115
FIONAHENDERSON
11 Betteroutcomesandbetterjustice:TheFamilyDrugandAlcohol
Court 125
STEVEBAMBROUGH,NICHOLASCRICHTONANDSHEENAWEBB
12 The mother in mind: A therapeutic group for motherswho have
had a child removed from their care 138
GWENADSHEADANDANNAWILLIAMS
13 Taking abreak: The workof Pause 150
CONTENTPROVIDEDBYPAUSE
Contents vii
PARTFIVE
Ways forward 153
five Ways forward 155
ANGELAFOSTER,BEATESCHUMACHERANDDAVINAJHUMMUN
Glossary of psychoanalytic terms 167
R.D.HINSHELWOOD
Index 171
Contributors
Laura Abbott qualified as a registered nurse in 1993, a registered midwife in
2000 and is currently a Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at the University of
Hertfordshire. She leads on a number of postgraduate and undergraduate
modules including complex social issues and perinatal mental health. Laura
has undertaken a professional doctorate in health research studying the
experiences of women who are pregnant in prison: The Incarcerated Preg-
nancy: An Ethnographic Study of Perinatal Women in English Prisons. She
was awarded the Jean Davies award in 2014 and Midwives award in 2017
from the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust for her research and work with women.
Laura volunteers for the charity Birth Companions supporting perinatal
womeninprisonand co-authoredThe BirthCharter for pregnantwomen in
England and Wales published in May 2016. Laura has presented her
research nationally and internationally to a multi-disciplinary audience and
haswritten many peer reviewed publications.
Dr Gwen Adshead is a Forensic Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist. She trained
at St George’s Hospital, the Institute of Psychiatry and the Institute of
Group Analysis. She is trained as a group therapist and a mindfulness
based cognitive therapist and has also trained in Mentalisation based
therapy. She worked for nearly twenty years as a Consultant Forensic
PsychotherapistatBroadmoorHospital,runningpsychotherapeuticgroups
for offenders, and working with staff around relational security and orga-
nisational dynamics. She now works in a medium secure unit in Hamp-
shire. Gwen also has a Masters’ Degree in Medical Law and Ethics; and
has a research interest in moral reasoning, and how this links with ‘bad’
behaviour. Gwen has published a number of books and over 100 papers,
book chapters and commissioned articles on forensic psychotherapy, ethics
in psychiatry, and attachment theory as applied to medicine and forensic
psychiatry. She was honoured with the President’s Medal for services to
psychiatry in July 2013; an honorary doctorate from St George’s Hospital
Medical School in 2016, and was the Gresham Professor of Psychiatry
2014–2017.
Listofcontributors ix
Steve Bambrough is Associate Clinical Director (CAMHS Directorate) at the
Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust. He helped construct the
clinical team for the London FDAC, which started in 2008, and was
General Managerofthe service until2015. He isaregistered socialworker
with nearly 25 years involvement in child protection practice, giving expert
witness evidence in court, training, consultation and service development.
He mayone day return to his Professional Doctorate in social work at the
University of East London. He teaches on the Social Work MA course at
the Tavistock Clinic and has held management posts in the voluntary
sector and the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust. He is cur-
rently also leading the FDAC National Unit, a team funded by the DfE
and MoJ to roll out the FDAC programme across England.
Jessica Collier is an art psychotherapist and clinical supervisor working in the
criminal justice system with women in prison and in a modified therapeutic
community for men with personality disorder in a secure setting. Addition-
ally she supervises art therapistsworking with women whose lives are affec-
ted by sexual or domestic violence. Jessica has lectured widely both
nationally and internationally. Her published work focuses on forensic art
psychotherapy in connection with trauma, violence and unconscious re-
enactments. Jessica is avisiting lecturer on the MA programme at the Uni-
versity of Hertfordshire and is co-convenor of the Forensic Arts Therapies
Advisory Group.
Retired District Judge Nicholas Crichton CBE, is a Member of the Family
Justice Council and was a Member of the Munro Review group set up by
Department for Education, July 2010. Nicholas was a solicitor in private
practice in North West London, with particular interest in care proceed-
ings/child protection, 1971–1986. He was appointed Metropolitan Sti-
pendiary Magistrate, since renamed District Judge (Magistrates Court),
1986. Appointed Recorder (public and private family law) in 1991.
Appointed in 1995 to sit full time in Family Proceedings and closely
involved in setting up and development of Inner London Family Proceed-
ings Court at Wells Street, which opened in April 1997.
Nicholas was instrumental in setting up the Family Drug and Alcohol
Court (FDAC) in London, having brought the idea to England from his
visits to the USA. He is now a member of the FDAC National Unit and
involved in the teaching of new teams across the country. He is a former
member of Judicial Studies Board Family Committee and former chair of
Inner and North London Guardian ad Litem Panel Committee.
He was the Chair and serving member of a number of committees and
groups including Association of Lawyers for Children and Young Persons
subcommittee, NSPCC group producing information for children with
disabilities who face care proceedings, Coram Family Advisory Groups,
and National Youth Advocacy Service Professional Advisory Group.