Can You Read Me?: Creative Writing With Child and Adult Victims of Abuse

240 Pages·2004·3.64 MB·English

by  Jacki Pritchard

Can You Read Me?
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Can You Read Me?
Creative Writing with Child
and Adult Victims of Abuse
Edited by Jacki Pritchard and Eric Sainsbury
JessicaKingsleyPublishers
LondonandPhiladelphia
All rights reserved. No part ofthis publication may be reproduced in any material form
(including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or
not transiently or incidentally to some other use ofthis publication) without the written
permission ofthe copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions ofthe
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms ofa licence issued by the
Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, England W1T
4LP. Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of
this publication should be addressed to the publisher.
Warning: The doing ofan unauthorised act in relation to a copyright work may result in
both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution.
The right ofJacki Pritchard and Eric Sainsbury to be identified as authors ofthis work
has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
1988.
First published in the United Kingdom in 2004
by Jessica Kingsley Publishers
116 Pentonville Road
London N1 9JB, UK
and
400 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA
www.jkp.com
Copyright © Jacki Pritchard and Eric Sainsbury 2004
Library ofCongress Cataloging in Publication Data
Pritchard, Jacki.
Canyoureadme?:creativewritingwithchildandadultvictimsofabuse/JackiPritchardandEric
Sainsbury.-- 1st American pbk. ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-84310-192-0 (pbk.)
1. Creative writing--Therapeutic use. 2. Abused children--Rehabilitation. 3. Adult child abuse
victims--Rehabilitation. 4. Self-actualization (Psychology) I. Sainsbury, Eric Edward. II. Title.
RC489.W75P75 2004
616.85’822306--dc22
2004000480
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN-13: 978 1 84310 192 5
ISBN-10: 1 84310 192 0
ISBN pdfeBook: 1 84642 054 7
Printed and Bound in Great Britain by
Athenaeum Press, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
This book would not have been possible without the original compositions of the
followingpeopleandwithouttheirwillingnesstosharetheirwritings,thoughtsand
feelingswithus.Itwasnotalwaysaneasyexperienceforthem,buttheyalwaysmetus
withfriendlinessandtrust.Weshallrememberthemandourmeetingswithgratitude
andgreatrespect.Thisbookisthereforededicatedto:
OpenDoorChildren’sGroup(Girls) Catherine,aged10
Emma,aged12
Francesca,aged11
Sinead,aged14
OpenDoorChildren’sGroup(Boys) David,aged10
Liam,aged10
Ryan,aged10
OpenDoorWriters’Group Alex,aged17
Carla(agenotknown)
Gemma,aged18
ReachOutProject Amanda,aged20
Jo,aged19
Steven,aged23
Thomas,aged29
Individualcontributors Beccy,aged26
IndieLarma,aged32
Laura,aged46
Sue,aged44
BeyondExisting Beryl,aged74
Denise,aged40
Pat,aged62
Phyllis,aged55
Rita,aged66
Vera,aged67
Our thanks and best wishes to you all.
JP and ES
Acknowledgements
We wish to acknowledge our indebtedness to Chris Hanvey,
Director of Operations at Barnardos, and his colleague, Pam
Hibbert, and especially to the Barnardos staff in the North:
Fiona Brown
Carol Butler
Edna Davis
Caroline Waitt
James Brooks
andtheirlocalcolleagues.Theirenthusiasmintheirworkhasbeen
inspirationalandtheirsupportforthisbook,andtoourselvesper-
sonally, has been patient and unstinting.
Similarlywewishtoexpressourbestthankstoeveryoneasso-
ciated with Beyond Existing but in particular to Shaun Davidson
and Janice Ward.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has supported Beyond
Existingaspartofitsprogrammeofresearchandinnovativedevel-
opmentprojects,whichithopeswillbeof valuetopolicymakers
andpractitioners.Thefactspresentedandviewsexpressedinthis
bookare,however,thoseof theauthorsandnotnecessarilythose
of the Foundation.
Finally, a word of sincere appreciation to Jan Smith for her
skillsintypingandretypingsubstantialpartsofthebook,andfor
introducing Eric Sainsbury to various bits of electronic wizardry.
Contents
GLOSSARYOFTERMS 8
SYMBOLSUSEDINTHISBOOK 9
ANOTEFROMTHEEDITORS 10
1. What It’s All About 11
2. Issues and Practicalities in Preparing the Book 17
3. The Projects 31
4. Themes from the Interviews with the Writers 41
5. Using Poetry 1: Poems Presented by
the Younger Adults 63
6. Using Poetry 2: Poems Presented by
the Other Adults 88
7. Using Journals 116
8. Using Stories 1: Adults 142
9. Using Stories 2: Children 161
10. Endings and Beginnings 172
11. Exercises for Adult Victims 198
REFERENCES 230
SUBJECTINDEX 232
AUTHORINDEX 238
Glossary of Terms
Abuse Abuse will include child abuse, domestic violence and
adult abuse. Forms of abuse will include: physical,
sexual, emotional/psychological, neglect, financial and
discriminatory.
Author In this book the word refers to anyone who has
allowed us to publish their original work.
Carers We are using this word very broadly to include field
and residential social workers, people responsible for
day care and group settings, foster parents, care
workers in homes for those with special needs,
aftercare hostels etc.
Leader A person who leads a group or exercise.
Member A person who attends a group.
Participant A person who engages in an exercise.
Session Meeting of group.
Victim A person who has experienced abuse at some point in
their life. The term is not used in a negative way. Nor
does it imply personal incapacity.
Worker Any person who is involved in working with a victim
of abuse.
Writer As for Author (above).
8