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Older age and the legacy of abuse

Posted by MAudvsa on October 20, 2016
Posted in: Uncategorized. Leave a comment

Activists and researchers are struggling to ensure that awareness of child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation are embedded in the minds of practitioners. Quite rightly – no child should have to find ways to overcome traumas that could be prevented; traumas that twist and cramp spontaineous growth and development. But we also have the challenge of an older age population for whom no such committment existed. Many of our elderly are carrying a lifetime of abuse and a legacy of trauma that shapes their experience of accessing support and care. The political withdrawal of funding from the violence and abuse sector delivers us into a climate where we have no option but to haggle over the resources that scarcely cover the categories of child and/or adult vulnerability. A question that troubles me as I age is how we might balance our concern for future generations with our concern for the children of yester-year. In a culture that is demonstrably ageist in outlook – invisibility for those age 55+ appears to be the norm. 

At the European conference on domestic violence in Belfast last year a number of presenters explored the similarities and differences between elder abuse and domestic abuse.  What became clear was that there has been limited development in research or service provision for this population.Since that conference  I have had cause to examine london based service responses to vulnerable adults at risk of current abuse from partners, family and carers. One of our students looked in depth at experiences of domestic violence in the older age population in Kent. Our findings left us both very troubled by the lack of knowledge and skills available to practitioners and the consequent experiences of older women in particular.  This aspect of abuse prevention now falls far below the level of protection we try to provide to children who are vulnerable to the coercive behaviours of sex offenders or domestically abusive father figures.  The level of research, training, policy and legislation we can draw on for child protection is not matched at the level of adult vulnerability. When adults lose capacity (either physically or mentally) they too become dependents on the care of family or services, often without adequate safeguards to ensure the safety of that care.

What becomes evident as you look into the older age experience of current abuse is the extent to which previous experiences of abuse(s) complicate the picture.  Adults of both genders reaching their 80s have had little or no opportunity to disclose child or adult sexual abuse over their lifetime.  Conditions like dementia break down the psychological defences that they may have used to block out or supress unwanted memories or flashbacks. Suddenly they are confronted by triggers like being touched, washed or dressed by adults who may or may not feel trustworthy. Although we have the Care Quality Comission (CQC) inspecting care homes we hear of abuses and neglect – sometimes only detected when relatives instal hidden cameras.  As with children, going into care may be the most appropriate option but the care setting can also be a site of harm. Limited investment in adult care means that homes are frequently staffed by poorly paid undervalued migrant workers with very limited training. The training gaps around dementia and around violence and abuse conflate to create a vacuum in adult services. For example, how will those workers know that sexual abuse trauma lies behind  the distress a person with dementia shows when receiving everyday physical care?  How are these expressions of trauma deciphered when they are so often classified as symptoms of confusion or memory loss?  

For those elderly who remain in their homes their evident vulnerability makes them easy target for a host of rogue traders or unscrupulous family members.  Cast around any social group of women in their 50’s and you will hear accounts of elderly relatives being taken by builders to cash point machines to ‘pay up front in cash’.  These are not stories the elderly easily tell as they battle to retain an appearance of independence and avoid the indignity of a care system that will strip their identity of sexuality, religion and dietry choice.  For the person managing a history of abuse related trauma the sanctuary of their own home may be their only space where they felt safe.  Even this possibility will be compromised by abusive partners, adult children or other close relatives who take control of the older person.  That control is coercive control – threats with consequences; affection proferred or withdrawn; financial control; isolation and intimidation.  Adult social workers fall to colluding with relatives who claim to be speaking for the older person or who offer to take on care and relieve a public service of the strain on staffing.  The Court of protection is most areas is full of cases of disputed care management, and situations where one side or the other claims that the older person has or lacks the capacity to change wills, spend money or make basic decisions.  In this setting where vulnerable adults are the focus, the concept of coercive control has yet to take root.  Health and Social care workers involved in the earlier stages of the case appear unable to identify coercion and give equal weight to all the accounts they hear from people around the older person.  Consequently the charity Action on Elder Abuse is swamped with calls from distressed relatives and friends who spot a sudden change in the life pattern of the older person.

I am not sure how we should proceed with this problem in economic terms – funds are short and we have many children and adults in a category of need.  Raising awareness amongst ourselves and our fellow workers, friends, community is at least a start.  Training people to keep alert to issues of violence and abuse in the older population is a critical need.  I have seen no evidence that this occurs so perhaps anyone reading this who has evidence that such training occurs can respond.  The interplay of dementia and abuse related trauma is something I am trying to track down in the literature out there.  I hope to come back with some more on this in a future post.

 

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One week in the media – tales of violence and abuse

Posted by MAudvsa on October 8, 2016
Posted in: Uncategorized. Leave a comment

Its been quite a week for media explorations of domestic violence and sexual abuse.  On Sunday we had ‘Savile‘, on BBC2, Louis Theroux’s truth and reconciliation-style revisioning of his 2000 documentary  about Jimmy Savile.  The clips of Savile give us the chance (with hindsight) to notice coercion in action.  Theroux returns to the aspects of the earlier documentary that are most indicative of Savile’s coercive style and of Theroux’s naive interpretations or responses. In one clip we see Theroux turn away as Savile gets horribly physical with a mother and her daughter.  This sequence should serve as a reminder that these types of abuse often involve an array of characters – victim – perpetrator and bystander.  The event takes place in a crowded space where everyone can see Savile’s inappropriate behaviour but as far as we can tell no-one consciously registers it.   Theroux interviews several of Savile’s female victims – interestingly no male victims – and offers them the chance to give their accounts of what they thought during the first documentary.  This was a particularly helpful aspect of his endeavour giving voice to the women who are most affected when the media coludes with or minimises domestic violence or sexual abuse.  It would have been interesting to hear Theroux reflect more on his feelings about being duped by Savile but he tends to sidestep discussing any sense of personal shame.  

The Archers is of course ongoing (and has been since the 50’s!) allowing Radio 4’s nightly drama to unfold a portrait of coercive control, domestic violence and sexual abuse in a timeframe that mirrors real life. The story of Rob Titchener’s abusiveness has been well constructed over 18 months or so but in the last week we heard him beginning to show his abusive side more publically.  In his efforts to flout child contact arrangements he begins to attempt coercion of the baby minder gradually escalating his efforts to physical threats when she will not comply.  We hear members of the Ambridge cricket team loudly rejecting Titchener as he tries to re-enter the team as if the public accusation that he raped his wife has no meaning. His wife Helen, meanwhile has begun to refind her voice after an extensive period of being coerced and controlled by her husband’s mind games.  The great thing about this drama is the focus it provides for women like Helen, (middle class, good family support, ability to earn money) who are often the hidden faces of victimisation.  The stereotype of the abused wife is more frequently drawn from the poorly resoured women whose only recourse to support is through public services.  The Archers are showing that the comfortable white majority of families are also exposed to the vagaries of abusive men.

On tuesday we had Channel 4 offering up ‘National Treasure‘ a four part drama about a celebrity accused of rape.  We follow the immediate aftermath of the accusation as the police cart away computers and mobile phones and the main character, Paul Finchley  is left to face up to his wife.  We discover that whether the allegation is true or false, Paul is a man with a string of sexual encounters that his wife Marie has managed to disregard for the sake of the marriage.  He is a user of violent porn and his celebrity status gives him resources and access to adoring fans.  This is a dark and complex drama that shows the extent to which the mechanisms of sexually abusive behaviour are at the reach of the many through household technology.  The casual use and distribution of porn; turning a blind eye to everyday sexism; being a mute bystander; subservient female roles; these are all the ingredients of sexual abuse. The drama concludes next tuesday but you can catch up on the All 4 on demand service.

Finally we had a report on the autobiography of Peter Hook, from Joy Division and New order in which he talks of his brief marriage to comedy heroine Caroline Aherne (Gaurdian 3 October 2016).  Hook describes a troubled 3 year marriage in which he experienced put downs, controlling behaviour and a range of violent assaults.  He describes feelings of shame so typical of being victimised and revealed that the relationship had left him clinically depressed. Its useful to hear men speak about the feelings of shame and embarrasment that go with abuse experiences – it reminds us that abusive behaviour corrodes self esteem in ways that overide gender differences.  Aherne, who died in July this year was much revered as a comedian which will make this revelation a contentious one for Hook.  On the following day the Gaurdian (4 October 2016), reported that Aherne’s brother, Patrick, had spoken out against Hook for his disclosures as they were historic and sister was not alive to defend herself.  

In Savile, National Treasure and the Peter Hook story we see the public struggle to make and maintain heroes at all costs.  In The Archers we see a similar process on an ordinary scale – Rob is elevated in the community because of his public display as perfect husband and father – it gave him a heroic status. The capacity to be duped by an abuser is not in itself shameful – the act of attempting to appear safe when you intend to be predatory IS shameful.  It seems that being funny, or charitable or nice generates an impression that you are safe and kind too. We need more media coverage of these complex dynamics and we got that this week. The purpose of those reports like the fairy stories of my youth (Little Red Riding Hood or The Emporer’s new clothes) is to remind us that what you see is not always what you get.  

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Links to other websites

Posted by MAudvsa on June 16, 2016
Posted in: resources. Tagged: Coercive control, Domestic violence, resources, Sexual abuse. Leave a comment

MA UDVSA Online resources list 2016

Violence and abuse search engines and websites with articles etc:

Australia:

http://apo.org.au/source/australian-domestic-family-violence-clearinghouse

Canada:

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/sfv-avf/info/rp-guides-eng.php

Europe

http://www.work-with-perpetrators.eu/index.php?id=44&L=0

http://eige.europa.eu/gender-based-violence/eiges-studies-gender-based-violence/study-identify-and-map-existing-data-and-resources-sexual-violence-against-women-eu

http://fra.europa.eu/en/theme/gender

Council of Europe http://www.coe.int/t/dg2/equality/DOMESTICVIOLENCECAMPAIGN/

http://www.unwomen.org/en

http://www.hotpeachpages.net/europe/

http://www.rcpv.eu/resources

Ireland

http://www.moveireland.ie/

International:

World health organization http://www.who.int/topics/gender_based_violence/en/

http://www.woman.ch/june09/children/3-links.php

http://www.equalitynow.org/

New Zealand:

https://nzfvc.org.nz/family-violence-statistics

UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/equality

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forced-marriage

UK A Call to men http://acalltomenuk.co.uk/

http://avaproject.org.uk/

Black women’s health and family support (London) http://www.bwhafs.com/

http://domesticviolenceuk.org/

http://www.southallblacksisters.org.uk/

http://www.endthefear.co.uk/practitioners/

http://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/

http://imkaan.org.uk/

https://www.barnardos.org.uk/what_we_do/our_work/domestic_violence.htm

http://www.hiddenhurt.co.uk/children_and_domestic_Violence.html

http://www.freedomprogramme.co.uk/men.php

http://dvip.org/about-us.htm

http://www.whiteribboncampaign.co.uk/

http://thelondonvawgconsortium.org.uk/resources/good-practise-briefings/

https://www.womensaid.org.uk/the-survivors-handbook/

http://www.refuge.org.uk/what-we-do/our-services/african-and-african-caribbean-refuges/

http://www.refuge.org.uk/what-we-do/our-services/asian-services/

http://www.mensadviceline.org.uk/pages/who-we-are-advice.html

http://www.karmanirvana.org.uk/

LGBT  http://www.galop.org.uk/

http://rightsofwomen.org.uk/

http://respect.uk.net/

http://www.respectphoneline.org.uk/pages/resources-for-working-with-domestic-violence-perpetrators.html

http://www.zerotolerance.org.uk/vaw

http://www.standingtogether.org.uk/

http://www.safelives.org.uk/

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/domestic-abuse/

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph50

http://elderabuse.org.uk/

Holes in the wall  https://holesinthewall.co.uk/

UK Universities

http://www.cwasu.org/

http://www.crfr.ac.uk/

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/sps/research/centres/genderviolence/

http://www.cats-rp.org.uk/

http://www.uclan.ac.uk/research/explore/groups/connect_centre_int_research_new_approaches_prevent_violence_harm.php

USA:

Minesota center against violence and abuse  http://www.mincava.umn.edu/

Violence against Women http://www.vawnet.org/

Battered Women’s Justice project http://www.bwjp.org/resource-center.html

sexual violence http://www.nsvrc.org/

LGBT http://www.nwnetwork.org/clearinghouse/

https://www.fatherhood.gov/content/domestic-violence

A call to men http://www.acalltomen.org/

http://www.vday.org/

http://www.emergedv.com/

https://www.wave-network.org/

US clearing house http://www.ncall.us/

http://www.cane.udel.edu/index.asp

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On sexual harassment at Goldsmiths and Sara Ahmed’s resignation

Posted by MAudvsa on June 14, 2016
Posted in: viewpoint. Tagged: feminism, Sara Ahmed resigns, sexual harrasment. Leave a comment

image

In the early stages of the MA UDVSA planning I needed to touch fingertips (at least) with a community of proactive feminist support within the college. My broader political awareness has many holes and my actions are not always aligned with the causes I support which is why women like Sara Ahmed (https://feministkilljoys.com/2016/06/10/equality-credentials/) are important to me.  Sara has resigned her post as a Professor – one of few women of colour and the Director of the Centre for Feminist Studies at Goldsmiths. She explained her resignation earlier this month as an act of ‘feminist protest’ against the lack of robust actions to tackle and eradicate sexual harassment at Goldsmiths.  I want to acknowledge the integrity of her action – and the role that people like me have in creating an environment where the comfort of a well-intentioned policy replaces the discomfort of putting those words into practice.  I have been reflecting on how to respond and I will continue to do so as a woman shaping a programme that has as much responsibility to talk about and act on violence and abuse in the College as it does in the wider community.

Like Sara, I believe the College campus should be a place where all of us are well positioned to enjoy the challenges that come with learning.  Creative development requires a space in which to play with ideas and question rigidly held viewpoints.  The critique needed to challenge and overcome the many oppressions of my society comes most often from engaging with vulnerability, mine and yours. We must not allow predators to exploit us when we dare to be curious, inquisitive, adoring or brave.  I fully support Sara’s assertion that having policies can lead to inertia as well as to action. We make our environments less oppressive by keeping on the active side of our equality and dignity policies.  Women should not be the majority voice in saying that violence and abuse in unacceptable. Men have an equal part to play in saying that violence and abuse are never justified anywhere – not in the college or workplace, not in the street, not in our homes.

Sara has used her action and her words to be the grit in the oyster but it is up to those of us remaining to produce the pearl.

 

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Join in folks!

Posted by MAudvsa on June 10, 2016
Posted in: Uncategorized. Tagged: Domestic violence, Sexual abuse, short courses, submit posts. Leave a comment

It’s taken longer to get stuff on screen through the end of may. We have been busy behind the scenes working with our existing students and preparing for the new students joining us in september. We have just run the last module of this year – working with adolescents as victims and perpetrators. It was great to be able to open this module up to people just seeking focused learning on working with young people. Our continuing professional development students help give us a sense of whether the content of the programme is on the money. We had two practitioners travel down from South Wales because the module content responded to their needs. Here are the dates of our open modules for next year – you can book nearer the time via eventbrite on the Goldsmiths Short Courses webpage

9,10,11 March 2017 – CU71081A Working with adults in the context of domestic violence and sexual abuse

27, 28, 29 April 2017 – CU71082A Working with adolescents as victims and perpetrators of sexual abuse and domestic violence

25, 26, 27 May 2017 – CU71080A Working with children in the context of domestic violence and sexual abuse

There are still very few universities creating this kind of learning community in the violence and abuse field. Our applicants have been saying that they want in depth structured learning AND skills that they can apply to practice. We are hoping that this blog will give more people a way to shape their learning by sharing ideas with us and with other readers. So if you are out in the field wanting to improve your knowledge and skills or share good practice please send us some content. We will consider reviews, viewpoints, reflections, practice and policy related content. We are particularly interested to know about the challenges you face in your work and how you look after yourself. Don’t make it to long – probably up to 1000 words. Be respectful, be inclusive and try to support your arguments with examples from practice, research, books or the media. Don’t shout but do join in!

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Its mental health awareness week

Posted by MAudvsa on May 18, 2016
Posted in: Mental Health. Tagged: Disease model, Domestic violence, feminist, Helen and Rob, Jennie Williams, Lucy Johnstone, Mental Health Awareness Week, Peter Kinderman, Sexual abuse, social inequalities, Suman Fernando. Leave a comment

Suzanne Martin writes:

I was reflecting back over my own awareness of mental health over the years.  I still get in a tangle over terminology as I attempt to move myself away from my own implicit biases, the biases my culture feed me and some of the unhelpful aspects of the psychotherapy training I had. It comes down to relationship not labelling – we can help each other when we recognise the need for comfort in distress.  But first we have to break out of some tangled ideas.

The first tangle is around the phrase mental health – well we all have that don’t we?  Whether our mental health is good or temporarily compromised or a long-term struggle we are talking about the same basic concept when we say mental health.  Yet we tend to encounter the term only when someone doesn’t have good mental health.  That means that the term ‘mental health’ really means ‘mental illness’. Why are we unable to be straightforward about the difference between wellness and illness?

The second tangle is around the fact that there is no clear division between good and bad mental health.  When I started out on my adult life I had any number of problems holding myself together but I never once considered I was attempting to preserve my mental health.  I thought mental health was about ‘madness’ and madness was about something genetic or flawed.  I had no idea then that I was afraid of my own potential to become mentally ill when I saw distress as something that happened to ‘them’ and not ‘us’. It took a while to realise that there was no us and them.  When we dwell in this view of mental illness we do not connect with each other or acknowledge the vulnerability of being human.  We avoid relating to each other when fragility rears its head.

The third tangle is that we deny the fact that our mental well being relates closely to social inequalities. I was able to hold myself together because I had some good relationships, some resources and educational opportunities that gave me some social capital.  These assets amounted to resilience which in turn shielded me from some of the threats I encountered in everyday life (and everyday sexism). Mary O’Hara wrote about these links in her article for the Guardian following the publication of a report by the World Health Organisation (‘Inequality is bad for your health’ 2009).  Interestingly the UK is identified as paticulalry problematic in this regard because of the gap between rich and poor.  This quote from the article gives a sense of the mountain we still have to climb to put this imbalance right: ‘The adverse impact of stress is greater in societies where greater inequality exists and where some people feel worse off than others. We will have to face up to the fact that individual and collective mental health and wellbeing will depend on reducing the gap between rich and poor.’

The fourth tangle is in our failure to ask about the experiences that have led someone into a state of mental distress. I work with men and women who have been psychologically, physically and sexually stamped on in their relationships from childhood onwards.  What astounds me is that there should be any question about the cause of their mental distress. And yet there is.  How many countless people are there wondering around with stigmatising labels stuck over their mouths so that when they speak about abuse we can’t hear them?  When I was young, feminism was helping me to challenge terms like ‘hysterical’.  Who will help us to challenge terms like ‘Borderline Personality disorder?’

So roll on the untanglers or at least the people who have helped me to untangle my own views. I was lucky to work with Jennie Williams from Inequality Agenda and through her with the National Institute for Mental Health in England before it was disbanded in 2009. Inequality Agenda ran some excellent training on women’s mental health bringing together trainers with academic, work and personal experiences of mental distress. It was through Jennie that I began to unlearn a substantial number of diagnostic categories and their attendent labels.  My psychotherapy training had aligned itself fairly comfortably alongside psychiatry which meant that we talked in terms of various ‘conditions’ which in turn had various recommended interventions. Jennie re-introduced me to the importance of relationship and I quickly discovered the most reliable labels: poverty, poor housing, gender, race, abuse history, disability, immigration status etc.

It took Richard Bentall, Suman Fernando, Lucy Johnstone and Peter Kinderman to articulate for me the reasons why diagnosis or the ‘disease model’ was so flawed, so questionable and so uneccessary.  They (and others) have demonstrated through work, thought and research that the beneficiaries of the disease model are the drug companies and not the distressed individuals. The categories are imprecise and unscientific as was demonstrated in the Horizon documentary ‘how mad are you?’ (BBC2 2008). The danger with obtaining a diagnosis is that your experience of domestic violence, sexual abuse, neglect, bullying etc could start to be attributed by others to your psychological health. Listen to the Archers and you will see how an abusive partner, Rob Titchener, uses this tangle to undermine his wife Helen’s accounts of his abusiveness.

If inequality is implicated in mental distress then why would any of us accept a diagnostic label?  Once you have the label you are marginalised and that marginalisation will add to your distress. So in a week of awareness raising why not watch the documentary and read some of these books.  What you will discover is that responding to mental distress is not the sole preserve of the highly skilled – we can all offer comfort and respect to each other at vulnerable moments.  I may not be able to cure cancer or deliver a baby but I don’t have to avoid the dying or stay clear of heavily pregnant women.

O’Hara, M. (2009) Inequality is bad for your health – The Gaurdian http://www.theguardian.com/society/2009/mar/11/mental-health-inequality

Williams J, Stephenson D, and Keating F., (2014) A tapestry of oppression. The psychologist June 2014 Vol.27 (pp406-409) Avalaible at : https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-27/edition-6/tapestry-oppression

Bentall, R.P. (2004) Madness explained: Psychosis and human nature. Penguin

Fernando, S (2010) The nature of ‘diagnosis’ in psychiatry. Available at:http://www.sumanfernando.com/Nature%20of%20diagnosis.pdf

Johnstone, L. (2000) Users and abusers of psychiatry: A critical look at psychiatric practice. Routledge

Kinderman, P., (2014) A prescription for psychiatry Palgrave Macmillan

The Archers: What effect has the Rob and Helen story had? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35961057

 

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An interesting podcast or two….

Posted by MAudvsa on May 12, 2016
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: anti-psychiatry, brene brown, NPR, on being, Peter Kinderman, podcasts, survivors, vulnerability. Leave a comment

I find podcasts a great way to learn and so I have been using my long commute to work to sit back and listen to some great stuff. Podcasts are little radio style shows or interviews that bring you viewpoints you may not find on mainstream radio. It has enabled me to access talk shows about psychology, philosophy, religion and even research methodology. I have an android phone and I use the app ‘pocket casts’ to manage all the various podcasts I subscribe to.  If you have an iphone try ‘down cast’.  These handy little apps enable you to search for categories, trending podcasts and top ranking podcasts which will get you started.  You can download when you have wifi and then listen to the podcast anywhere at any time. Its easy so if you are thinking that it all sounds too techie by miles – give it a go!

podcasts

I wanted to alert you to a couple of my favourite podcasts. Favourites because they have been relevant to my work in the violence and abuse field.  Firstly there is the excellent ‘onbeing’ series hosted by American journalist Krista Tippett.  I have really enjoyed a number of episodes of the show as Tippett interviews some excellent people.  Its something about her style of interviewing – she digs for the deeper motivations people have for doing the work they do.  But its also the choice of people.  NPR, the broadcaster hosting the show  says ‘On Being takes up the big questions of meaning with scientists and theologians, artists and teachers’ and I think that is an apt description.  The big questions tend to touch on the spiritual and the content is always full of humanity.  There are plenty of people discussing their work in tackling social inequalities and racism features significantly. Its hard to chose which podcast to recommend but I think it has to be the interview with Brene Brown – the courage to be vulnerable.  Throughout I kept thinking about men who abuse their partners. How different our world would be if everyone and men in particular found the courage to be vulnerable. But I have also passed this recommendation to women survivors struggling with a powerfully debilitating desire to keep control. Brown talks about the research she did into what makes for a wholehearted life and the discovery that wholeheartedness was linked to a capacity to be vulnerable. You can access the show online too:

http://www.onbeing.org/program/brene-brown-on-vulnerability/4928

The second podcast that proved a stimulating listen came from another American show (what is it with americans and me?) called ‘Shrinkrap radio’. This show is hosted by ‘Dr Dave’ a psychology professor and it focuses on psychological theories and experiences.  Mindfulness junkies will find plenty of content and anyone wanting to know about therapeutic approaches will also be happy.  I tend to be quite picky so there is quite alot that drives me mad – despite being a therapist I do switch off when it gets too earnest.  But the podcast with Peter Kinderman caught my attention.  Kinderman critiques the ‘disease model’ of mental health, setting out some excellent arguments for dispensing with the practice of handing out diagnostic labels (e.g. bordeline personality disorder).  Practitioners in the violence and abuse field are not immune from being seduced into accepting diagnostic labels at face value.  A listen to Kinderman’s arguments might even lead you to read his book on the same subject.  Shrinkrap is also available online and the episode is here:

http://shrinkrapradio.com/?s=exploring+the+disease+model

 

 

 

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Programme details

Posted by MAudvsa on May 9, 2016
Posted in: All about the programme. Leave a comment

MA Understanding domestic violence and sexual abuse 

This programme complements other programmes in the Department of Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies (STaCS) which qualify graduates as community and youth workers, social workers, art and dance psychotherapists and counsellors. It is intended for graduates (or those with equivalent experience) from health and social care, practitioners in the psychological therapies, and third sector workers from specialist abuse services.  It is particularly relevant for people wanting to increase their grasp of the interplay between mental distress, domestic violence and sexual abuse

Why is this MA unique?  It represents the first psychosocially informed programme of its kind in the UK.  The programme synthesises psychodynamic, systemic, cognitive behavioural and social theories to examine the impact of being abusive or of being abused. The programme focuses on practice and research from these theoretical perspectives and will consider abusiveness and its impact in different international, cultural and social contexts from childhood to older age.

The programme makes excellent use of online learning blended with a lively discussion based classroom experience. By the end of the programme you will understand the process of identifying, assessing and managing both perpetrators and victims. The modules will mostly be delivered over 3 consecutive days with some Saturday sessions. This makes the programme particularly accessible to working adults. Remote access to online content enables students to plan their own learning pattern. Students seeking Continuing Professional Development (CPD) are also able to attend most of the modules. The course can be taken full time to complete in 1 year or part time (up to 5 years to complete).

Programme ethos

We also support the development of non-abusive attitudes through a blending of theory and reflective practice. Domestic violence and sexual abuse cannot be studied in isolation from the impacts that they have on individuals. Abuses occur in the context of relationships where one person chooses to harm or violate another.  Perpetrators and victims are helped or hindered by the attitudes of the community around them.  Inequalities in society (gender, race, sexuality, age) and abuses of power ensure that some individuals become less visible and less vocal. Marginalised individuals are rendered more vulnerable to abuse through societal structures that isolate and disadvantage them. This interplay is well captured in the ecological model of violence prevention illustrated by the World Health Organisation (see below).

ecologicalWe all have a part to play in creating communities that strive to challenge marginalisation and abuses of power.  That process begins in the learning community created by the staff and students on the programme.  Throughout the learning and teaching an attitude of inclusivity and respect for different viewpoints is valued and nurtured. Students and staff will be exposed to the impact of violence and abuse as it resonates with their own lives and the lives of those around them.  The course material and seminar discussions are likely to stir up powerful emotional responses and viewpoints.  Promoting self-care and sensitivity to the vulnerabilities of others forms a central aspect of the programme.

Sensitivity to the impact of abuse

Experiencing or bearing witness to abuse takes its toll emotionally and psychologically so it is important to consider how you will take care of yourself whilst remaining engaged.  If you have had past experiences of abuse you may want to weigh up what is at stake for you in thinking, talking or writing about abuse.  Although the lecture room may provide some space to discuss aspects of abuse it is not a therapeutic setting and this can feel quite upsetting when you touch on raw feelings.  Students may want to theorise or critique information during discussions which may feel difficult. If you have not had direct experiences yourself you will need to consider the sensitivities of others on the programme.  If you are sharing your learning space, you will need to be aware that each of us has had some encounter with abuse in our lives or in the lives of those we care about.

The programme includes modules that encourage you to reflect on your attitudes and prejudices and give space to process the impact of your learning.  It is not uncommon for people to feel shocked or appalled by what they learn.  We all arrive in this field with healthy and unhealthy preconceptions about abuse.  It is important to clarify your thinking about who is responsible for what and to develop a capacity for managing ethical dilemmas.  This is a field in which perpetrators shift responsibility for their abusive actions onto those they victimise.  We will encourage students to take responsibility for their own behaviour and to contribute to maintaining a safe and non-threatening learning space.

How is the programme structured?

Students wanting to qualify with a Masters are required to take 180 credits.  It is also possible to exit the programme with a diploma (120 credits) or a certificate (60 credits).The modules are listed below, some are compulsory and some are optional parts of the programme.

These modules are compulsory:

Theories, Research and Policy – Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse (30 credits)

Research Methods (practitioner research and literature review) (15 credits)

Group work: power, identity and conflict (30 credits)

Dissertation (60 credits)

These modules are options: (you will need to complete 3 options to obtain the masters):

Working with children in the context of domestic violence and sexual abuse (15 credits)

Working with adults in the context of domestic violence and sexual abuse (15 credits)

Adolescents as victims and perpetrators (15 credits)

Community and Participatory Arts and Arts Therapies Based Interventions (15 credits)

Making an application

If you are interested but need to know about financing your studies you could be eligible for a student loan or bursary.  See the fees and funding page:

http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/

Students can apply online using the link below:

http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-understanding-domestic-violence-and-sexual-abuse/

Entrance requirements

  • You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in a relevant/related subject. You must also be able to demonstrate significant experience in either health and social care, psychological therapies, or experience from the third sector in a specialist abuse service.
  • You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.
  • We also accept a wide range of international equivalent qualifications, which can be found on our country-specific pages. If you’d like more information, please contact the Admissions Office.

English language

  • If your first language is not English, you need to demonstrate the required level of English language competence to enroll and study on our programmes.

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Why we set up the MA UDVSA programme

Posted by MAudvsa on May 3, 2016
Posted in: All about the programme. Tagged: anti-discriminatory practice, Coercive control, Domestic violence, feminist, Goldsmiths, Group work, Health and social care, MA, Postgraduate, Reflective practice, Sexual abuse, social inequalities, STaCS. Leave a comment

Suzanne Martin current programme coordinator writes about the programme now in its second year:

About 10 years back I had been experimenting with different ways of mainstreaming learning on violence and abuse whilst lecturing at the University of Kent. We ran a couple of modules as part of the MA in mental health studies and students gave some very positive feedback. These modules also attracted workers who were struggling to find ways of helping the abused people they encountered in mental health services. So it was clear that although some people wanted to gain a qualification we also had interest from practitioners in search of better interventions. I knew that the time had come for a whole programme of study focused on domestic violence and sexual abuse and I went in search of a university innovative enough to give it a go.
The Department of Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies (STaCS) at Goldsmiths College London welcomed the idea of developing a programme like this. Academics in STaCS had a real commitment to examining problems like domestic violence and sexual abuse in more depth. Most of their courses already included some teaching on these issues, from a range of different perspectives. And all the staff here are excellent on anti-discriminatory practice and explore ways to respond to the various inequalities we see around us in the health and social care field. It was clear that the staff team would be able to come together to help give the programme its strong multi-disciplinary character.
At around the time we started planning the content and getting academic approval the issue of coercive control got added to the UK domestic abuse legislation. We had already decided that it was possible to use the concept of coercive control to link domestic violence and sexual abuse. Coercive control is so characteristic of abusive relating patterns that it made sense to focus on it. Holding that focus demanded that we took a psychological perspective – coercion is after all a behaviour motivated by a powerful psychological need for control. We were also hearing more and more requests from services for ways of identifying and documenting coercive control. There may be legislation that tackles coercive control but proving its occurrence in ways that satisfy a court remains a challenge.
The bringing together of sexual abuse and domestic violence into one programme of study was also an important decision. We felt that the division of these two closely related forms of gendered abuse reflected the needs of services rather than the needs of service users. Given the cross over between types of abuse in intimate relationships many of us felt uneasy with the clear demarcation between sexual and domestic violence. But we think its important to create a space where we can continue to have debates about the pros and cons of dividing the abuse field into separate service areas.  This is not the only debate – we also argue about feminism; about gendered perspectives; about wat works and why.  We try and critique every viewpoint to see if it offers safety to victims; holds abusers accountable and responds to social inequalities effectively.
What has proved to be so good about the programme is this continued emphasis on having the debates that tend to be uncomfortable or contentious. We built in a strong reflective component to the course along the lines of clinical supervision or staff support. I do alot of team support work in the violence and abuse field so I know how difficult it can be to stay mentally healthy and switched on to peoples needs. Violence and abuse stirs up powerful reactions in all of us and that can create enormous tensions within and between services. We wanted our students to experience group work and learn to reflect on their feelings and behaviour in a safe pace. We also wanted to help grow a work force capable of respectful communication and of valuing differences. I think we have achieved that balance.

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