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Understanding agency and resistance: children in situations of domestic violence

Callaghan, J. and Sixsmith, J. (2013) Understanding agency and resistance: children in situations of domestic violence. Paper presented to: Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Conference, The University of Northampton, 03-05 July 2013. (Unpublished)

Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Abstract: This paper takes a critical discursive and feminist perspective on psychological accounts of children who live in situations of domestic violence. Academic, popular and professional discourses around domestic violence tend to represent children and young people as passive witnesses and victims - as individuals who watch, who suffer from and who are damaged by the violence (e.g. Rivett and Howarth, 2006; Spilsbury et al, 2007). We consider how constructs like ‘witness’, ‘trauma’ and ‘exposure’ operate in psychological and other health and social care discourses of children, exploring the implications of such constructions for young people’s identities. In this paper, we present a systematic literature review and an analysis of domestic violence campaigns, exploring representations of children who have lived in situations of domestic violence, using discourse analytic tools (Alldred and Burman, 2005). We consider the operation of discourses of damage in professional and academic talk about young peoples’ lives, and consider ways of enabling an alternative narrative of agency and resistance to be articulated.
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Women > HQ767 Children. Child development
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology > BF712 Developmental psychology > BF723 Child psychology
H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology > HV6001 Criminology > HV6251 Crimes and offences > HV6626 Family violence
Creators: Callaghan, Jane and Sixsmith, Judith
Funders or Sponsors: European Commission (Daphne III)
Grant Reference Number: JUST/2012/DAP-AG-3461
Northamptonshire and East Midlands: Health
Faculties, Divisions and Institutes: University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Research Centre > Centre for Health and Wellbeing Research
University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Research Group > Social and Cultural Research in Psychology Group
University Faculties, Divisions and Research Centres - OLD > Research Centre > Institute of Health and Wellbeing > Centre for Family Life
Research Centres > Centre for Health Sciences and Services
Research Centres > Centre for Psychology and Social Sciences
Date: July 2013
Date Type: Presentation
Event Title: Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Conference
Event Dates: 03-05 July 2013
Event Location: The University of Northampton
Event Type: Conference
Language: English
Status: Unpublished
Related URLs:
URI: http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/id/eprint/5606

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