Child to Parent Violence and Abuse (CPVA) is a much misunderstood problem that affects the lives of millions of families around the world, possibly as many as one in ten. Despite this, and the lasting physical and psychological damage CPVA can cause, it is an underreported issue, and one that presents serious challenges to practitioners and support services - not least because it inverts our normal understanding of abuse within the family. With this book Helen Bonnick shares the knowledge that she has built up over many years specialising in CPVA as a social worker, practice educator and researcher. She brings this complex issue out of the shadows and provides much needed guidance to practitioners. Following an introductory chapter, setting the scene and discussing definitions and language, the book is divided into five sections, which develop an understanding of the main issues before moving on to a more structured approach to work in supporting families. `Five impossible things to believe' sets out five core issues in understanding an issue that many people still find hard to accept, setting the scene for future discussions. The second section, `Four traps to avoid', addresses myths and stereotypes, looking at beliefs and assumptions that can impact on the delivery of a service. The third section, `Three aspects of work with families' looks specifically at assessment and models of intervention, after some important consideration of the power issues at play. This is followed by a section on the difficulties emerging from our tendency to think in binary ways: `Two conflicting paradigms'; and lastly, `One thing that everyone can do'. The book closes with a final chapter for those interested in taking their learning further. Throughout, the easily digestible chapters are illustrated with real-life anecdotes and testimony from families who have faced CPVA. Above all, this is a book which brings the families' lives to the fore, and documents what they say helps, what hinders, and what they want to celebrate or protest. Each chapter includes a section called `What you can do', which may have questions to reflect on, or suggestions of action to continue the work of bringing greater attention and increased resources to this crucial field of family support.
Helen Bonnick is a consultant, speaker and trainer on child to parent violence and abuse. She qualified as a social worker in 1983, and has since worked as a practitioner, supervisor and educator. She offers training and consultation services to local authorities and other groups and individuals. She no longer works directly with families, but always tries to respond to requests for advice. She contributed to the development of Home Office guidance on adolescent to parent violence and abuse, and writes a regular blog in this area. Following an MA in Child Studies that focused on child to parent violence, Helen spent time building networks and consolidating training in this field. Her work culminated in the launch of www.holesinthewall.co.uk - an internationally accessed hub that brings together information on training opportunities, research findings, reading material, discussions and news features in one place for parents and professionals. The site now attracts 2,000 visitors per month.
Introduction Part 1: Five impossible things to believe Chapter 1: How much? Chapter 2: It could happen to anyone Chapter 3: The impact on families Chapter 4: Punished for being a victim Chapter 5: Nobody's problem Part 2: Four traps to avoid Chapter 6: The difficult parent Chapter 7: I blame the parents Chapter 8: We need the young person to engage Chapter 9: Just like domestic violence Part 3: Three aspects of work with families Chapter 10: Understanding the issue of power Chapter 11: Full family assessment Chapter 12: Whole family support Part 4: Two conflicting paradigms Chapter 13: Two conflicting paradigms Part 5: One thing everyone can do Chapter 14: One thing everyone can do Chapter 15: Final words Appendix 1: Acronyms used Appendix 2: Programmes of work
