Ingrid Thompson-Cooper - Child Welfare Professionals and Incest Families: A Difficult Encounter

INGRID K. THOMPSON-COOPER

School of Social Work

McGill University, Canada

First published 2001 by Ashgate Publishing

Reissued 2018 by Routledge

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Copyright I. Thompson-Cooper 2001

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ISBN 13: 978-1-138-73645-0 (hbk)

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The professional response to reports of sexual abuse of children by members of their family has become a topic of much public concern and controversy. A balance has to be struck between the conflicting aims of identifying and punishing the abuser, comforting and protecting the child and helping to preserve a functional family unit. After the discovery of child sexual abuse in the 1970s and the development of child abuse reporting laws, there was a dramatic increase in the number of disclosed cases and child welfare professionals were forced to quickly develop policies regarding interventions in these cases. However, instead of relying on the therapeutic models of practice already developed for child physical abuse, they have tended to adopt a punitive approach, with heavy relaince on the criminal justice system. This can be traumatic for everyone including the victim and healing difficult. This more intrusive approach to child sexual abuse seems to have been reactive rather than rational and based, perhaps, on the taboo nature of the behavior. Little research has been done on the nature of the decision-making by child welfare professionals in these cases or on the impact of the different approaches on victims and their families.

The present research is a detailed study of two samples of cases of intrafamilial child sexual abuse and how they were dealt with, one in an area of England, the other in Canada. It was hoped to contribute empirical input to the issues under debate, in particular to the controversy between supporters of a primarily punitive approach utilising the criminal justice system and advocates of more informal, therapeutic interventions. The research permitted a comparison of a system which relied heavily on criminal prosecution to handle the cases (England) and a more treatment oriented system that depended primarily on child welfare and clinical services (Canada).

The present study examines the extent and nature of the incestuous abuse, how it was disclosed and the initial responses of the professionals. It then looks at how the disclosed cases are processed through the child welfare and criminal justice systems with a focus on the decisions made throughout the process and their outcome including interventions and the impact on the family. The type and length of treatment modalities as well as the nature of the social service contacts with the family is also examined. An effort was made to determine what factors influence the legal and clinical decisions that are made by the various professionals.

The research was carried out as part of doctoral studies at the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge, England. I am greatly indebted to Donald West, Professor Emeritus, for his prompt and helpful criticism of the work at all stages and for his patience and encouragement. I am also grateful to Dr. Cyril Greenland for his support for the initial conception of the research and for his continued interest in the project. The study could not have been completed without access to a number of agencies and departments in Northamptonshire, England and Montreal, Canada. The senior managers and staff were consistently hospitable and helpful. I am particularly grateful to Paul Griffiths, former director of the NSPCC in Northampton, who greatly facilitated my access to the different agencies and services. I benefited, as well, from his knowledge and experience in the child welfare field. I am most grateful also to Tom Woodhouse for his assistance in processing the data by computer and to Professor Sydney Duder for providing guidance in some of the analysis of the data. My sincere thanks are offered to the staff of the Institute of Criminology, Cambridge, for their hospitality and for the intellectual stimulation they provided. I am particularly indebted to Loraine Gelsthorpe, Allison Morris, and Pam Paige for their helpful support and to Betty Arnold and Jean Taylor for their assistance in the library.

I am especially grateful to the late Peggy Quirk who started the onerous task of preparing a camera ready copy of the manuscript. A very special debt of gratitude is owed to Ann Stewart for her meticulous preparation of the manuscript on the word processor. Her patience and cheerfulness, often under very difficult personal circumstances, and expert work carried the project through to its completion. We became friends and the book became our book. Finally, I am very appreciative of the love and support my family and friends have given me throughout.

Child Care Act 1980

Childrens Act 1948

Children Act 1989

Children and Young Persons Act 1933

Children and Young Persons Act 1948

Children and Young Persons Act 1963

Children and Young Persons Act 1969

Criminal Justice Act 1988