Learning from Baby P : the politics of blame, fear and denial / Sharon Shoesmith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shoesmith, Sharon, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Child abuse--Great Britain--Case studies.

Child abuse.

Child welfare--Great Britain--Case studies.

Child welfare.

Social service--Great Britain--Case studies.

Social service.

Social work administration--Great Britain--Case studies.

Social work administration.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (274 pages)

Place of Publication:

London, [England] ; Philadelphia, [Pennsylvania] : Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2016.

Summary:

Sharon Shoesmith was Director of Children's Services for Haringey in 2007 at the time of the death of Peter Connelly, also known as 'Baby P'. In Learning from Baby P, she carries out a dispassionate analysis of the events which followed Peter Connelly's death, documenting the responses of the media, politicians and the public. She explores the psychological and emotional responses we share when faced with such horrifying cases of familial child homicide, and how a climate of fear and blame which follows such tragedies can lead to negative consequences for other children at risk of harm, and for the social workers striving to protect them. Learning from Baby P is a thought-provoking book which aims to deepen understanding and shed light on the difficult relationship between politics, the media and child protection.

Contents:

Introduction

The background to the familial homicide of Peter Connelly

The denial of crimes against children

Exploring processes of blame, fear and denial from a psychosocial perspective

The socio-political and cultural context of the death of Peter Connelly

The narrative about Baby P emerges

The identification of a cultural trope that blames social workers for harm to children

Conclusions and main findings.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-78450-238-3