Clinical implications from research exploring parent and family perspectives of the August 2011 London riots

Abstract

Political rhetoric and media reports following the August 2011 London riots in the UK drew attention to poor parenting to explain the cause of the riots, thus, a parent‐blaming discourse emerged. This article presents findings from a PhD thesis about how London parents and families constructed the riots and relevant clinical implications. A separate paper focuses on the method and findings from the PhD thesis with an aim to include parent and family perspectives on the riots in the academic literature. A Foucauldian‐informed thematic analysis indicated that social exclusion, gentrification, criminality, parenting, morality and neighbourhood were relevant to the 2011 London riots from interviews with parents and families. This article aims to support clinical work with parents and families, especially as clinicians were positioned as useful in supporting such groups, through the Troubled Families Programme following the London riots. Clinical implications were developed from themes about socio‐political issues and parent‐blaming discourses and the notion of positioning, as influenced by the Foucauldian‐informed analysis adopted. Practitioner points Consider the relevance of socio‐political issues and parent‐blaming discourses to the August 2011 London riots. Use ‘social context’ questions to explore socio‐political issues when conducting therapy. Use ‘parenting expectations’ questions to explore possible parent‐blaming discourses when conducting therapy. Consider the ways in which clients may be positioned within their relationships.

Using interviews to understand parent and family perspectives of the August 2011 London riots

“…The method and findings from a doctorate thesis (Coopoosamy, ) are discussed in detail within this article, to include the perspective of participant parents and families in academic literature. However, clinical implications from the research findings are presented in another paper (forthcoming, 2016).…”

“…Subsequently, the Troubled Families Programme (TFp) (Communities and Local Government, ) was launched in 2011, which appeared to be formed mainly through Parliamentary Select Committees, with minimal opportunities for public debate about ‘troubled families’ (Maclehose, ). The research presented is from a doctorate thesis (Coopoosamy, ) that aimed to appreciate multiple perspectives on parents and families in relation to the August 2011 London riots, in the context of limited constructions of parenting and families available in the media around the time of the riots. For example, families and youth in particular, were problematized in relation to the riots (Coughlan, ) and responsibility was placed within the remit of parents, who were deemed to be condoning looting behaviour (Birbalsingh, ).…”