Drug and Alcohol Use in Pregnancy and Early Parenthood

Smiles, Claire; McGovern, Ruth; Kaner, Eileen; Rankin, Judith

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-17285-4_9

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Previous findings highlight that stigma and the fear of loss of custody are important factors that prevent mothers who use drugs from accessing important health and social support, thereby increasing their isolation [ 21 ]. Stigma manifests in these mothers’ lives through increased scrutiny and judgment, with their experiences of motherhood being discounted in favour of what is typically considered superior or “expert” knowledge [ 22 ]. Minaker summarises how marginalised individuals are thus often “placed in the space of ‘other’, puzzlingly unseen but hyper-visible” (p. 2, [ 23 ]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“They Tarred Me with the Same Brush”: Navigating Stigma in the Context of Child Removal

McGrath

Lhussier

Crossley

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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Child removals are increasing in England and Wales. Family court involvement is particularly common among women with multiple disadvantages, and the rates are higher in economically marginalised areas. This article aims to explore women’s narratives of child removal within life stories of homelessness and examines how stigma, power and State surveillance manifest in their experiences. Data drawn from qualitative interviews with 14 mothers in the north-east of England who had experienced the removal of their children through the family courts are explored within the wider context of a neoliberal political agenda of “troubled families”, and in particular, “deviant mothers”. The participants describe how stigma structured their interactions with social services. Despite the known poor outcomes associated with child removal for both mothers and children, professional involvement often tapers off afterwards, with little support for mothers. Drawing on women’s accounts, we seek to illuminate their experiences of child removal and enhance our understanding of how stigma plays out in statutory settings, further entrenching social exclusion and ultimately increasing health inequalities.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%