Punishing ‘Poor Parents’: ‘Respect’, ‘Responsibility’ and Parenting Orders in Scotland

Walters, Reece; Woodward, Rona

doi:10.1177/1473225406074818

Cited by 21 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, this downplays both the coercive nature, and the gender imbalance inherent in them, and assumes this is the kind of support struggling mothers desire. In line with research in England and Wales (Ghate and Ramella 2002;Holt 2009) and in Scotland (Walters and Woodward 2007), the women in this study were highly likely to be single parents, often on benefits or if employed in poorly paid, insecure jobs.…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 50%

I blame the mother: educating parents and the gendered nature of parenting orders

Peters

2012

Gender and Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There has been an increasing focus from policymakers, academics and journalists on parents as the source of their child's anti-social behaviour both in and outside of the formal school setting. One intervention proffered is the parenting order. The language of parenting orders and parenting interventions obscures a distinct truth, that parenting orders are really mothering orders. This paper draws on findings generated during interviews with 26 parents attending a parenting education programme in a city in the north of England. This paper explores the gendered nature of parental education, in that the overwhelming majority of parents ordered by the courts to attend parenting classes are women. The paper explores mothers' experiences of receiving coercive parenting education, examines the reasons why mothers were given parenting orders and explores the nature of these mothers' relationships with their child's school. IntroductionParenting orders were first introduced to England and Wales in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, New Labour's flagship law and order act which also established anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs). Parenting orders were made available when a young person was given an ASBO, or they were convicted of a criminal offence. With respect to truancy, a parenting order could be triggered if a parent was convicted of an offence under section 443 (failure to comply with school attendance order) or section 444 (failure to secure regular attendance at school of registered pupil) of the Education Act 1996. Education-related parenting orders are extended by two further pieces of legislation; the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 provides for parenting orders when a child is excluded from school, and the Education and Inspections Act 2006 allows schools to apply directly to the courts for an order following a child's serious misbehaviour which if continued would warrant exclusion from school.Parents subject to an order must participate in a parenting support and education service as directed by the magistrates court (a court that deals with less serious criminal issues). The parenting order is supervised by an 'appropriate officer', named in the guidance produced by Government departments as a probation officer, social worker or other local authority social services officer or a Youth Offending Team 1 officer

show abstract

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 50%

I blame the mother: educating parents and the gendered nature of parenting orders

Peters

2012

Gender and Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It is difficult to ascertain the number of POs issued since 1998, but between April 2000 and September 2005 at least 5,988 POs were issued in England and Wales (Walters and Woodward, 2007). In the year from April 2007 to March 2008 (the last year for which data are available) 1,649 POs were recorded by youth offending teams (this figure probably underestimates those issued for educational reasons) (Youth Justice Board [YJB], 2009).…”

Section: Why Pps? Social Policy: Family Problems Problem Families Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, children in youth justice fared less well. In contrast to some of the policies that aim to reduce the poverty and social exclusion which causes poor family functioning, the use of PPs in the youth justice context is seen by many as a denial of social context and societal causes (Arthur, 2005;Burney and Gelsthorpe, 2008;Moran et al, 2004;Walters and Woodward 2007). It is argued that their use 'serve[s] to deepen divisions and further alienate vulnerable families' (Arthur, 2005, p. 240).…”

Section: Why Pps? Social Policy: Family Problems Problem Families Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

Some reflections on the rhetoric of parenting programmes: evidence, theory, and social policy

Lucas¹

2011

Journal of Family Therapy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Childcare advice has a long history. This article comments on parenting programmes, a recent form of this advice. It argues that the use of parenting programmes has grown with support from three sectors. Firstly, those who argue from the evidence‐based approach suggest that there is strong research evidence for the use of such programmes with children with conduct problems. Secondly, they are supported by theoretical models that emphasize the causal relationship between parental behaviour and child outcomes. Finally, the dominant rhetoric of social exclusion in current UK policy supports action at the level of individual parents' behaviour. The example of parenting programmes employed in parenting orders is used to open debate across the boundaries of disciplines. Tensions between this use and the evidence and theories presented in favour of parenting programmes are discussed, highlighting the difference between a therapeutic focus on family problems and a policy focus on problem families.

show abstract

“…For example, all the Scottish Executive's relevant major policy documents (Scottish Executive 2003, 2004a, 2004b) stressed the need to respond to ASB by the threat of countermeasures. Each cited the need to ‘protect and empower communities’ through the ‘introduction of effective enforcement’, privileged over other forms of prevention or diversionary activities (Scottish Executive 2005: 13, as referenced in Walters and Woodward 2007). Similarly, First Minister Jack McConnell told the media:…”

Section: Rolling Out the Dundee Model: Comparing Policy Discoursesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rolling Out Anti-social Behaviour Families Projects in England and Scotland: Analysing the Rhetoric and Practice of Policy Transfer

Nixon

Pawson

Sosenko

2010

Social Policy &Amp; Administration

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In both Scotland and England, reducing anti-social behaviour (ASB) and building a culture of respect are key central government priorities. Accordingly, since 1997 both jurisdictions have seen the introduction of a raft of punitive legislation. Over recent years, however, there have been signs that the official ASB agenda has shifted away from a reliance on 'enforcement measures' towards a more balanced approach incorporating measures to address the underlying causes of problem behaviour. With their emphasis on 'whole family' approaches and parenting interventions, ASB family projects, pioneered by the Dundee Families Project (DFP), are seen to respond to official concerns about social exclusion and have been promoted as an effective and sustainable response to ASB. In both Scottish and English jurisdictions official endorsement of the DFP model has been marked by government-funded programmes to 'roll out' this concept more widely. Drawing on findings from a recent evaluation of ASB family projects operating in Scotland combined with scrutiny of evidence from a number of English studies, this article explores, in a comparative manner, the differences and similarities in the policy discourses and models of practice employed by Scottish and English projects. More specifically, we critically appraise the role played by sanctions in evoking service user engagement. IntroductionFor more than a decade in both Scotland and England, reducing anti-social behaviour (ASB) and building a culture of respect have been key central government priorities. Accordingly, both jurisdictions have seen the introduction of a raft of legislation with measures to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) located within a wider policy agenda of revitalizing disadvantaged

show abstract

Punishing ‘Poor Parents’: ‘Respect’, ‘Responsibility’ and Parenting Orders in Scotland

Cited by 21 publications

References 10 publications

I blame the mother: educating parents and the gendered nature of parenting orders

I blame the mother: educating parents and the gendered nature of parenting orders

Some reflections on the rhetoric of parenting programmes: evidence, theory, and social policy

Rolling Out Anti-social Behaviour Families Projects in England and Scotland: Analysing the Rhetoric and Practice of Policy Transfer

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About