Focus on state as ‘problem parent’ rather than care-experienced mothers, says research

Care-experienced mothers may face negative judgements and excessive scrutiny.

Mothers with a criminal record and who have also been through the care system could well face negative judgements and excessive scrutiny by virtue of already ‘being known’ to the authorities.

A new study focuses on mothers with ‘dual system contact’ - imprisoned women who have been in care and care-experienced girls and young women in the community, and the professionals who work with them.

Key findings include a desire to break cycles of stigma and social care involvement across the generations; lack of support and a fear of asking for help, and the care-less approach to pregnancy and motherhood that may be faced in prison and beyond. 

Findings were published in a  new study ‘Confronting Intergenerational Harm: Care Experience, Motherhood and Criminal Justice Involvement’ funded by The Nuffield Foundation and published in the British Journal of Criminology.

Co-author Dr Katie Hunter of Manchester Met said: “We need to change our view of care-experienced girls and women as ‘problem parents’ and instead focus on the state as the problem parent. This is a vital shift in thinking that will help to protect and de-stigmatise people who may be incredibly vulnerable.

“Our research shows that while the system calls itself a ‘care system’, it may be failing to recognise the harm it can cause. For some people, it may even become a care-less and potentially negligent system. This needs to be urgently addressed.”

As one interviewee in the study, 26-year-old Hannah, said: “But it is also used against you that you were in care, and there isn’t a great support network around me because I’ve been in care.”

Conducted by Manchester Met, Liverpool John Moores and the University of Bristol, and led by Lancaster University, the study highlights the long-lasting consequences of being under surveillance and any subsequent child removal or separation. These may include intense feelings of guilt, shame, anger, loss and distress, whilst at a system-level the immediate focus moves to protecting the unborn baby or infant.

One 19-year-old mum interviewed in the study, Kelsey, said: “I felt like I couldn’t say anything, I’d hide everything from everyone…because I don’t want to do anything to lose him…Because that’s all they said to me every time I done something wrong, this will jeopardise you from having [son].”

The study warns that for pregnant women in prison, the challenges are immense in institutions ultimately designed to punish and control – and where restraint can have fatal consequences.

It said: “Against the backdrop of dramatically reducing the number of all women in prison, there must be a far greater commitment to preventing pregnant women from being imprisoned wherever possible.”

As one probation officer interviewed in the study said: “Going into custody…and your children going into care and then having to fight to get them back when you’ve got no resources whatsoever…is almost impossible.”

The researchers advise that planning for the transition from prison to the community must take place at the earliest possible stage, supported by non-judgemental practitioners willing to look beyond the stigma that the care and justice system contact may create.

Authors: Dr Claire Fitzpatrick of Lancaster University, Dr Katie Hunter of Manchester Metropolitan University, Dr Julie Shaw, of Liverpool John Moores University, and Dr Jo Staines, of the University of Bristol.

This work was supported by The Nuffield Foundation, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the Foundation. 

All names of participants were changed to protect identities.