Review

Hierarchies of abuse

The Abuse of Women within Childcare Work
Kieran O’Hagan and Karola Dillenburger
Open University Press, 1995

Achieving a balance between the welfare of children and the rights of parents is a central but difficult issue in childcare work. Indeed such principles are enshrined within the Children Act, which promotes working in partnership and parental participation. But the authors of this book argue that, in practice, concern for the welfare of the child can override parental considerations, and that when this occurs it is women, as the prime carers, who suffer. This situation is described as an abuse of women.

The theme is developed throughout the book, which is divided into three sections. It begins by exploring the context for abusing women within childcare work. This includes a discussion of, for example, the role of women in society, childcare theory, and childcare systems. The central section describes the manifestations of abusive work, highlighting the issues of sexual and domestic violence and experiences of the abuse of power. A chapter exploring how the abuse of women may occur throughout each stage of child protection work provides detail and examples, which is followed by a discussion of how the avoidance of men within childcare work actually serves to be abusive of women. Childcare workers may avoid men because of a fear of violence, or because they consider them to have a peripheral parenting role.

The final section introduce ways of improving the situation. The authors advocate behaviour analysis childcare theory, which is discussed in detail. The final chapter, looking at the role of trainers and educators in ensuring non-abusive practice, is particularly well presented and offers practical examples for addressing some of the difficult issues introduced throughout the book.

Overall this is an interesting and challenging book which highlights the complexity of childcare work. It serves to emphasise the need for ongoing high quality training, supervision and support for child care workers.

My main criticism reflects my own professional viewpoint, and is important if the message is to reach a wider audience. Although the text considers childcare workers to include, for example, social workers, health visitors, midwives and police, defining the category as those front-line workers who have a role focused on children’s health and welfare, the emphasis throughout is on a social work perspective, and one almost exclusively concerned with child protection work. Reading this book as a health visitor, I was unsure whether the style would attract a readership from professional groups outside social work. The book has an important message for all workers concerned with children and the women who care for them.