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Discourses of blame: deconstructing (hetero)sexuality, peer sexual violence and residential children’s homes
Author(s) -
Barter Christine
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
child and family social work
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-2206
pISSN - 1356-7500
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2206.2006.00425.x
Subject(s) - blame , human sexuality , normative , redress , psychology , sexual violence , residential care , culpability , heteronormativity , social psychology , domestic violence , developmental psychology , sociology , gender studies , poison control , criminology , suicide prevention , medicine , nursing , political science , law , environmental health
Little research exists on sexuality and residential care, even less that position gender inequality as a central analytical component. This paper, based on a wider research project that focused on children’s and young people’s experiences of peer violence within residential care, seeks to help redress this disparity. The main aim of this paper is to explore how (hetero)sexuality, discourses of blame and male peer sexual violence are constructed and interrelated in residential child care. Young people’s and staff’s conceptualizations, evaluations and experiences are compared and contrasted to illuminate the range of discourses surrounding sexuality and sexual violence operating within residential settings. Findings relating to female culpability for male violence, normative male violence, female duplicity and challenges to traditional gender roles will be presented, and contextualized, in relation to previous studies. In addition, some broader implications of the research findings for residential practice are explored.