'I'm a good mother really!' gendered parenting roles and responses to the disclosure of incest

The disclosure of incestuous abuse of a child constitutes such a departure from normative expectations of mothering that it necessitates a complete reappraisal and reconstruction of the mother's identity. This article draws on interview material with women in this situation in order to demonstr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Children & society 2003-04, Vol.17 (2), p.126-136
Main Author: Bell, Patricia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Child abuse
Child Sexual Abuse
Children
Disclosure
Failure
Family Power
Family Roles
Family studies
Fathers
Gender
Identity
Incest
Mothers
Parenthood
Power
Recognition
Reconstruction
Responses
Scotland
Sexual abuse
Sexuality. Marriage. Family relations
Sociology
Sociology of the family. Age groups
Stereotypes
United Kingdom
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Summary:The disclosure of incestuous abuse of a child constitutes such a departure from normative expectations of mothering that it necessitates a complete reappraisal and reconstruction of the mother's identity. This article draws on interview material with women in this situation in order to demonstrate how very traditional gendered parenting models were employed in repairing damaged identities. The ways in which such reliance on the protective and selfless aspects of mothering could contribute to the failure to recognise the abuse of their child are also discussed. In conclusion, motherhood as a source of power for women within the family is critically examined. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ISSN:0951-0605
1099-0860
DOI:10.1002/CHI.744