'Racism, ‘bad mothers’ and child abuse in news media: A role for social work advocacy'

Abstract

Social workers are frequently critical of the role of media reporting of family violence. While it is understandable that child deaths become the focus of public scrutiny, in New Zealand a cultural ‘story’ is told about child abuse. Both mainstream journalists and columnists employ race, class and gender stereotyping in discussing child abuse. Columnists have a special power -- their cruel words shock and their status affords their polemic some gravitas. And with the freedom offered by public comment the tone becomes more anti-poor and misogynist. Inflammatory judgements about mothers underscore an ideological deviance narrative that seeks to frame child abuse with a central folk-devil figure -- the bad Maori welfare mother. It is likely that the inexplicable behaviour of perpetrators leads to casting about for explanations; mothers are thus an easy target, even if they too have experienced violence at the hands of the abuser. A media focus on deaths of Maori children suggests that Maori families, and specifically Maori mothers, have become central to a moral panic about claims that child abuse is a ‘cultural’ problem, rather than an outcome of poverty, discrimination and institutional racism. There are consequences for social work in this moral panic discourse: moralistic, individualising and surveillant approaches to families with the greatest need. A focus on ‘bad mothers’ may cement an artificial divide between adult and child protective services at a time when the needs of vulnerable children and their caregivers may benefit from co-location of child and adult services. Ultimately a focus on cultural ‘dysfunction’ perpetuates social injustice – ignoring poverty, racism, ingrained sexism and other sources of alienation. To counter this is a major challenge for human rights focussed social work. This paper explores the potential role of social work research in challenging these media narratives.