Corporal violence and emotional neglect in Finnish families –

from changing attitudes to developing good practices

Satu Keisala, Project manager Johanna Matikka, Advisor

The Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters

RovaniemiRovaniemi

OuluOulu

RaaheRaahe

KokkolaKokkola

VaasaVaasa

PoriPori

IisalmiIisalmi

KuopioKuopioOutokumpuOutokumpuJoroinenJoroinenKauhajokiKauhajoki

ImatraImatraLappeenrantaLappeenranta

KotkaKotka

HelsinkiHelsinkiEspooEspoo

VantaaVantaa

HämeenlinnaHämeenlinna

JyväskyläJyväskylä

LahtiLahtiTampereTampere

TurkuTurku

MikkeliMikkeli

Mother and Child HomesMother and Child Homes

Homes focusing on Homes focusing on treatment of drug and treatment of drug and alcohol related problemsalcohol related problems

SheltersShelters

Community care servicesCommunity care services

The Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters

• A national child welfare organisation founded in 1945 • Particularly concerned with helping families in need and with the prevention of problems• 30 member associations

”Every child has to be saved

for life”

What is corporal punishment?

• Definition: An action where an adult exercising superior physical strength aims to cause a child pain or discomfort, though not physical injury, in order to punish the child or otherwise control his/her behavior”.

Change in attitudes towards corporal violence in past 30 years in Finland

Women Men All

Central union for child welfare (2014)

Procures supporting non-violent parenting

Media-campaigns supporting non-violent parenting

Violence and neglect in parening is a frequent occurence in Finland

• Corporal punishment has been banned for 31 years; parenting practises at homes change slowly

Emotional violence and neglect are hard to recognize and to intervene

Police University College 2012; almost every secong child between 0 and 12 has been subjected to disciplinary violence at home

• Look at all this from the child´s point of view – does he/she feel safe or is he/she scared?

Violence (doing) Neglect (omitting to do)

Physical violence 

* Hitting * Slapping/smacking* Kicking * Pushing* Shaking * Harsh grabbing* Burning * Pulling from hair* Drugging

Physical neglect

* Care * Protection* Age-related stimulation * Clothing* Sheltering * Nutrition and hygiene* Education * Residential* Health and healthcare circumstances* Age-related supervision and guidance

 

Violence and neglect in parentingEm

otion

al

Emotional abuse / violenceDescriptions of incidents / events between a child and a parent * Threatening with violence * Making invisible* Verbal insulting * Humiliating and contempt* Intimidating* Isolation* Corruption

Emotional neglectDescriptions of child-parent interaction and relationship

* Parent is not emotionally available* Negative attitude to a child* Developmentally inappropriate interactions with the child * Failure to recognize or acknowledge the child´s individuality or psychological boundary* Failing to promote the child´s social adaptation

Phys

ical

What we need is…• Awareness and knowledge• Professionals skills to• recognize• intervene• Work on different levels -

child, parent, family• Means and methods• preventive and remedial

(healing)• Support of the work

community• Networking

Towards sensitive parenting• Prohibitioin of corporal punishment or

emotional neglect is not enough, parents need new ways to raise their children

• Families shoult be treated with respect

• Concrete instructions to ”here and now” –situations

• Know you own childhood history• Strenghtens the child-parent relationhip