Papers by Claire Cunnington
Social Work Education, Oct 13, 2023
Qualitative Social Work, Sep 6, 2022
Qualitative Social Work, 2022
There is a well-established literature examining how perpetrators of child sexual abuse (CSA) neu... more There is a well-established literature examining how perpetrators of child sexual abuse (CSA) neutralise the norms and beliefs that ordinarily prohibit such behaviours. However, there has been substantially less focus on how such techniques of neutralisation might also be applied by people and groups who were not directly involved in the abuse, who we might expect to be more supportive. Drawing on a thematic analysis of an openended survey (n=140) and semi-structured interviews (n=21) with adults who experienced childhood sexual abuse this paper examines societal responses to disclosure. Identifying three key techniques of neutralisation, it explores how families, professionals and institutions use wider discourses that deny the victim/survivor, deny or minimise harm and silence by appealing to loyalty. The results demonstrate how significant others can constrain, rather than support, the process of disclosure and recovering from CSA.
University of Sheffield, Nov 1, 2019
has been a wonderful and inspiring supervisor, listening to my jumbled thoughts with patience and... more has been a wonderful and inspiring supervisor, listening to my jumbled thoughts with patience and helping me create something coherent. Dr Jadwiga Leigh has been a supportive and helpful second supervisor. I am really grateful to have had such a great team behind me. My viva was both challenging and insightful thanks to Professor Sue White and Professor Corinne May-Chahal. Also, many thanks to my fellow doctoral students Louise Whitehead, Lauren White and Winona Shaw who have provided both social and practical support. Credit also to 'The West Wing' TV series not only for accompanying my writing up but also providing a clip to easily explain that the best person to help you out of a hole is someone who has been in there before. My husband Matt encouraged and enabled me to do this PhD. Thank you for always supporting me and being a founder member of Team Cunnington. My inspiration for doing this PhD was the birth of my children: Charlie, Lex and Beth. Their existence and my love for them impelled me to return to education. I wanted to change the world for you. Many thanks also to Professor Julie Coleman, my sister, for providing feedback on the thesis and being a great academic role model. I am so lucky to have such a brilliant family. Many organisations, groups and individuals have supported this research and deserve my thanks. This includes #CSAQT, NAPAC, Men's Movement, Sarah Champion MP and Tom Watson MP. Members of the Women in Academia Support Network (WIASN) on Facebook helped me improve the survey immeasurably and supported the concept of insider research. Ultimately this thesis would have been impossible without the many participants who shared their stories and opinions to help others. I appreciate and value the hope you placed in me and the research. I have learnt so much from you. Thank you so much for your generosity and your wisdom. Finally, this PhD is for little me.
Sheffield Gender History Journal, 2018
In 1885 the UK Criminal Law Amendment Act passed after a long journey through parliament because ... more In 1885 the UK Criminal Law Amendment Act passed after a long journey through parliament because a series of articles entitled the ‘Maiden Tribute’ raised intense public concern about child sexual exploitation in London. The Maiden Tribute, published in the Pall Mall Gazette, reported upon an investigation into child sexual exploitation in London. It has been identified as the beginning of tabloid journalism.
Judith Walkowitz criticised the Maiden Tribute, stating that it focussed upon a false and melodramatic image of an aristocrat seducing a young girl, which did not reflect reality, as most child sexual abuse was within the community or family. She argued that working class women and girls involved in prostitution were not passive victims but actively choose the job. This article will explore the circumstances that led to the Maiden Tribute and explain its focus on aristocratic seduction through the influence of two women; Josephine Butler, who campaigned for a raised age of consent and Mary Jeffries, reputed to have sold children to MP’s, Kings and other VIPs. Both women’s influence will be assessed through an exploration of their activities around this case.
Book Reviews by Claire Cunnington
Mortality, 2019
Book Review.
Books by Claire Cunnington
Thesis, 2020
There is a great deal of research into multiple aspects of childhood sexual abuse, including prev... more There is a great deal of research into multiple aspects of childhood sexual abuse, including prevalence, effects, treatment and recovery. However, very little research focusses on the knowledge held by people who have experienced CSA, and far fewer studies are designed by people who have experienced it. This thesis outlines insider designed and delivered research. It employs a salutogenic approach to examine what helps and hinders recovering. These issues are explored through thematic analysis of a qualitative survey (n=140) and 21 interviews. Participants described three types of harm caused by the abuse they had experienced, including physical and mental health consequences but also an underlying, enduring sense of danger. The results demonstrate that adults who have experienced CSA are active in their recovering, which they conceptualise as a movement towards health and well-being, rather than a binary of either being ill or well. Health services were very useful, particularly counselling and therapy. Respondents also valued personal relationships and interactions in supporting recovering. Finally, they described a sense of flow, a pleasurable absorption in a task, as being highly beneficial. However, they also described the ways in which society, at every level from micro to macro, inhibited recovering. Thus, they called for fundamental societal change, challenging destructive discourses around CSA and inhibiting structural issues. Further research is required to establish if these beneficial actions and challenges apply equally to individuals who identify as being in earlier stages of recovering.
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Papers by Claire Cunnington
Judith Walkowitz criticised the Maiden Tribute, stating that it focussed upon a false and melodramatic image of an aristocrat seducing a young girl, which did not reflect reality, as most child sexual abuse was within the community or family. She argued that working class women and girls involved in prostitution were not passive victims but actively choose the job. This article will explore the circumstances that led to the Maiden Tribute and explain its focus on aristocratic seduction through the influence of two women; Josephine Butler, who campaigned for a raised age of consent and Mary Jeffries, reputed to have sold children to MP’s, Kings and other VIPs. Both women’s influence will be assessed through an exploration of their activities around this case.
Book Reviews by Claire Cunnington
Books by Claire Cunnington
Judith Walkowitz criticised the Maiden Tribute, stating that it focussed upon a false and melodramatic image of an aristocrat seducing a young girl, which did not reflect reality, as most child sexual abuse was within the community or family. She argued that working class women and girls involved in prostitution were not passive victims but actively choose the job. This article will explore the circumstances that led to the Maiden Tribute and explain its focus on aristocratic seduction through the influence of two women; Josephine Butler, who campaigned for a raised age of consent and Mary Jeffries, reputed to have sold children to MP’s, Kings and other VIPs. Both women’s influence will be assessed through an exploration of their activities around this case.