JCVVS e-newsletter reviews offer a brief synopsis of
research and programs relevant to violence and victim
studies. Brevity does not allow for comprehensive
analysis, rather key points and observations for further
review and consideration. Reviews are provided by
persons affiliated by the JCVVS and do not
necessarily reflect the position of the JCVVS or the
affiliate Universities.
Author: Dorothy Roberts
Title: Shattered Bonds: The Color of
Child Welfare
Publisher: Basic Civitas Books (2002), New York,
NY.
Reviewed by: Tracy Tamborra, Ph.D.
I recently reread Dorothy Roberts' probing and critical
dissection of Child Protection Services. The book
reminded me that the term 'victim' is open to individual
interpretation. Roberts' exploration of race and class
biased child welfare practices leaves the reader
asking, who is the victim? One may see the child as
the primary victim, another may see the parent as the
victim, and yet another may see the front-line social
workers as the victims; probably it is safe to say that
all of those entities are victims of a devastating
cultural divide.
Roberts notes the distinction between the individual
and the system. By differentiating between individuals
and the system, individuals who work within the
system are given permission to see themselves "at
the mercy of racism rather than as perpetrators of
racism" (p. 98). This assertion is powerful as it allows
individual judges, social workers and administrators
to recognize the faces most often before them as
poor, black and brown children, without
acknowledging their individual role in the lives of
these children.
Roberts' also addressed the theoretical distinction
between best interests of the family and the best
interest of the child. The debate basically pits family
preservation against child welfare. Family
preservation seeks to reduce out of home placements
by increasing in home services; while child welfare
initiatives are more likely to seek out of home
placements. Roberts questions the division of these
principles, by suggesting family preservation
promotes child welfare. She asserts, "The reason for
limiting state intrusion in the home, therefore, is not
only a concern for parental interests but also the
recognition that children suffer when separated from
their parents and community" (p. 108). Disregarding
the holistic needs of the child, in particular the need to
be connected to their family may have a devastating
effect on the very children that the system is trying to
protect.
This book does not at all advocate for leaving abused
children in abusive households. Rather this book
implores individuals who come in contact with poor,
abused children of color to seriously consider their
roles in the lives of these children. The book
challenges the reader to consider how race and class
affects even the best professional's decisions; often
resulting in emotionally devastating outcomes for
children.
