Power Relations and Childhood

Define the term 'toxic childhood' (2 marks)

Toxic childhood refers to the negative and often abusive childhood which may be endured by some children. For example, a child growing up with verbally/physically abusive parents.

Identify and explain one way the boundaries between childhood and adulthood may be blurred (2 marks)

One way the boundaries between childhood and adulthood may be blurred is through the rise of television culture. This means that children are able to access adult information like pornography.

Neglect and abuse

Adult control over children can take the extreme form of physical neglect or physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
In 2013, 43,000 children were subject to child protection plans because they were deemed at risk of significant harm.
51,510 in 2022

Control over children's space

No access to clubs/bars.
Designated spaces e.g., parks, soft play

Katz

Sudanese children had free roam of their space, allowed to go km away from village.

Controls over children's time

Bedtime
Routines
Screen time
School hours/clubs

Control over children's bodies

What clothing they wear.
Age restrictions- makeup, tattoos, piercings.
FGM

Control over access to resources

Material resources.
Content they consume.
(pocket) money

Gittins - Age patriarchy

The power of the male head over all other members includes children, as well as women.

Humphreys and Thiara

A quarter of the 200 women in their study left their abusing partner because they feared for their children's lives.

Giddens

Childhood is becoming more individualized because of children's influence over consumption and because there is a decline in obedience as parents' relationships with their children have changed.

Chambers

Since 2000, there has been a rise in the use of technology in the family

Van Rompaey and Roe

New media created a fragmentation in life where children disengage and spend more time on media 'living together but separately'

Livingstone

Screen rich bedroom culture.
Gives children technology and privacy to use it.

Drotner

The new use of media has led childhood to become privatized as adolescents are separated from family life.

Mayall

Sees children from an adult pov and are biased in favour of adults at the expense of children. Ignores the rights of children and underestimates their ability to think and act for themselves.
Children are the final group that are denied their rights to make their own decisions

Mason and Tipper

Children actively create their own definitions of who is 'family'- may not be biological parents, not fair to be controlled in this way

Smart (PLP)

Different experience of children

AO2

Courts will consider the child's opinion in family cases after 12.

Young Mayor Network

A body that gives directly-elected young mayors the chance to support each other and come together.

Aims: act as a lobbying group when there is a common interest, share ideas and best practice on a regional and national level, collaborate on projects and campaigns, advocate for democratically elected YM

AO3

Unrealistic to think children have this choice/power as they lack experience

Giddens (1992)

Transformation of intimacy
Parents and children relationships are democratic- parents are answerable to children, legal rights of children

Chapman

Children in gay families, LP or reconstituted families experience childhood differently compared to those in conventional two parent nuclear families