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1) - Introduction - Violence, Abuse, Bullying & Mental Health:

I hope that you find this site helpful and constructive. What we are setting out to do is quite a challenge and will meet with substantial criticism from many quarters and for many reasons. Some of these we know in advance, although our purpose is wholly constructive.

Others criticisms we are bound to be advised of as we progress. If we are doing an effective job I would be very surprised if there were no significant criticisms. In fact, we positively invite any criticism, for reasons that will become apparent as you read the material here.

If you are an interested Visitor, Service User, Family Carer, Child, or Professional worker, seeking immediate help in dealing with Assault, Abuse, Humiliation, Indignity, or Bullying of any kind, anywhere: Please go to: Surviving Abuse, or 'Emergency Page'

If you simply looking for information on Mental Health, Learning Difficulties, Alcohol & Drug problems, or Health & Social Care Services and issues, you may wish to go straight to Section 3.

2) - Lets deal with the most important points first:

This bit of the introduction is primarily for the person who is here because of a dramatic personal experience, or series of events, that has happened to them, or someone close to them, in some way which has had a stunning & traumatic effect upon them. Initially we will be dealing with problematic relationship issues, violence an other abuses, because of their particular urgency and risks. This is just an introduction so you will be guided to a LINK at various points in the text.

Other links, dealing with other personal, social & catastrophic life & environmental problems you may be experiencing, will be highlighted in 'Blue', or 'Yellow' (depending on Background colour), in the text you are reading. It is not unusual to find that one personal problem generates, or magnifies others. You may well be dealing with a number of difficulties at one time. In consideration of this we have cross linking, which allows you to have more than one 'window' open, each on a separate subject. Any window can then take you back to the main page; 'HOME' (Here).

For More Info., please view the page: Surviving Abuse:

If you, or someone close to you, has had 'distressing' experiences and now realise that they are, or have been, experiencing sexual assault, physical assault, persistent physical abuse, neglect &/or psychological and emotional trauma, harassment, or bullying, to a degree where your confidence fails you and you contemplate running away, or perhaps killing yourself (or them), it is important to muster the confidence to get help as early as possible. You do deserve better.

Please 'click' on the following links when you are ready, feel free to come back for further advice if you have any problems. People do want to help but they may not have been there themselves, and their reaction may frustrate you is some ways. This is not unusual, as will be explained else where. Mostly though, the help you should get will make things safer for you, or the person you are concerned about:

Please follow this Link & return here later: Emergency Link

3) Further Introduction to this Web Site:

Some initial criticism of the site is already established and relates to a 'partially' legitimate complaint that much of the material is sometimes extensive, convoluted and often difficult to follow. This will be true, in some instances, and in some respects, because of poor writing style and the fact that it is partially completed. I apologised in advance for that and do so again, wherever this is the case.

This writing style will be improved upon, especially in response to your comments and suggestions, where this does not affect fundamental meaning and accuracy of what is being said / told you. These are 'open' documents and are therefore available for improvement and clarification. That is the purpose of the site. To establish as broad a perspective on the issues we are dealing with that will satisfy everyone involved, at some level that will satisfy all readers.

In some instances, however, this criticism is not wholly appropriate and the reasons for going into great depth and sometimes taking a 'style that is irritating for some, is unavoidable. Sometimes Detailed, Logical Accuracy & other times, Blunt Honesty are what is required. Some of the issues we are dealing with have a strong commonsense and emotional component. In these respect we can write in a very relaxed and frank style (and we will do so progressively).

If there are clear interpersonal and institutional abuses, with direct, understood impact upon people's mental and physical health, and the quality of peoples lives, these can be described in very simple terms, without too much in the way of ambiguous interpretation, i.e. where the causes and effect are widely understood & accepted as 'given', to most people. Increasingly so, thank goodness - (Link to examples)

4) - OK. So, why don't we just stop there?:

Well; If you feel 'emotional' kinds of argument & descriptions (disclosures), adequately deal with your concerns (for yourself &/or others); If this adequately communicates your recognised abusive, neglectful, or risky situation; It should be relatively easy to get the Police &/or Social Services, the local Child Protection Service, or Vulnerable Adults Unit, CSCI, or other relevant organisation too respond; and hopefully get the problem dealt with to your satisfaction (perhaps via these links). Emotional arguments do have their place.

The situation you are managing 'feels' risky and you, &/or the people you are concerned for, are potentially vulnerable. If a vulnerable person (child or adult, possibly including yourself) is at social and clinical risk and you have taken no action; then it is important that you click on the following link. If, however, you have done these things before & don't feel this has been helpful, there may be other, more complicated thing we need to consider. First consider 'again' taking this action, or continue here and start dealing with the more 'tricky bits' now:

Go to this link & take action as described: Emergency Link

5: Institutional Prejudices and Distorted perspectives:

This is the start of the really 'heady' bit and there is no way of avoiding it. We have to break through extremely powerful, established ways of thinking, and behaving, that often put people at a social disadvantage, while they are being 'helped'. Much of this thinking and behaving is largely 'blind' and is a feature of social learning & social indoctrination, both good & bad. This has already been identified in the fields of Learning Difficulties, Sensory Abilities & Physical Abilities.

I am going to first 'discuss' social, institutional and individual perspectives on: 'abuse', 'trauma', 'distress' 'Victim',' Disabled' & 'Mental Health' (all of which, we will show, are more closely linked than is often considered). This will be used as the 'platform' for getting across a more fundamental understanding of 'caring' in our modern  society, especially where it has gone wrong; to the individuals, the community's & to societies disadvantage, in the past & again now.

I would argue that this community & social 'damage', and its more 'individual' consequence, is happening right now and in significant measure, in respect of the; 'Victim Culture' and the parallel 'Mental Health' culture. Here the problems are seen as quite 'organic', firstly in some gross way, and then (if and when challenged) in a more refined, more insidious way. This has been found to be the case for the personal experience of  'Disability', generally.

I want to reassure individual practitioners that this is not a criticism of them directly, in the main. There are exceptionally bad practitioner in all fields and most of us know of these cases. Where these are bad enough we have to take some responsibility for challenging, or correcting these poor practices. Here we are mostly concerned with the 'abusive' and often hidden, disabling and 'disempowering' practices of individuals' and of organisation's (due to ignorance).

People sometimes find it difficulty to 'Disclose' distressing events. This is partly their 'inhibition' but it is also often the professionals well intentioned responses that inhibits them. Professional responses are 'coloured' by prevailing social norms and prejudices, including 'embarrassment', for various reasons.

It is also distorted by a modern, 'agnostic' societies inability to see some 'apparent strengths' as weaknesses and some 'apparent weaknesses' as potential social strengths. We often protect the one social benefit but not the other, one 'socially disposed' group but not the other 'socially indisposed' group.

This is prejudice, and is equal to that of race, gender, sexual orientation and cultural bigotry; but it is hidden by this distortion i have described and the fact they are not 'identified', or 'manifested' as discrete, unified and cohesive groups (as they will be soon). This 'prejudice has been institutionalised again.

People come into the caring professions for many good, and a few very bad, reasons but there are a number of 'motivations' that are very common and most appreciated & understood. The consequences of each of these can be quite different though and I want to try an highlight these here, quickly (and elsewhere in more detail). Firstly:

The reasons for coming into the 'caring professions', of any kind; Nursing, GP, Consultant, Social Work, Social Care, Counselling, OT, Psychotherapy, Clinical, social and Alternative therapies of any kind Can be any more, or less pure, through to colourful combination of: Financial Gain, Power & Status; Career progression, Keeping the family from Relative Poverty and Helping People, Communities, Individuals, Groups. Well that is a start. You can add to the list.

The institutionalising effect that has such a profound institutionalising effect upon the Service User, fist has its institutionalising effect upon the professionals and administrators within it. None of this would be a problem if the institutions did not tend to favour, or accidentally tend to to produce, a particular, 'averaged' flavour of professional 'type', the type it easily understands, can effectively control, substantially predict and effectively manipulate. The type that institutions manufacture.

In commerce this is tolerable: You can do the job for as long a it suites you, keep your head down, make good contacts in the field, collect your wages, wait till you get made redundant, just before, or as the company goes busts, get another job with a more insightful and progressive company, that recognises innovation, creativity and critical thinking. Its a paint to have to do but Customers survive and get a good enough TV somewhere else and get the better one later.

Of course, you may be with a company that is progressive and entrepreneurial, but fails to fine its niche within the 'competitive' market at that time, people are not ready for it, it is ahead of its time, etc.. As happens with real entrepreneurial companies; you all pick yourselves up and start again with the good ideas and some business lessons learned. No one is hurt.

Some believe this is OK in Education and Health & Social Care. Florence Nightingale, Louis Pasture, Ronald Laing, Lord Wilberforce, Lord Joseph Rowntree , Richard Cadbury and countless other successful Social Innovators, I, other Radicals (and silent others) know it is not. We don't agree with this 'boom and bust' style of approach to important Community Resources like; Education, Training and Social & Health Care.

Its not our opinion (who can afford them); It is damaging, destructive, short sighted, ignorant and incompetent. It is damaging to the future development of an advancing society that has always, in the past (often in rather quaint ways), protected & encouraged 'Free thinking' educational, social and health innovation. In recent history, in fact, up until the 'Commercialisation' of these Community entitlements & essential services and the institutionalisation of the community itself.

This previous arrangement benefited commerce as much as it did the community and individual, although this was only appreciated (and paid for) by the intelligent and insightful few. Some elements of Commerce in the past had helped fund and support these social initiatives; Roundtree, Cadbury, Salt and others. Some, like Microsoft and Virgin do this now. Get out the game 'managers', you are not set up for it. You are out of your depth, Taking bad advice, from people who are also out their depth.

If someone is unable to see this problem, from the simple argument presented here I offer a challenge: Unless Executive Managers and Government Ministers, have a very good & convincing argument of their own, that promotes and supports, this necessary innovation and advance, while protecting people at risk, in every service that affects people; These antiquate arrangements are dead in the water.

You need and argument that does not 'require' the 'failing' of the institutions that provide the service, and their failure, in turn, to meet the stated objectives and raised expectations that they generate (and I would be happy to hear the argument), In the absence of these, I accept their resignation to these more sound reasoning's. Bring it on, as the young & open to anything, courageous 'young' would say.

Remember "25-30 years experience!"; but is it the experience of the same things each day for 25-30 years, or 25-30 years, of radically new experiences (or , perhaps some comfortable balance in the middle? Institutions (like people) have character, these are not always good characters. Stagnation, depression, stress, overwhelm and decay affect Institutions, just like they do to the individuals within them, staff and Service Users alike.

Of course, by 'institution' we mean what is understood to be the Executive, Personnel Power Base within them. We are actually talking here of the  kinds of institutions that naturally operate for within a Classic Oligarchy, upon which modern institutions were based and to which they regress when 'stressed', by social forces (much like individuals are.

If you are a more casual observer, just visiting the site, or someone looking for general information on Abuse, Mental Health, Bullying, Health & Social Care. If you are seeking any sort advice, or ideas on therapeutic techniques, talking treatments, complaints procedures, and survival strategies, etc. Please read on & take from this introduction what you can. Otherwise follow the appropriate links to take you to sections you are interested in, but you may miss something critical.

I will not apologies for the next paragraphs, those it offends will be aware of its purpose. If you are a little bewildered by it, I apologies for any confusion. You may otherwise feel that this is the end of the abuse story. I promise you it is not. Not by a long way. In your further reading on this site you may identify, reflect upon and more critically review, situations that may be having grave impacts on vulnerable people of various kinds, in situations in which you encounter (including 'you').

If you are a cynical professional, an indifferent & complacent manager of (or within) an institution, or a perpetrator of any kind of abuse, checking out the latest 'conspiracy theories' and wishing to look for weaknesses in arguments of those standing up to wider, hidden abuses, you may wish to leave the site at this point, for the sake of your peace of mind. Warning: What follows may be injurious to your emotional and psychological health.

Or alternatively; you could stay around and watch what is coming to you and, perhaps contribute to our debate. You are welcome. The knowledge of your arguments have, and continue, to help us greatly. One of the fascinating features of Internet Searches is that they bring all sort of people to sites like this, as a consequence of searching: 'abuse', violence', 'sex'. Internet doesn't discriminate against intention.

It is rare that any situation improves of their own account. Every civilised advance had to be fought for, by the sword, the gun and, by the words, in combination with actions. Those who have been in these deprived and deprave circumstance, and who have then tuned to institutions to assist, (believing that is why they are there) are frequently disappointed, at least in some measure, sometime greatly so.

They are disappointed, not so much by the attitudes & excuses they sometime meet (which professions do not realise are 'poor attitudes' & 'bad excuses'). Mostly it is by the real ignorance of the realities of life & the effects upon people who, for very good reasons, can do little to remedy their own situation alone. It is not a fair & equal society and never will be as long as we continue to declare; ' that it never will be'! My own, and others, declaration is it will increasingly be - and we are being proven right.

It is not enough to be 'self reflective'; wonderful that this can be (when we get it right, rather than just play at it; a fundamental sense of intellectual humility is good evidence of getting it right). It is also essential to take a 'critical perspective' on the professional and the service 'Institutions' we operate within.

By this I mean, the institutions disclosed and 'extant' role; collective attitudes, prejudices and the consequentially distorted purposes, methods and perspectives, or dishonestly stated, supposedly 'person centred' purpose of those institution, all be it that we appreciate there is a quite 'separate' community, or social purpose.

Some would say, of the more obvious 'abusive' situations that; The facts will speak for themselves, they need little further justification. In the main this is true and we will rely on the simple, more 'emotional' presentation in those instances. Some would feel and act as if there is a particular approach that is 'right'. They would be wrong, unfortunately, as most professionals find out, but the institutions are slow to adapt.

You may also now be aware, however, that even in the most obvious cases of abuse and injustice, there are those individuals and some institutions, that will justify ignoring, and further more engage in and promote, 'clinical forms' of abuses of various kinds, including those of the character we are describing here. Often as a response to a known, or 'overlooked' social, or institutional 'abuse', or 'neglect'

This is not a new phenomenon. It is a variation on the theme of 'moral degenerate' and other 'clinical' diagnoses which 'prejudiced' both clinical and social treatments at that time and for years after. These were used as the basis for incarcerating people in 'Subnormality Hospitals', along with other antique classifications & diagnoses. A situation that lasted well into the 70's & 80's, and politically delayed for some into the 90's and beyond. That is in terms of the errors of judgment and interpretations that have been identified so far.

Even if this is just presumed to be the consequence of some 'weakness in character', as professional responses, including the 'sympathetic ones' and, possible, most importantly, the sympathetic ones. These are the most insidious kind, although perhaps the least 'intentional'. How much damage can be done by ignorant (and prejudiced, self protecting) 'kindness'?

Of course, the identified 'need' and 'social impacts' are appreciated; it is that the explanations & causation that is now suspect and the basic 'cause and effect' analysis that was (and is) fundamentally misunderstood. It was the ;character' of Institutions that 'collectively indoctrinated and 'carried' this 'prejudice, giving it some 'intellectual' credibility.

It is the collective job of the 'radical element' within each professional, and in each profession, along with empowered and insightful Service USERS, to challenge that prejudice and fundamental lack, or misrepresentation of scientific understanding operating within the institutions of our culture & society. The trouble is there are too many amateur scientists, in our institutions hoping for solace in believing they are applying scientific method and practice

Diagnoses They make better descriptions of personal 'presenting features' than they do of 'personal types' . They also make good frameworks and definitions of social 'features' & 'social phenomena' than they do individual and personal 'diagnostic features' and characters.

classifications. The tendency to fir the person to the classification of a condition is abusive. No arguing; it is abusive, prejudicial, unscientific and unprofessional, by any terms. Most importantly, except for the falseorganisations, financial and 'peace of mind' benefits it appears to afford institutions and society, it is completely unnecessary and contradictory to the principles of both 'personal' and 'social' responsibility.

Self fulfilling prophesy, 'paranoiagenic' circumstances, attitudes, behaviours, statements, descriptions, comments and even diagnoses themselves (labelling 'individual' varieties, rather than professional / clinical understanding of presenting problems).

Sorry - his segment is \under development at present.

All this is, as I have said, often done in ignorance, but not always so. Sometimes it is 'inconvenient', for lots of reasons, to change the institutional approach fundamentally, as is pragmatically required. In social analysis terms we would say 'Manifestly' so (Professor Elliott Jaques, et al) This is why I determinedly continue with the additional use of intellectual, logical arguments & science. The changes that are often made to institutional practices are frequently 'corruptions; of the 'Good Practices being promoted, as I am confident I can show

Where the situations, and effects we describe are apparent in other nations and cultures, on a grand scale, affecting children in particular, and defenceless women in many instances, there is now (with modern understanding) usually universal condemnation. Few people, but complete 'psychopaths' would argue against them. Emotional argument is significant and substantially adequate to bring about change. But there are Psychopaths and sociopaths - I meet and talk to them too.

Where these same problems can be evident on our own turf, or perhaps hidden away, but next door to us, and subtly wrapped up in sympathetic 'justifications', excuses and convincing, sophisticated rationales. We often don't notice the true abusive effect until they go to court, or they are exposed as lies, perhaps in the press; 'You know, I though there was something odd with the people next door'. 'I realise mow that I should have said something'. 'I feel terrible, they seemed such nice people'.

On the other hand, it is also true, that some peoples' prejudiced interpretation of otherwise reasonable but eccentric, or alternative, culturally determined, non-abusive behaviour is assumed to be unacceptable and interpreted as abusive. The neighbour who is being cautious about their observations concerning others, is struggling with quite difficult issues and complex ideas and feelings. Making mistakes is easily understood here. This is why we are here. Some times we do have to think things out a bit, get advice and make very difficult decisions.

There are also mature, intelligent, otherwise family loving, law abiding individuals and agencies, that put forward sometimes quite convincing intellectual arguments which assure themselves and some others, that apparently abusive practices (in all other circumstances) are acceptable in some situations and contexts. We would contest that, even where there may be some justification in their argument. These justifications have a tendency to 'grow and extend' themselves to other situations and contexts and also give permission to others to retaliate in kind - FACT.

Our more convoluted, complex arguments (which will usually follow on from the clear and simple ones) are included to directly counter these and other, less healthy, 'special case' justifications. We at least hope to help (and to help  you) put blocks on these practices drifting over into other areas of more legitimate social freedoms, or less serious social misdoings (as they are bound, according to history, to do).

Our general area of operation is in Human Rights (As expressed in the spirit and content of the Conventions, before they are/were adjusted for national, commercial and institutional benefits). Basic Human Rights are not too difficult to understand, they come from a sense of social justice. The words get complicated but the spirit, essence, the feel of them is sound and uncomplicated. We have won them. Get used to it 'abusers' and 'jobs worths'. We are on the steps of your town halls and institutions

We are building up a range of information and advice services to provide support to anyone who has a psychological, emotional, or social problem of any kind, due to any cause. We are particularly concerned with those experiences which can be shown to have potential, or actual, negative emotional, psychological, or general health effects of any kind, or that it is felt, or shown, to to have a serious negative social impact.

We include support, advice & working strategies to Individuals, Families, Support Workers, or any involved Professionals and Agencies. This will include Executives of Pubic Institutions, or Commerce, wishing to identify, counter, or legislate and develop strategies for dealing with and eliminating these potentially abusive situations and any institutional forms of abuse, whatever their character, or degree.

This is the culmination of 30 years of wide ranging experience in the statutory and voluntary sectors (The cumulative experience is significantly greater than this). This experience, unlike many boasts, is wide ranging, reflective and responsive to individual

We are all in this together and, if we are genuine, want the same things; resolution of problems and more public understanding. To this end, the site is dedicated to a number of interrelated objectives. We want to draw to it those people from the Service User, Family Carer, Voluntary and Professional groups, who are fully committed to the basic concepts of Community Care; Person Centred, Empowering, Informed Choice and Best & Least Restrictive Practices in any personal, or public endeavour.

We agree that Professional Ethics and attention to the the person's needs and risks (as acknowledge in any way by them), should override any and all institutional requirements that tend to take us away from this basic objective. The adherence to these principle will be 'real' and minute to minute, not a nominal inclusion from time to time, as decided by any one contributor. The members of all groups mentioned will have the same status, but may have divergent interests, experiences and strengths.

The intention of the site is not just to solve personal problems but to advance & develop knowledge, understanding & experience and broaden perspectives. It is our intention to do this in ways that empower users, carers, and professionals to take direct responsibility for their efforts and obligations, independently of the institutions. Institutions are there to facilitate this independent practice, towards meeting particular needs.

We will seek not to discriminate, other than to exclude, &/or publicise, those that would do so. Our objective is to help identify any situation, or relationship, which is abusive & disempowering by its nature, or by its observable effect. We recognise that these behaviours and effects are counter to human rights and will seek to define these situations in Plain English & emotional terms and also in precise intellectual terms.

We will assist in strategies to counter, challenge, make public and xxxxxx any situation, relationship, or institutional situation which causes unnecessary, or excessive, persistent stress, distress &/or potential negative health effect. We will do this, whatever the nature of the power base, executive authority, differential in age, size, sex, or creed, and irrespective of any supposed good intentions

We will do this in terms that will assist people in recognising actual, or potentially abusive situations, or circumstances. We will identify these situations in general terms and in specific detail, at least to a degree the perpetrators will be able to themselves in the descriptions and, where

Our services include conventional advice; individual and interpersonal counselling & guidance; peer group support; suggested 'social' therapeutic techniques and our variations on 'traditional' psychodynamic techniques (Social-dynamics). There is also a wide range of informative and also 'challenging' perspectives on conventional practice and existing theories, which work for some but is often frustrating and inadequate for others. A variety of perspectives is hoped for; Choice is central here!