The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 recognises children as victims of domestic abuse in their own right. Recognising the dangers of narcissism to children and how to respond to the challenges to safeguard them is a must for all safeguarding practitioners.
Narcissism is a recurring theme mentioned in many serious case reviews following the death of children at the hands of their parents, carers or partners of a parent—for example, the cases of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and 16-month-old Star Hobson.
Alison Smith, a specialist in this field, has designed this course for social workers and safeguarding partners to recognise harmful behaviours in the parental/carer relationships that put children in danger. The course will focus on the psychological (e.g., coercive control, gaslighting) aspect of domestic abuse, the different types of narcissists and their behaviours.
What you will learn
When you attend this course, you will understand the insidious nature of narcissism and the devasting impact it can have on those on the receiving end. On a practical level, you will learn to assess and determine what is happening and the risks to the non-abusive partner and children.
The course covers identifying a narcissist, behavioural warning signs and how they operate. You will learn about the techniques that narcissists use to gaslight and coercively control their victims.
Additionally, the course covers the impact narcissistic abuse has on the parent's cognitive functioning, mental health, self-esteem and emotional health. More importantly, the impact on the parenting capacity and ability to protect the children in the relationship.
Course Outline
Session 1: Introduction/Why this Programme?
Session 2: Legal Framework and Mental Health Diagnosis
Session 3: Identifying the Different Types of Narcissists
Session 4: Understanding Narcissistic Abuse
Session 5: Recognising the Danger Signs for the Adult
Session 6: Understanding the Dangers for Children
Session 7: Manipulation Techniques that Narcissists Use
Session 8: Recognising and Responding to the Effects of Narcissistic Abuse on Parent and Parenting Capacity
Session 9: Support Parents to Understand the Manipulation
Session 10: Protect Children from Narcissistic Abuse or Abusive Partners
Victims in these situations need specialist support that generic domestic abuse programmes cannot meet fully. Mayday provides specialists group work for parents caught up in this situation.
