Truancy and the prosecution of parents:an unfair burden on mothers?

Donoghue, Jane (2011) Truancy and the prosecution of parents:an unfair burden on mothers? Modern Law Review, 74 (2). pp. 216-244. ISSN 0026-7961

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Abstract

This article considers the development and use of the law regulating the prosecution of parents under section 444 of the Education Act 1996, in the broader context of legislation and policy initiatives concerned with the governance of parental responsibility. It explores the ways in which the power to prosecute parents has been used by local educational authorities (LEAs) and interpreted by the courts. The article critically analyses the manner in which the powers emphasise punishment and retribution in the context of the social moralisation of ‘flawed’ parents; pay insufficient regard to the effects of parental responsibility laws on low-income, single parent families; represent an attempt to impose a simple solution on to a complex socio-economic problem; and amplify the scope for mothers to be made the subject of criminal justice interventions. It is argued that the prosecution of parents imposes an unfair burden on mothers and, in particular, single parent mothers.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Modern Law Review
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700
Subjects:
?? MEDICINE(ALL) ??
ID Code:
65491
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
09 Jul 2013 09:09
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
18 Sep 2023 00:42