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Children’s Corporeal Agency and Use of Space in Situations of Domestic Violence

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Play, Recreation, Health and Well Being

Part of the book series: Geographies of Children and Young People ((GCYP,volume 9))

Abstract

This chapter draws on empirical and theoretical literature from a diverse range of disciplines and perspectives, illustrated with examples from the authors’ research with child survivors of domestic abuse, to explore children’s corporeal agency and use of space in situations of violence. There is a noticeable paucity of literature that explores how children cope, or their capacity for resilience and resistance, in situations of domestic violence. Furthermore, while violence and abuse are perpetrated and experienced in ways that are embodied and spatial, research seldom explores how children and young people experience and manage living in violent situations in corporeal and spatial ways. This chapter highlights the need for future research to consider children’s capacity for agency and resilience, taking into account spatial and corporeal contexts and experiences of violence in order to balance problem-focused debates around children’s experiences of domestic abuse with a more resilience-focused lens. Findings illustrate children as capable and active agents, resourceful and inventive in their capacity to use, produce and construct physical, embodied, and relational spaces for security, comfort and healing during and after living within violent and volatile contexts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Children and Youth, The University of Northampton, Boughton Green Road, NN2 7AL, Northampton, UK

    Joanne H. Alexander

  2. Department of Psychology, The University of Northampton, Boughton Green Road, NN2 7AL, Northampton, UK

    Jane E. M. Callaghan

  3. Institute of Health and Wellbeing, The University of Northampton, Boughton Green Road, NN2 7AL, Northampton, UK

    Judith Sixsmith

  4. School of Psychology, University of East London, Water Lane, E15 4LZ, London, UK

    Lisa Fellin

Authors
  1. Joanne H. Alexander
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  2. Jane E. M. Callaghan
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  3. Judith Sixsmith
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  4. Lisa Fellin
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Correspondence to Joanne H. Alexander .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography and Planning, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom

    Bethan Evans

  2. Centre of Children and Youth, The University of Northampton, Northampton, United Kingdom

    John Horton

  3. Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

    Tracey Skelton

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Alexander, J.H., Callaghan, J.E.M., Sixsmith, J., Fellin, L. (2015). Children’s Corporeal Agency and Use of Space in Situations of Domestic Violence. In: Evans, B., Horton, J., Skelton, T. (eds) Play, Recreation, Health and Well Being. Geographies of Children and Young People, vol 9. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-96-5_23-1

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