Applying the Concepts of Chapter 7- Intrafamilial Abuse (Page 201 in your textbook)
Tallie was the youngest child with three older brothers. There was significant differences in their ages and, by the time Tallie was 7, her brothers had left home. Her mother had always been an imposing woman was well known in the neighborhood for her willingness to take on the landlords who refuse to fix their rundown apartments. When Tallie was 8, her mother started working with a housing advocacy center, leaving Tallie in the care of her father. Tallie and her quiet, unassuming father had been close but became more so when the mother was no longer there to direct the household. Tallie’s father was severe asthmatic who was often relegated to the house and his oxygen for days at a time. Tallie learned early how to care for him when he was having an asthma attack. She also tried to get him to stop drinking when he was sick, sometimes hiding his bottle of whiskey and refusing to tell him where it was. This, her father accepted mutely, just as he accepted a great deal of what went on in the house.
When Tallie returned from school, she often found her father lying on the couch, watching TV. He invited her to lie down with him and said she could watch his shows with him. Often, she smelled whiskey on his breath and realized that he must have discovered where she stashed his bottles. Tallie enjoyed lying on the couch with her dad and got involved in the shows he watched. He would often rub her back and talk softly to her. She hardly noticed when her father began rubbing other places on her body. It was so warm and comfortable with him and when he rubbed her “down there” it felt good. At one point he began to rub inside of her slacks. When she showed any resistance, her father told her that it was okay. They had each other and they showed Tallie to stoke his penis, first through his clothes and finally he removed it from his pants and encouraging her to watch it “get big”. It was during one of these times that one of her brothers unexpectedly came home. Angrily he grabbed Tallie off the couch and berated his father in angry tones. After that, her mother arranged for Tallie to go to after-school care and refused to leave her alone with her dad. Tallie missed their cuddling together but felt terribly ashamed and became deeply depressed, sure she had brought the unhappiness to their family.
Questions:
Please remember that you are answering these questions from the lens of a Social Worker.
Provide a detailed response to the following questions at least 5 sentences:
What family patterns do you see in Tallie’s family?
Why do you believe Tallie was vulnerable to the abuse?
How would you characterize Tallie’s father?
How would you describe Tallie’s mother before the abuse? Once the abused was discovered?
How do you explain Tallie’s shame and depression?
How can we maintain a focus on the social context when thinking about cases on all levels?
