Systems-Socialized Behaviors and Institutionalized Language – an Impact of Child Protective Services

Background:

Consistent exposure to systems, such as Child Protective Services (CPS) (and other carceral systems) has developed a cohort of individuals and families with similar lived experiences likened to that of a distinct culture comprised of those with multi-systems exposure and oversight. The collective experience of structural marginalization and related policies has normalized linguistic nuances of common interpretation. In addition to adopting an institutionalized language, parent’s behavioral choices are heavily influenced by policy-driven oppressive practices as an act of resistance. CPS-impacted parents are systems-socialized to document their every movement, and their parenting behaviors in deep fear of non-compliance with threats of family separation and losing their children. Parents navigate the world very differently, always on alert for those with the authority to destroy their families for circumstances outside of their control - unintentional racialized poverty related neglect. This work highlights the impact of CPS exposure on the lived experiences of Black birth moms under surveillance due to suspected child neglect, with the aim to elicit parental behaviors deemed neglectful by CPS, based on parent’s working memories of CPS systems oversight.

Methods:

Using a mixed methods approach to assess the lived experiences of Black CPS-impacted mothers, a phenomenological study design was employed to elicit the lived experiences of Black mothers impacted by CPS in the U.S. Participants were recruited via online outreach to parent advocacy platforms and inclusion criteria were identifying as Black or African American birth mothers of children at risk for or deemed neglected by CPS. Participants completed a qualitative, voice-recorded electronic survey to capture details about their children, reasons for CPS exposure, and the impact of surveillance related to child neglect. Deductive analyses and coding were used to unearth salient themes, followed by inter-coder reliability analyses as confirmation.

Results:

Experiences of (n=112) Black mothers were analyzed and striking themes related to racism, oppressive CPS oversight, and parental behaviors related to persistent surveillance were identified - ‘Institutionalized Language’, and ‘Systems-Socialized Behaviors.’ Results indicate Black CPS-impacted moms have developed an institutionalized language (much like seen within the broader carceral system) and they have termed CPS exposure and investigation as “catching a case.” Parents display self-empowerment and advocacy by pushing-back on deficit-based language and attention to risk factors. Preferring to be characterized as systems-impacted, rather than systems-involved, as they noted not being voluntarily ‘involved’ in oversight interventions. Moms navigate the world hypervigilant, documenting parental behaviors (“keeping receipts”) due to a culture of fear and collective trauma of discriminatory and coercive oversight.

Conclusion/Implications:

CPS interventions are debilitating for marginalized Black communities in their efforts to navigate society safely, without living in constant fear. Institutionalized language specific to CPS exposure has become colloquial, rife with underpinnings of oppression. Parental autonomy from state authorities is non-existent, and everyday life and family decisions are negatively influenced by system oversight and judgement. Policy makers and practitioners should reflect on the experiential and behavioral impact of an oversight system that results in a culture of marginalized communities applying common strategies to mitigate and disrupt harmful CPS impacts.