David Smail

Power‐mapping—I. Background and basic methodology

Clinical and community psychology have yet to work out the full implications of taking seriously the structuring by power of the individuals social environment. Even the factor of social class has received little more than superficial attention. Some suggestions are offered as to why this might be so, and a theoretical framework for understanding psychological distress strictly as the result of the operation of social power is developed. A simple technique of ‘mapping’ power is outlined as a means for furthering such an understanding.

Power-mapping—II. Practical application: the example of child sexual abuse

Some of the problems associated with the phenomena of child sexual abuse (CSA) are considered from the perspective of the ‘terrain of power’ (see Hagan and Smail, 1997) in which individuals are located, and the use of power-mapping is exemplified by means of a single-case study. Group work with survivors of CSA currently being developed in Sheffield is described, throwing into relief the way in which the misuse of power, both past and present, is at the core of their difficulties, and showing how models of helping need to attempt directly to increase powers and resources available to clients.