Michele Elliott

Last updated

Michele Elliott
OBE
Born
Michele Irmiter Elliott

1946
EducationBA, MA, PHD
Alma mater University of South Florida
University of Florida
SpouseEdward Elliott
Children2 sons
Parent(s)James and Ivy Irmiter

Michele Irmiter Elliott OBE is an author, psychologist, teacher and the founder and director of child protection charity Kidscape. [1] She has chaired World Health Organization and Home Office working groups and is a Winston Churchill fellow. [2]

Contents

Early life

Elliott was born on 7 January 1946 to James Irmiter and Ivy (née Dashwood). She graduated from Hollins School in 1964. [3] She was awarded a BA in Science and Education and an MA degree in Psychology from the University of South Florida and the University of Florida [4] [5] She began working with families and children in 1968 in London. [6]

Work

Elliott worked as a child psychologist in London schools for 14 years, then started lecturing about the issues child sexual abuse and bullying. [7]

Kidscape

Elliott founded Kidscape in 1984 to help children stay safe from sexual abuse and from bullying. [8]

Elliott has been a high-profile figure and Kidscape was named Charity of the Year in 2000. Writing in The Guardian , David Brindle suggested the award was "an undoubted reflection of the vibrancy of Michele Elliott". [9]

Female child sexual abuse offenders

Elliott, who had previously written books about male abuse of children, has undertaken pioneering work in investigating and raising awareness of the problem and extent of child sexual abuse committed by women, and the topic of female paedophilia, publishing the book Female Sexual Abuse of Children The Last Taboo in 1992. [10] The book was well received by professionals and survivors' organisations. Mike Lew described it as "an important and challenging work", helping "to forge a new understanding of the issues". [11] Doody's annual stated it was "an extremely valuable book for all professionals, and it greatly increases the current state of knowledge, or lack of that knowledge, that can have a profound influence on the survivor's development and recovery". [12]

Elliott's work in exposing the issue of child sexual abuse committed by women has also resulted in hostility from feminists. While compiling Female Sexual Abuse of Children, Elliott organised a conference in London concerning sexual abuse by women. After publishing the book, Elliott was subject to a "deluge" of hate mail from feminists. [13]

Awards

In 2008 Elliot was honoured with an OBE by the Queen for services to children. [8] The following year she was named Children and Young People's Champion. [14] She was awarded an honorary doctorate by Post University in 1998 and another honorary doctorate by the University of Birmingham in 2003. [15] [16] She was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship in 1996. Her book, "Bullies, Cyberbullies and Frenemies" received the Literary Classics Gold Award in 2013.

Personal life

Elliot married Edward Elliott in 1964; they have two sons and 3 grandchildren. [17] She lives in Rye, East Sussex. [8] [18]

Publications

Related Research Articles

Incest is sex between close relatives, for example a brother or sister or cousins. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity, and sometimes those related by lineage. It is condemned and considered immoral in most societies, given that it can lead to an increased risk of genetic disorders in children in case of pregnancy from incestuous sex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NSPCC</span> British child protection charity

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity founded as the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (LSPCC) by Thomas Agnew on 19 April 1883. The NSPCC lobbies the government on issues relating to child welfare, and creates child abuse public awareness campaigns. Since the 1980s, the charity has had statutory powers allowing it to apply for help on behalf of children at risk. In the 1990s, the charity's publication, Satanic Indicators, fueled panic in social workers who went and accused parents and removed children from homes when they should not have. It operates a help line. The Paddington Bear character has partnered with the charity to raise funds for the charity. NSPCC operates telephone helplines.

Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a person or thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other types of aggression. To these descriptions, one can also add the Kantian notion of the wrongness of using another human being as means to an end rather than as ends in themselves. Some sources describe abuse as "socially constructed", which means there may be more or less recognition of the suffering of a victim at different times and societies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bullying</span> Use of force or coercion to abuse or intimidate others

Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception of an imbalance of physical or social power. This imbalance distinguishes bullying from conflict. Bullying is a subcategory of aggressive behavior characterized by hostile intent, imbalance of power and repetition over a period of time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnardo's</span> British charity

Barnardo's is a charity headquartered in Barkingside in the London Borough of Redbridge. It was founded by Thomas John Barnardo in 1866, to care for vulnerable children. As of 2013, it raised and spent around £200 million each year running around 900 local services, aimed at helping these same groups. It is the largest children's charity in the UK in terms of charitable expenditure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Child abuse</span> Maltreatment or neglect of a child

Child abuse is physical, sexual, emotional and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect of a child, especially by a parent or a caregiver. Child abuse may include any act or failure to act by a parent or a caregiver that results in actual or potential wrongful harm to a child and can occur in a child's home, or in organizations, schools, or communities the child interacts with.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Children's Society</span> Child protection charity in the UK

The Children's Society, formally the Church of England Children's Society, is a United Kingdom national children's charity allied to the Church of England.

Child protection is the safeguarding of children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. It involves identifying signs of potential harm. This includes responding to allegations or suspicions of abuse, providing support and services to protect children, and holding those who have harmed them accountable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orkney child abuse scandal</span> 1991 scandal in the UK

The Orkney child abuse scandal began on 27 February 1991, when social workers and police removed children—five boys and four girls, aged eight to fifteen and all from the families of English "incomers"—from their homes on the island of South Ronaldsay in Orkney, Scotland, because of allegations of child abuse. The children denied that any abuse had occurred, and medical examinations did not reveal any evidence of abuse.

Four airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia, have attracted criticism for their controversial seating policies which allegedly discriminate against adult male passengers on the basis of their sex. These four companies refused to allow unaccompanied children to be seated next to adult males on their flights, leading to criticism that they regard all men as a danger to children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kidscape</span> British child safety organization

Kidscape is a London-based charity established in 1985, by child psychologist Michele Elliott. Its focus is on children's safety, with an emphasis on the prevention of harm by equipping children with techniques and mindsets that help them stay safe.

Victimisation is the state or process of being victimised or becoming a victim. The field that studies the process, rates, incidence, effects, and prevalence of victimisation is called victimology.

Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child, indecent exposure, child grooming, and child sexual exploitation, such as using a child to produce child pornography.

The 2009 Plymouth child abuse case was a child abuse and paedophile ring involving at least five adults from different parts of England. The case centred on photographs taken of up to 64 children by Vanessa George, a nursery worker in Plymouth. It highlighted the issue of child molestation by women, as all but one of the members of the ring were female.

Shy Keenan is a British author, child sexual abuse survivor, and founder of Phoenix Survivors, an advocacy group for victims of sexual abuse. Keenan is known for her biography Broken, in which she discusses the long-term and extreme sexual abuse she experienced from her stepfather, Stanley Claridge. In 2014 the book was temporarily withdrawn from distribution by its publisher Hodder & Stoughton. For her work with sexual abuse victims, Keenan received a Women Of The Year award in 2008.

Cyberbullying is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means. It has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers and adolescents, due to young people's increased use of social media. Related issues include online harassment and trolling. In 2015, according to cyberbullying statistics from the i–Safe Foundation, over half of adolescents and teens had been bullied online, and about the same number had engaged in cyberbullying. Both the bully and the victim are negatively affected, and the intensity, duration, and frequency of bullying are three aspects that increase the negative effects on both of them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SuEllen Fried</span> American bullying prevention activist

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollins High School</span> Public high school in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States

Hollins High School, formerly known as Dixie M. Hollins High School, is a public secondary school located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. The school was opened in 1959 as a vocational school for grades 10–12, but it has since expanded to include 9th grade education. The school has just under 1,800 students.

Online child abuse is a unique form of child abuse also known as “Cyber Molestation” due to its virtual, distanced, and anonymous nature. Such abuse may not happen face-to-face, nor does it necessarily require physical contact. However, online abuse can result in negative face-to-face consequences in the form of statutory rape, forcible sexual assault, harassment, etc. In the United States, online child abuse is recognized as a form of child abuse by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

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References

  1. ↑ "Michele Elliott". The Guardian. London. 11 June 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  2. ↑ "Confronted head on - News - TES". Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "Tampa Bay Times from St. Petersburg, Florida on June 2, 1963 · 68".
  4. ↑ "Elliott, Michele Irmiter, (Born 7 Jan. 1946), Founder and Director, Kidscape Children's Charity, 1984–2009". Who's Who. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U36925. ISBN   978-0-19-954088-4.
  5. ↑ Elliott, M (1994). "Female sexual abuse of children: 'the ultimate taboo'". J R Soc Med. 87 (11): 691–4. doi:10.1177/014107689408701119. PMC   1294939 . PMID   7837194.
  6. ↑ http://www.dur.ac.uk/publichealth.library/HDA_archive/R%20247%20-%2054007000185066%20-%20ELLIOTT%20-%20TEENSCAPE.pdf%5B%5D
  7. ↑ "The American School in London: January 2010". Asl.org. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 "OBE for Rye woman who set up anti-bullying charity – Bexhill News". Bexhill Observer. 20 February 2008. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  9. ↑ David Brindle (6 November 2000). "UK Charity Awards 2000 | Society". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  10. ↑ "Michele Elliott: Women can be child abusers too – Commentators – Voices" . The Independent. London. 2 October 2009. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  11. ↑ Elliott, Michele (2 May 1994). Female Sexual Abuse of Children – Google Books. ISBN   9780898620047 . Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  12. ↑ "Female Sexual Abuse of Children by Michele Elliott | Paperback | Barnes & Noble". Barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  13. ↑ 3 October 2009 19:43 (3 October 2009). "When the face of evil is female – News". Scotsman.com. Retrieved 11 May 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ [ dead link ]
  15. ↑ "Honorary members – Centre for Forensic and Criminological Psychology – University of Birmingham". Birmingham.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  16. ↑ "Honorary doctorate for Black Country writer. – Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  17. ↑ "Annual Review 2007/2008" (PDF). kidscape.org.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
  18. ↑ Michele Elliott Archived 8 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine
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