School of Law academics tackle Parent Blame in new edited collection

Professor Luke Clements and Dr Ana Laura Aiello have published a new edited book titled 'Understanding Parent Blame: Institutional Failure and Complex Trauma' with Policy Press.

Parent Blame is a standard response by many institutions when they fail to provide appropriate education, health and social care support for children in need and their families.

It’s a common reaction to any failure in children’s behaviour or to their safety, and yet so many issues – from education and economic to social care and mental health – arise from the failure of the state to provide adequate support to children and their families.

'Understanding Parent Blame' brings together academics, practitioners and activists along with contributions from parents and young people who have experienced the trauma of being caught up in the process of blame. It explores the nature and causes of parent blame and interrogates its prevalence, impact and potential pathways for reform.

The edited collection was launched at a hybrid event on the 15 September 2025 at St George's Conference Centre in Leeds. More than a hundred participants attended on the day.

Professor Sara Ryan with Professor Luke Clements. Photo credit: Mr Pablo Ganchala

The event brought together parents and young people affected by Parent Blame, along with practitioners, activists and researchers. It sought to discuss what can be done to challenge institutional policies and practices that, in a time of austerity, foster a culture of Parent Blame. 

They had a diverse range of speakers who brought their expertise to the issue of Parent Blame:

• Professor Sara Ryan - Professor of Social Care at Manchester Metropolitan University.
• Professor Anna Lawson - Professor of Law at the University of Leeds – becoming the UK’s first blind woman law professor in 2013.
• Lucy Fullard - CEO, Founder, and Director of the Parent and Carer Alliance – one of the most influential independent Parent Carer Groups in England.
• Louise Parker Engels - co-founded Define Fine, a team of professionals and parents with lived experience of school attendance difficulties.

The wide-ranging topics of the book – school attendance difficulties, systems-generated trauma, fabricated or induced illness (FII), the experiences of autistic parents accused of FII, complex trauma, and more – make this a vital resource for anyone interested in Parent Blame. You can find the book here.

Professor Luke Clements is Emeritus Professor at the School of Law, University of Leeds. Dr Ana Laura Aiello is the Postdoctoral Researcher on the Cerebra LEaP project at Leeds. They are both members of the Centre for Law and Social Justice.