TVScope:Families in Trouble, Monday, March 5th, RTÉ 1, 9.30pm
The second series of the popular programme, Families in Trouble, began on RTÉ 1 last night.
It features clinical psychologist David Coleman who offers professional assistance to parents who are experiencing difficulties in managing aspects of their children's behaviour.
The popularity of this series reflects the number of parents in Irish society who are genuinely finding it difficult to parent. Many parents report that even very young children are increasingly challenging in the home.
Throughout the series, Coleman offers sound psychological advice that appears to be helpful to the families featured. The focus of the advice is predominantly on parents' skills in managing their children's behaviour and, consequently, the children are not negatively labelled as bad or difficult.
In addition, the nature of the advice offered is aimed at developing positive behaviour management strategies intended to value children and empower their parents. Families are followed up one month after the interventions have been completed and, in most cases, the positive changes seem to be maintained.
Notwithstanding the obvious positive aspects of this series, a number of uncomfortable issues arise from this type of programme. The increasingly stressful nature of Irish society, with the consequent pressures on parents and children, is largely left unexamined by the programme makers.
This can leave the viewer with the impression that the main causes of the problems portrayed are a lack of parenting skills, rather than the complex social factors underlying difficulties such as the diminishing sense of trust and security within communities, financial pressures on families, long working hours, lack of extended family support and lack of professional support.
One is left wondering whether the parents featured feel that in order to get the help they require, they need to participate in a television programme, and in doing so expose themselves and their children to the potentially critical scrutiny of the viewing public.
Review by senior clinical psychologist Dr Paul Kelly, a counsellor in the student counselling service, UCD