Holy Cross Professor Helps Demystify How America Views Medicated Children

 

The Pacific Standard picked the brain of Ara Francis, assistant professor of sociology at the College of the Holy Cross, to myth-bust the way America understands children who are prescribed medication for attention deficits and emotional problems.

The article, which challenges the stereotype that “rich kids have psychological problems and poor kids have real problems,” turned to Francis’ research on how middle class parents cope with children’s problems, and her book, “Family Trouble” (Rutgers University Press, 2015).

Francis, who interviewed 55 parents for her book, told the Pacific Standard that middle-class parents who use medication to treat children’s problems are not seeking to produce “super-children.” Most just want their children to be happy. Happiness among the American middle-class has become synonymous with prestigious occupations and financial success, Francis explains. In an economy with few safety nets, some middle-class parents worry that their children will struggle to keep up.

Research by Francis and other scholars, the article said, will continue to debunk the unfair stereotypes placed on all children with special needs, and “point us to where preconceptions are misconceptions. The qualitative research pursued by scholars like…Francis is vital to understanding what’s actually going on.”

June 28, The Week: How we're misunderstanding medicated kids May 26, Pacific Standard: Misunderstanding Medicated Kids 

This “Holy Cross in the News” item is by Jessica Kennedy.