Critical Discussion on the Case Study of Tamara Grant, DD310

This assignment presents a critical discussion on the case study of Tamara Grant, focusing on the interplay of race, gender, age, and class within the context of the criminal justice system and mental health. The analysis explores how these factors contribute to Tamara's experiences, including her mixed-race background, history of domestic disturbances, and exposure to violence and trauma. The study examines the impact of these elements on her behavior, mental health, and interactions with legal and psychological services. The discussion highlights the challenges in diagnosis and treatment, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach that considers the complex interplay of individual and societal factors. The assignment also addresses the role of class and socioeconomic circumstances in shaping Tamara's life and the implications for her interactions with the criminal justice system. Finally, the assignment references materials from the Open University module DD310, which covers counselling and forensic psychology.

Running Head: CRITICAL DISCUSSION ON THE CASE STUDY OF TAMARA GRANT
Critical discussion on the case study of Tamara Grant
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1CRITICAL DISCUSSION ON THE CASE STUDY OF TAMARA GRANT
Introduction
Reports and studies have found that the justice system has been responding to the men
and women criminals in very different manner. Given the aspects of race, gender, age, and
ethnicity, the matters of crime become even more complicated.
Race
Under the Equality Act 2010, legal protection is available for those who belong to various races.
The section 9 defines race as color, nationality, and ethnic or national origin. The core of
ethnicity lies in the sense of identity that is shared and belongs to a group of people whose
interests lie in a particular culture, faith, language, origin in terms of geography, and race. There
exists a common belief that by the racial coding, people will be easily put into boxes and
categories (Platt et al. 2018). However, that is rarely the case. The sheer amount of bi-race
parenting the existing there is no international consensus that determines the existence of race.
The process of racialization leads to the furthering of the “othering” as it involves the creation of
associations that will be considered as characteristics of the fore-mentioned racialized group
(Maibom 2008). This process of racialization has been not only normalized by the groups, but
also internalized. A few other factors that have been linked with the racialization are-
disproportionate experience when it comes to factors that have been linked to mental health, high
rate of utilization of services than other or a particular diagnosis. A dip in the rate of utilization
of services in comparison to others, poor outcomes that have been derived from the various
methods of treatments related to mental health services along with poor experience of
relationship that is associated with mental health officials. Poor mental health has also been
associated with the BAME groups that include Caribbean origins who are subjected to a high

2CRITICAL DISCUSSION ON THE CASE STUDY OF TAMARA GRANT
level of inequality in the society (Platt et al. 2018). They are also exposed to a higher rate of
detention in a psychiatric hospital, or being referred to mental health services, being diagnosed
with psychosis or any kind of community treatment orders (Maibom 2008). Many researches
have been conducted on the hypotheses that have led to various kinds of ethnic inequality in the
mental health of people. A few key factors have been identified such as the development of
psychiatry on the Western ways of looking at the world that led to a difficulty in the
transferability to various other cultures (Platt et al. 2018). The barrier of communication that
arises from difference in culture and linguistic difference, and lastly, discrimination based on
race that led to social disadvantage. As per the US Bureau of Justice Statistics, African
Americans are more likely to be sentenced to a custody, and be handed sentences that are more
lengthy the usual. In broader sense of the term, mental health and the criminology sector have
followed patterns that are closely intertwined (Platt et al. 2018). In the case of Tamara Grant, she
belongs to a mixed race (White/ Black Caribbean) that makes her vulnerable to the potential acts
if discrimination based on race. It is also evident to note that her father’s side of the family came
to the UK and had shown traits of being dysfunctional (Maibom 2008). It started with the
divorce with Tamara’s mother, and it has been stated that he was a daily wageworker who also
was periodically unable to work due to his back problems. This again was related to the bouts of
turmoil and domestic disturbances that took place prior to the divorce. Tamara’s father was
mostly under influence of alcohol, but there have been no reported police cases against him
(Maibom 2008).
Gender
Gender has always been an extremely controversial aspect when it comes to the mental
health and criminalization that is done on the basis of gender (Platt et al. 2018). While men have

3CRITICAL DISCUSSION ON THE CASE STUDY OF TAMARA GRANT
been reported to be on the higher radar for being held for criminal cases, women have been
named and tagged as mad when they have been suffering from various mental illnesses.
However, there is significant amount of “victimhood” that is persistent in the criminal justice
system (Platt et al. 2018). This main focus is on the women who have been victims of domestic
violence, while women being the victims of those crimes are prone to be subjected to a particular
pattern of behavior that should be followed by a victim (Maibom 2008). While working with
mental health issues and any kind of offending behavior, it is important to keep in mind that it is
an extremely sensitive subject. It is extremely common to find that girls who have been
associated with various criminal acts in life have been exposed to violence and trauma at some
point in their lives. Another taboo that exists is in the kind of gendering when a woman is
involved in a crime as they are expected to behave in a certain manner (Maibom 2008).
Tamara’s case is a classic example of how her childhood of how violence (biological
father was alcoholic), trauma, and acute stress leads to a permanent change in the behavior and
temperament of individuals. Her family has records of domestic disturbances in which police has
been involved, but they have not been reported as any criminal activity. Her mother too has been
a victim of domestic abuse that has led to various physical illnesses as well as mental health
issues such as depression. The reported case for which Tamara has been sentenced to five-year
prison time is for grievous bodily harm against her partner Jim (Maibom 2008). As per the
records, a conflict rose after they returned from a bar and that resulted to Tamara losing control
over her anger and attacking Jim with a frying pan, breaking his cheekbone, and kicking that
broke one of his ribs. It is important to note that Tamara always showed traits of being violent
rather than any substance abuse from her teenage years. But she was first made to serve in the
community service (at the age of seventeen), and the later led her to serve a sentence for nine

4CRITICAL DISCUSSION ON THE CASE STUDY OF TAMARA GRANT
months (Maibom 2008). None of these cases detected, or failed to detect the reason for her
violent behavior that is rooted in the dysfunctional family from where Tamara hails. Her school
reports how her unexplained absence from school, and signs of early violent behavior in various
incidents in the playground apart from her being mildly dyslexic. She also had moderately good
grades but discontinuation of study is evidently the reason behind her problematic and erratic
behavior. The session with a prison psychologist lasted for only ten minutes that shows Tamara’s
lack of knowledge about mental health, psychology, and its offering to her as a solution
(Maibom 2008). Her lack of knowledge is rooted in her childhood and the years of growing up
that have not been able to impart any information about therapy. This makes her case of
diagnosis even more complicated.
Age
There lies a recursive pattern when it comes to the factor of age as the frequency is
present in the adolescents and mid-twenties followed by a rapid decrease for both males and
females (Platt et al. 2018). Although the age-related crimes are mostly related to factors of
development, the biological factors and vulnerability that is related to the high risk taking
attitudes in families belonging to low income households cannot be entirely ruled out. Many
incidents are directly linked to the lack of healthy environment at home (Platt et al. 2018). The
fact that any corrective measure in terms of conduct will be futile if the victim goes back to the
same environment that had initially led to the development of the problematic attitudes. Acts
such as drug dealing, shoplifting, etc. might be minor and have managed to escape from the
notice of the police, but these acts later take up the shape of criminal activities (Maibom 2008).
The case of Tamara is shown, she had been involved in staling goods in order to make
ends meet, and have been involved in drug dealings. The lack of a proper job might have pushed

5CRITICAL DISCUSSION ON THE CASE STUDY OF TAMARA GRANT
her into conforming to these illegal activities while managing to escape from the radar of the
police. However, the case still stands as her family members too have never taken up a stable
job, and this is the environment known to Tamara as she grew up (Maibom 2008).
Class
Tamara’s family belonged to the daily wage earner’s class who had to take up odd jobs in
order to make the ends meet. Her biological father worked as a laborer, earning wage on a daily
basis, while her stepfather works as a cab driver. Tamara’s mother worked in the diner of the
school that Tamara and her sister attended. While focusing on her social circle, Tamara has very
few close friends while they are not really close but superficial (Maibom 2008). Her social life is
confined mostly in pubs, along with an on-off relationship with her partner Jim, for two years.
All these factors indicate the lack of any safe space that is available for Tamara where she is
genuinely cared. This indicates yet further complications that Tamara has developed that have
led to the bouts of violence that ultimately led to the physical assault of her partner, Jim.
Conclusion
The factor of mental health in itself is an extremely complicated factor. When it is
associated with various criminal activities, it takes a more complicated form and becomes even
more diverse to solve. The factors of race, gender, age, and lifestyle contribute to the
complications of the issues (Platt et al. 2018). These issues have been discussed in the case study
of Tamara and thus a clearer insight has been achieved as an attempt to solve it.

6CRITICAL DISCUSSION ON THE CASE STUDY OF TAMARA GRANT
Reference
Griffin, P.A. and Heilbrun, K. eds., 2015. The sequential intercept model and criminal justice:
Promoting community alternatives for individuals with serious mental illness. Oxford University
Press, USA.
Maibom, H.L., 2008. The mad, the bad, and the psychopath. Neuroethics, 1(3), pp.167-184.
Montross, C., 2016. Hard time or hospital treatment? Mental illness and the criminal justice
system. New England Journal of Medicine, 375(15), pp.1407-1409.
Peters, R.H., Wexler, H.K. and Lurigio, A.J., 2015. Co-occurring substance use and mental
disorders in the criminal justice system: A new frontier of clinical practice and research.
Platt, A., 2018. Mad or Bad? A Critical Approach to Counselling and Forensic Psychology.
Andreas Vossler, Catriona Havard, Graham Pike, Meg‐John Barker, & Bianca Raabe. London,
UK: Sage, 2017. 378 pp.,£ 24.99, ISBN 9781473963511, ISBN 9781473963528
(pbk). Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 18(3), pp.342-343.
Sugie, N.F. and Turney, K., 2017. Beyond incarceration: criminal justice contact and mental
health. American Sociological Review, 82(4), pp.719-743.