I mentioned above the concept of self-fulfilling prophecy. This is a powerful force in the academic lives of children who get the message that they are not expected to perform as well as their best peers. The literature shows that students who belong to the stigmatized group might be particularly vulnerable to the self-fulfilling prophesies. Schools have to be neutral places where all children start at the gate together and go as far as their individual abilities allow them to.
If the child were fortunate enough to get into therapy, our tendency would be to concentrate on the incarceration of the mother. But it would be more important to find out whether the child had a teacher who loves her and believes in her ability to be a successful student – and whom she adores.
Dr. Fink is a psychiatrist and consultant in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., and professor of psychiatry at Temple University in Philadelphia.