ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses child psychiatrisation as a form of oppression against children. Using a mad studies framing it deconstructs this oppression, including providing an analysis of social injustices such as marginalisation and subjugation within mental health services. The chapter argues that this oppression takes place through the interrelationships between adult power, professional power and systemic whiteness or racism being imposed upon children and young people. As an umbrella approach, mad studies include critiques of psychiatry that emanate from service users and psychiatric survivors, mad people, critical psychiatrists, radical professionals, disability studies theorists, disability activists, anti-psychiatry activists and those working and theorising within the field of critical mental health.
