ABSTRACT
Looking around the daily community meeting one morning I was struck by the fact that of the seven women on this long-term, mixed low secure ward, six of them were, or seemed to be, hiding. One remained in her room altogether, escaping the tension, drama and conflict offered by this meeting. Three others had placed themselves in corners of the room. One crouched down, close to the ground. Another stood, arms folded, against the door and the last sat in a chair, behind the circle of chairs, making herself virtually invisible, although she was still nominally present in the room. Only one sat in the circle, but she avoided eye contact altogether and spoke only when addressed directly.
