Finding Stevie: Part 1 of 3: A teenager in crisis

Finding Stevie: Part 1 of 3: A teenager in crisis
Cathy Glass

Part 1 of 3Finding Stevie is a dark and poignant true story that highlights the dangers lurking on online.When Stevie’s social worker tells Cathy, an experienced foster carer, that Stevie, 14, is gender fluid she isn’t sure what that term means and looks it up.Stevie, together with his younger brother and sister, have been brought up by their grandparents as their mother is in prison. But the grandparents can no longer cope with Stevie’s behaviour so they place him in care.Stevie is exploring his gender identity, and like many young people he spends time online. Cathy warns him about the dangers of talking to strangers online and advises him how to stay safe. When his younger siblings tell their grandmother that they have a secret they can’t tell, Cathy is worried. However, nothing could have prepared her for the truth when Stevie finally breaks down and confesses what he’s done.

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Copyright (#u6ea9183a-d66a-5ea2-b90f-16485b5d628e)

Certain details in this story, including names, places and dates, have been changed to protect the family’s privacy.

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First published by HarperElement 2019

FIRST EDITION

Text © Cathy Glass 2019

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019

Cover photograph © Mark Owen/Trevillion Images (posed by a model)

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Cathy Glass asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

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Source ISBN: 9780008324292

Ebook Edition © February 2019 ISBN: 9780008324322

Version: 2019-01-09

Contents

Cover (#uee6a22ae-8099-5111-94e3-85ac1c5203fc)

Title Page (#u76c2afd1-0eb4-5b11-9506-558a4dd3c81b)

Copyright (#u186bd9bb-b9c2-5583-8788-edde845f0b76)

Acknowledgements (#u029884ee-c441-5728-a2ed-c451d2128e62)

Chapter One: Struggling to Cope (#ub8e28c96-598f-5982-a39c-ebcf38de9042)

Chapter Two: Difficult Meeting (#u5b92c4ca-dc0a-5846-b347-7b61ea972db3)

Chapter Three: Trouble (#u9ce75816-b64d-5d80-9079-12f4b714a8a2)

Chapter Four: Straight Talking (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Five: Secrets (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six: Inappropriate (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven: Quiet and Withdrawn (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight: Error of Judgement (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine: First Review (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten: Controlling (#litres_trial_promo)

Moving Memoirs eNewsletter (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgements (#u6ea9183a-d66a-5ea2-b90f-16485b5d628e)

A big thank you to my family; my editors, Carolyn and Holly; my literary agent, Andrew; my UK publishers HarperCollins, and my overseas publishers who are now too numerous to list by name. Last, but definitely not least, a big thank you to my readers for your unfailing support and kind words. They are much appreciated.

Chapter One

Struggling to Cope (#u6ea9183a-d66a-5ea2-b90f-16485b5d628e)

‘… and he’s gender-fluid,’ Edith continued. ‘So together with all his behavioural problems his grandparents don’t feel they can look after him any longer.’

‘No, quite, I can see that’s rather a lot to cope with,’ I sympathised. ‘His grandparents must be stretched to the limit, looking after his younger brother and sister too.’

‘So you’ll take him?’ Edith asked. She was my supervising social worker, employed by the local authority to supervise and support their foster carers, of which I was one. She’d just been telling me about Steven, who liked to be known as Stevie. Aged fourteen, he needed a foster home as – according to his grandparents – he was confrontational, moody, withdrawn, stayed out late, didn’t do as they told him, wasn’t going to school and was generally making their lives a complete misery.

‘So I’ll tell his social worker you’ll take him,’ Edith said, slightly impatient at my hesitation.

‘Yes, but I have a question.’

‘Go on.’