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Since all policies address problems, they necessarily include implicit or explicit constructions of these problems. This paper explores how child maltreatment has been constructed in New Zealand's child protection policies. It questions the underlying assumptions of this problem construction and seeks to shed light on what has been omitted. Utilizing a qualitative content analysis of eight key policy documents, this study reveals the construction of child maltreatment has been dominated primarily by a child-centric, risk-focused approach. This approach assigns blame and shifts responsibilities onto parents and families. In addition, the vulnerability discourse and social investment approach underpinning this perspective have allowed important structural factors, such as poverty and inequality, to remain unaddressed. This paper also highlights the one-dimensional focus on the lower social class to control future liabilities. We suggest that the harm inflicted by corporations on children's well-being is another form of child exploitation currently omitted from the problem construction. We suggest that child abuse should be defined and understood in policy as harm to children's well-being and argue that the state should prevent and mitigate harm by addressing structural forces of the problem as well as protecting children against corporate harms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holistic Flexibility is a conceptual lens in systems thinking that enables intellectual, emotional and tactical elasticity in systems practice. This paper will demonstrate Holistic Flexibility in practice in an NGO setting to design and implement a programme to address the widening gap between government policy and its implementation. Critical Systems Heuristics was chosen as the preferred methodology, strengthened with two methods from two other systems methodologies—CATWOE (a mnemonic for Customers, Actors, Transformation, Worldview, Owners, Environment) from Soft Systems Methodology and issues (assumption) rating method from Strategic Assumption Surfacing and Testing. Following a participative programme design exercise, two phases were identified. The strategy, implementation and impact of phase 1, which covered work undertaken between the period 2018 and 2020, is provided. Phase 2 was under consideration at the time of writing this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of IDP: Revista de Internet, Derecho y Politica is the property of Universitat Oberta de Catalunya and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper uses a case study to critically reflect on contemporary discourses in Norway connected to ethnic minority childhoods and children's rights to education and work. Based on a narrative interview with an ethnic minority girl, Sadja (aged 16), who is in state custody and lives with a foster family, we use a decolonial lens to explore the tensions in expectations and rights in her life and education. The tensions encountered are situated along three axes. The first axis illustrates tensions related to education, work, and responsibilities, as Sadja's family responsibilities are perceived by teachers and child welfare workers as preventing her from having "a proper childhood". The second axis explores tensions connected to independence, educational choice, and "belonging to the state", where Sadja experiences that being in state custody results in being unable to "follow her dream". The third axis reflects the tensions between parental expectations of "dreaming big" versus her surrounding environment's anticipation of her simply getting a job. In sum, Sadja's experiences suggest that contemporary Western discourses—such as individualism, self-autonomy, and children as human capital—paradoxically curtail the educational rights and trajectories of ethnic minority children in foster care in Norway in unforeseen and unfortunate ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper has discussed the violation against education facilities in Gaza Strip from the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) perspective, explaining the challenges and the impact of armed conflict on education rights. The paper will identify those violations and will propose methodologies to improve the adoption of the IHL against them. Moreover, it will discuss the policies to decrease the impact of those violations and propose techniques to respond to the threats against children’s rights within the war duration. It will be analyzed the applied IHL in the protection of the education system in Gaza Strip from the attack which happened in 2021 by exploring the efficiency of the IHL impartially. In this research, a qualitative approach has been adopted as a primary source in exploring how educational institutions should be protected within IHL (which should be respected) during attacks. As per the descriptive study, the research will investigate the importance of protecting children’s educational institutions in armed conflict situations. The assessment of child protection was considered in the escalation of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip in May 2021. The main source of data has been collected using different media such as Telephone-based semi-structured interviews, E-mail correspondence, documentary review, and agencies working in child protection in Gaza Strip; in addition, other secondary sources have been considered, such as desk review, reliable journalism, and published academic research. Continuous military operations throughout Gaza Strip compose dramatic challenges to getting highly qualified education in a safe environment for children. The air strikes and rocket attacks prevented 637,195 students from being in school in a safe environment (Jeanne, 2008). Other reports addressed that Israeli airstrikes destroyed over 184 schools in 2021 and caused partial or severe damage to others. As addressed in other reports, the students and the academic staff have suffered from different cases of depression and expressed their fears of asymmetric warfare in addition to being under blockage (OCHA, May 2021). Regarding the laws governing educational facilities and institutions’ protection, IHL still has some space for improvement that can be addressed and applied in the future to enhance them (Adam, 2011). It is known that numerous kid fatalities and schools suffered partial or total destruction as a result of military activities. On the same, it is documented that the levels of violence against educational organizations and schools hit unheard-of levels in the last ten years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents in out-of-home care generally have poor prospects for reunification with their birth families. However, for some adolescents in care, with deliberate support and intervention, there may opportunities for successful reunification. The Adolescent Reunification Program (ARP) is an Australian program designed to assist young people aged 12–17 years return home to their families. The program focuses on supporting families, mentoring young people so as to meet their developmental and educational needs, and providing a safe home environment. It also included an innovative therapeutic component which focused on addressing the consequences of intergenerational trauma in order to help repair relationships between parents and children. The purpose of this paper is to describe the therapeutic component of the program and to examine the potential value of therapy in a family reunification context with a particular focus on client receptivity and preliminary evidence on outcomes. Using case illustrations, this paper describes the therapeutic component of the ARP and provides a preliminary evaluation of these components using a mixed methods approach, including standardised psychological assessments, qualitative interviews with parents and young people, and reflections from the program workers. The therapeutic component of the ARP may have helped to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma by bringing focus to the interrelationships between how people feel and how they act. This was done through the work of therapists attempting to combine non-judgmental exploration and positive therapeutic framing with practical support within the context of the environment where the family reunification occurred. Therapy in conjunction with practical supports within a multidisciplinary collaborative approach may help to facilitate better outcomes for reunification when working with complex families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Child marriage is a global crisis underpinned by gender inequality and discrimination against girls. A small evidence base suggests that food insecurity crises can be both a driver and a consequence of child marriage. However, these linkages are still ambiguous. This paper aims to understand how food insecurity influences child marriage practices in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. Methods: Mixed methods, including participant-led storytelling via SenseMaker® and key informant interviews, were employed to examine the relationship between food insecurity and child marriage within a broader context of gender and socio-economic inequality. We explored the extent to which food insecurity elevates adolescent girls' risk of child marriage; and how food insecurity influences child marriage decision-making among caregivers and adolescents. Key patterns that were generated by SenseMaker participants' interpretations of their own stories were visually identified in the meta-data, and then further analyzed. Semi-structured guides were used to facilitate key informant interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded, and transcribed and translated to English, then imported into NVivo for coding and thematic analysis. Results: A total of 1,668 community members participated in SenseMaker data collection, while 22 staff participated in interviews. Overall, we found that food insecurity was a primary concern among community members. Food insecurity was found to be among the contextual factors of deprivation that influenced parents' and adolescent girls' decision making around child marriage. Parents often forced their daughters into marriage to relieve the household economic burden. At the same time, adolescents are initiating their own marriages due to limited alternative survival opportunities and within the restraints imposed by food insecurity, poverty, abuse in the home, and parental migration. COVID-19 and climate hazards exacerbated food insecurity and child marriage, while education may act as a modifier that reduces girls' risk of marriage. Conclusions: Our exploration of the associations between food insecurity and child marriage suggest that child marriage programming in humanitarian settings should be community-led and gender transformative to address the gender inequality that underpins child marriage and address the needs and priorities of adolescent girls. Further, programming must be responsive to the diverse risks and realities that adolescents face to address the intersecting levels of deprivation and elevate the capacities of adolescent girls, their families, and communities to prevent child marriage in food insecure settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid evolution of technology, particularly the ubiquitous presence of the internet, has brought about significant societal changes. While technological advancements have brought numerous benefits, they have also introduced new challenges and risks. Among these challenges is the alarming rise of child grooming, a form of sexual harassment perpetrated against minors, facilitated by the online environment. In Indonesia, the incidence of child grooming is increasingly prevalent, with several reported cases highlighting its emergence as a pressing societal issue. However, the absence of specific legal frameworks addressing this crime has posed significant challenges for law enforcement authorities tasked with its prevention and prosecution. The lack of dedicated legislation targeting child grooming underscores the need for a comprehensive legal response to effectively combat this form of exploitation. Currently, law enforcement officials rely on discretion in the absence of specific legal provisions, resulting in ad-hoc approaches to addressing these cases. This paper employs a normative juridical approach, utilizing The Statute Approach, to examine the legal landscape surrounding child grooming in Indonesia. By synthesizing existing literature and statutory regulations, this study aims to shed light on the legal complexities inherent in combating this emerging crime. In conclusion, while child grooming remains a relatively new phenomenon in Indonesia, its detrimental impact on minors necessitates urgent legislative action. By enacting dedicated laws and policies, the Indonesian government can provide law enforcement agencies with the necessary tools to effectively address and mitigate the prevalence of child grooming, ensuring the protection and well-being of the nation’s youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social and child protection is a set of policies and programs designed to reduce and prevent poverty, vulnerability, and social exclusion throughout the life cycle. Early childhood interventions provide an exceptional opportunity to invest in something that is both cost-effective and reasonable, cost-effective in the sense that there is an opportunity to obtain a skilled and capable workforce in the future, and fair in the sense that this intervention gives the best results for children who live in unfavourable conditions and lack adequate stimulation. The paper aims to analysethe perception of the professionals and beneficiaries regarding needs forenhancementof the child protection system in North Macedonia. The practical goal of this study is for the results to serve as guidelines for evidence-based policy making, as well as the introduction of new programs or the improvement of existing ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work case files hold rich detail about the lives and needs of vulnerable groups. Traditional case-reading studies to gain generalisable knowledge are resource-intensive, however, and sample sizes thereby limited. The advent of 'big data' technology, and vast repositories of centrally stored electronic records offer social work researchers novel alternatives, including data linkage and predictive risk modelling using administrative data. Free-text documents, however – including assessments, reports, and case chronologies – remain a largely untapped resource. This paper describes how 5000 social work court statements held by the Child and Family Court Advisory Support Service in England (Cafcass) were analysed using natural language processing (NLP) based on simple rules and mathematical principles. Thirteen factors relating to harm and risk to children involved in care proceedings in England were identified by automated computer techniques, and almost 90% agreement with professional readers achieved when the factors were clear-cut. The study represents an innovative approach for social work research on complex social problems. In conclusion, the paper discusses learning points; practical implications; future research avenues; and the technical and ethical challenges of NLP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Metszetek is the property of University of Debrecen and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Retos: Nuevas Perspectivas de Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación is the property of Federacion Espanola de Asociaciones de Docentes de Educacion Fisica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Intercountry adoption offers a family-based care option for children in need of care and protection. It allows them to find loving and permanent homes outside their birth country, providing them with stability, support, and a sense of belonging essential for their well-being. The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption 1993 (Hague Convention 1993) serves as the primary international legal instrument governing intercountry adoption. Despite its importance, intercountry adoption remains relatively uncommon in Malaysia, as the country lacks specific statutory provisions and is not a signatory to the Hague Convention 1993. The purpose of this study is to examine the current state of intercountry adoption in Malaysia and Morocco and explore the viability of intercountry adoption as a child protection measure. The study involves interviews with relevant departments and an examination of Malaysia's current adoption laws. Additionally, the study analyses the international legal framework, including the Hague Convention 1993 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 (UNCRC) to provide a comprehensive understanding of the context surrounding intercountry adoption. Furthermore, this paper offers a comparative analysis of Morocco's intercountry kafalah system, which recognises kafalah as an alternative to legal adoption based on Islamic law. The findings of this study will offer valuable insights and recommendations for enhancing Malaysia's approach to intercountry adoption. By considering best practices and international standards, this research seeks to ensure the well-being and protection of children in need of care and protection, promoting their access to a stable and nurturing family environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people experience significant harm in a range of social contexts and from adults and peers unconnected to their caregivers. The recognition of this by policymakers in England, Scotland, and Wales has resulted in child protection policy frameworks increasingly requiring social work responses to the extra-familial contexts where such harm occurs, as well as to the young people affected. This paper presents results from an embedded research project in which five local children's social care departments used a Contextual Safeguarding framework to respond to this shifting policy direction. The data collected via ethnographic methods over three years included meeting and practice observations (n = 65), meeting participation (n = 334), reviews of young people's case files (n = 122), interviews (n = 27) and focus groups (n = 33) with professionals, focus groups (n = 6), interviews (n = 2) and surveys (n = 78) with parents and young people, and analysis of local policies and procedures (n = 101). At two stages in the project, the researchers used this dataset to review the progress in each participant site against the Contextual Safeguarding framework. Reporting on the progress made across the five sites, this paper identifies elements of the system change that appeared most feasible or challenging. The results demonstrate four ways in which current policy reforms fall short in creating national contexts that are conducive to the implementation of Contextual Safeguarding, despite local progress towards this goal. The implications for the policy and practices are outlined, with fundamental questions asked of the statutory systems which need to protect, but all too often criminalise, young people abused beyond their front doors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper was based on a framework for practice and supervision based on 'protective-support and supportive-protection' (PS-SP) that can be used to discuss and plan for practice in a way that maximises the capacity of workers in child protection and welfare (CPW) services to provide support and protection simultaneously. The framework is underpinned by a long-established assumption about social work in child protection and welfare as a socio-legal practice of mediation in the social. The PS-SP framework was initially developed within an ecological context with a focus on networks and networking. In this paper, we developed this framework further, framing practice supervision using four functions of supervision (management, support, development, and mediation) and including a fifth component on safety. We did this alongside a review of related considerations around safety in supervision in general and in child protection and welfare in particular. While noting the important contribution of this work, we identified ongoing gaps for supervision focused on safety when considered within an ecological context. Bearing in mind the well-evidenced stress, challenges, and vicarious nature of child protection and welfare practice, we argued the importance of a wider framework based on PS-SP for supervision and support to manage this complexity with a particular emphasis on 'safety' as a contribution to this. To illustrate our framework and discussion, we referred to a case study throughout. This case study is drawn from a high-profile child abuse inquiry in Ireland over a decade ago. This case was chosen as it demonstrates the complex interplay of needs for support and protection over extended time. We considered how the PS-SP framework may be used in the present (hypothetically) regarding such a case scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents data from a three-year, mixed methods study into the rate and impact of 'relocation' as a response to extra-familial harm in adolescence by children's social care teams. Participatory approaches to research design, data collection and analysis are used to gain insights from young people, parents/carers and professionals about the impact of relocations on safety. Professionals and young people report a range of harms implicated in the use of relocations, whilst sharing that the intervention often increases safety. Data are analysed zemiologically to understand this ambivalence, connecting micro accounts of harm with meso, institutional and macro structures that determine child protection intervention. Zemiology is put forward as a promising approach for a Critical Child Protection Studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the issues related to highlighting the problems that arise when protecting children who have suffered or witnessed violence, as well as providing them with social and psychological support in the justice process. The author emphasises the need to engage highly qualified professionals when implementing the Barnahus pilot project in Ukrainian cities. The factors that contribute to the resolution of current obstacles in creating a child-friendly environment for child victims of violence, in which they are not only considered victims, but where they can feel safe, especially in today's environment, are considered. Translated with DeepL.com (free version) The article describes the Council of Europe's strategy for the rights of the child for 2022-2027, entitled "Children's rights in action: from sustainable implementation to joint innovation", which defines six strategic objectives aimed at addressing new problem areas. The activities of the pilot project "Safety Educator" and current legislative initiatives aimed at changing approaches and the dynamics of implementing new successful projects and methods of protecting children's rights are analysed, and attention is focused on the need to improve the professional approach of specialists when establishing contact with a child. The expediency of conducting a medical examination of a child immediately at the scene of the incident using methods suitable for children, with the involvement of medical professionals, and the initiative to form a register of psychologists for the needs of effective interaction with child victims of violence in accordance with the "Order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine of 18 December 2018 No. 1027-r 'On Approval of the National Strategy for Reforming the Justice System for Children for the Period up to 2023'". It is proposed to study in detail the results of the Bamahus model in European countries, as well as to ensure that the interview with the child victim is conducted as early as possible and at the appropriate time by professionals who have undergone special training, and the need to further increase the number of Barnahus child support centres in Ukraine is identified. The author discusses the effectiveness of Bamahus centres, which bring together a number of professionals under one roof, including social workers, psychologists, medical professionals and law enforcement officials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to reflect upon ethical dilemmas arising from educational research in humanitarian contexts, particularly when involving children. In recognition of the paucity of knowledge on how to define ethics in humanitarian research, we review the existing body of literature that explores ethical responsibilities towards children involved in educational research at school and their communities. The paper argues that research ethics should be at the forefront of every study that is conducted in crisis contexts and more rigorous review and vetting processes are necessary to protect children, researchers and wider communities who live in crisis settings. We hope to promote an informed debate on research ethics in humanitarian contexts, while encouraging the development of rigorous guidelines, notes and minimum standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) and child maltreatment are preventable threats to child health. Few evidence-based interventions target both SHS and child maltreatment risk. The purpose of this paper is to describe the systematic braiding process of two evidence-based programs to address child SHS in the home and maltreatment perpetration risk, and present results from the formative work and pilot study. Methods: The first 4 steps of the systematic braiding process were completed, including the following: (1) the identification of core elements of both programs, (2) the development of an initial draft of the braided curriculum (Smoke-Free Home SafeCare — SFH-SC), (3) an acceptability and feasibility pilot of SFH-SC with caregivers of young children who reported a smoker living in the home (N = 8), and (4) feedback collection on the braided curriculum from SafeCare Providers (N = 9). Results: Experts identified common pedagogical and theoretical underpinnings for the two programs and braided Smoke-Free Homes: Some Things Are Better Outside into two SafeCare modules. Caregiver feedback from the pilot demonstrated that participants were engaged with SFH-SC and felt supported and comfortable discussing SHS intervention content with the SFH-SC Provider. Caregiver self-reports indicated a slight increase in smoke-free home rules from baseline to follow-up and a notable reduction in parent stress on the Parent Stress Index of 5.9 points (SD = 10.2). SafeCare Provider feedback following intensive review of the curriculum indicated high feasibility for SFH-SC delivery. Conclusions: Parent and Provider findings suggest SFH-SC is a viable intervention that has potential to reduce the public health impact of SHS and child maltreatment for at-risk families. Protocol: The protocol for the pilot is not published elsewhere; however, the full protocol for the hybrid trial can be found here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05000632. Trial registration: NCT, NCT05000632. Registered 14 July 2021, there is not a separate registration number for the pilot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First Nations children in Australia remain vastly over-represented in the child protection (CP) and out-of-home care (OOHC) systems, and in juvenile detention and adult incarceration systems. To change this, we need to tackle the problem at the source; by maintaining our efforts for the implementation of First Nations rights, so that self-determination and cultural safety are embedded into the child protection system from a family's first contact and by constantly identifying opportunities in the current system to keep our children safe. Using policy and research literature, this paper identifies the principal barrier to change as the continuing failure of settler governance to recognise the fundamental importance of First Nations rights, including the need to embed self-determination and a specific, First Nations cultural framework into the child protection system. The article also offers personal reflections on the essential role of self-determination in keeping our children safe, drawing on Aunty Glendra Stubbs' experiences in community-based advocacy and support of families for nearly three decades. Her reflections are linked to the literature and First Nations advocacy that support the findings and opportunities for change proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociedad e Infancias is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Social Work. Experience & Methods / Socialinis Darbas: Patirtis ir Metodai is the property of Vytautas Magnus University, Faculty of Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Protection of children from online threats is a global challenge and must be addressed urgently. In India, around 134 million children have access to mobile phones and faster internet connection and this number is just increasing leaps and bounds with the passage of time. Though this phenomenal diversification of web access has its boons, however, the lack of legal literacy and safety measures can end up being detrimental to children and can lead to online violence and threats such as online bullying, emotional abuse and sexual predation. To curb exploitation through e-resources, many laws have been incorporated by Indian government however; the implementation of the said laws is weak. Due to unawareness amongst the youth and lack of sensitization in the police, limited number of cases are reported and the conviction number is even lower. Through this paper the author intends to peel the sugar-coated truth and intends to shed light on the dark reality of child exploitation through e- resources. The main aim of this paper is to analyze the current prevailing situations in India while giving sharp reference to laws and enforcement procedures made for the protection of children from online harassment and to give suitable recommendations and suggestions that can be incorporated in the Indian regime for their better implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that two interrelated factors have played important roles in the emergence of academic analyses of child protection policies and practices: the evidence of growing strains and crises in child protection systems over the last forty years; and the development of comparative research on different systems. The latter has demonstrated that child protection policies and practices vary between different countries such that the differences could not be explained by differences in the nature of child maltreatment in the different societies—other political, social, and cultural factors were at play. This paper outlines the nature of these key developments and the conceptual frameworks which have emerged to explain the differences. A significant positive outcome is that such conceptual frameworks can be drawn upon for furthering our analyses of different policies, practices and systems and their possible reform and improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Enfances, Familles, Generations is the property of Enfances, Familles, Generations and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Comparative Social Work is the property of University of Nordland, Department of Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

It is widely recognised in child protection literature that teachers have a significant role to play in both detecting and reporting child abuse. This paper considers the role of teachers in child protection work and the challenges that exist in reporting abuse. The training needs of teachers in the area of child protection are also outlined. Recent changes in legislation, following the commencement of the remaining provisions of the Children First Act specify teachers registered with the Teaching Council as 'Mandated Persons'. The requirements of mandated persons in the school environment are outlined. Given the responsibilities of this role, a renewed focus on training in child protection seems very timely. The paper draws on interviews completed with sixteen Designated Liaison Persons (DLPs) for child protection in Irish primary schools, illustrating the training requirements of both DLPs and teachers. The current training models that are available to schools are also outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although sibling sexual abuse (SSA) may be the most common type of intrafamilial sexual abuse, it has not been widely studied. The lack of studies makes it very difficult for clinicians to create a comprehensive framework about this complex phenomenon, particularly in comparison with other forms of intrafamilial sexual abuse, such as father-daughter incest. SSA is still underrecognized and underdisclosed but it has the potential to be every bit as harmful as sexual abuse by a parent. The topic rarely finds its way into the more general psychiatry or social work literature. It is imperative to increase healthcare practitioners' awareness of this complex subject to improve their ability to listen to, detect, and manage the disclosures of SSA in adolescent populations. This paper presents vignettes of three 13-to-15-year-old adolescent girls who disclosed SSA during inpatient hospitalization in an adolescent psychiatric and medicine department. These cases illustrate the complexity of SSA, which has been associated with a wide spectrum of both mental and physical symptoms. Adolescent victims of SSA experience serious distress, with various and numerous psychiatric manifestations, including but not limited to depression and suicide attempts, addictive behaviors, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and eating disorders. Physical symptoms should also alert practitioners: adolescent survivors are more likely to be affected by somatic complications such as sexually transmitted diseases, chronic pain, urogenital symptoms, and nutritional disorders. We offer some recommendations to improve the detection and support of distressed adolescents disclosing SSA. Listening to them and offering a protective multidisciplinary response can limit the lasting damage and contribute to the repair process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since all policies address problems, they necessarily include implicit or explicit constructions of these problems. This paper explores how child maltreatment has been constructed in New Zealand’s child protection policies. It questions the underlying assumptions of this problem construction and seeks to shed light on what has been omitted. Utilizing a qualitative content analysis of eight key policy documents, this study reveals the construction of child maltreatment has been dominated primarily by a child-centric, risk-focused approach. This approach assigns blame and shifts responsibilities onto parents and families. In addition, the vulnerability discourse and social investment approach underpinning this perspective have allowed important structural factors, such as poverty and inequality, to remain unaddressed. This paper also highlights the one-dimensional focus on the lower social class to control future liabilities. We suggest that the harm inflicted by corporations on children’s well-being is another form of child exploitation currently omitted from the problem construction. We suggest that child abuse should be defined and understood in policy as harm to children’s well-being and argue that the state should prevent and mitigate harm by addressing structural forces of the problem as well as protecting children against corporate harms.

Copyright of Discourse: Journal of Childhood & Adolescense Research / Diskurs Kindheits- und Jugendforschung is the property of Verlag Barbara Budrich GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Hayes and Houston's positive review of Habermas's contribution to discourse in family group conferences (in this journal) has been challenged by Garrett. In this paper, one of the authors replies to Garrett but extends the analysis through a more considered, developed and detailed examination of Habermas's thoughts on power in social life. This leads to a conceptual framework that enables the participants in the conference to exercise power in a positive manner. In developing this earlier analysis, the paper also acknowledges Garrett's argument that Bourdieu helps us to understand the nature of constraining social structures in child protection. However, Bourdieu's ideas are subsequently challenged on the grounds that they lack a competent formulation on human agency—a faculty that Habermas cogently elucidates. This enlarged understanding of agency, it is argued, offers a theoretical resource that fits better with the ethos of emancipatory social work. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research into social work practice and inquiries into cases in which practitioners are deemed to have failed to protect children and vulnerable adults are predominantly focused on examining and changing organisational systems and inter-professional communication. This leaves largely unaddressed practitioners' experiences of the work they have to do that goes on beyond the office, on the street and in doing the home visit. In providing such an analysis, the paper argues that we need to think about social work in terms of the walks and other bodily movements that are required on the streets and in the homes of service users and evoke the adventures and atmospheres that deeply influence how the work is carried out. The paper draws theoretically on the new ‘mobilities’ approach and on my research into social workers' experiences of doing the work, past and present. Analysis of the mobile, lived experience of practice enables deeper understandings of risk to emerge—what I call practice risks—which concern whether professionals meet the requirements of good practice by looking around homes, walking towards children to properly see, touch, hear and walk with them to ensure they are fully engaged with and safe, here and now, on this home visit, or in this clinic or hospital ward. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]