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Young people are more likely to seek help about abusive relationships from friends, rather than adults or professionals, irrespective of gender, age or ethnic group. However, friends may be unequipped to deal with relationship problems and unable to provide adequate emotional or practical support. The aim of this paper is to explore how young people would support friends if they were seeking help or shared experiences of abuse. Qualitative findings drawn from a larger UK mixed‐methods study are used to explicate this. Data was gathered using 16 focus groups and one interview with girls, young women and non‐binary young people aged 13 to 24 years. Thematic analysis provided six themes pertaining to supporting friends and help‐seeking around relationship abuse. Findings showed young people recommended supporting friends in a non‐judgemental way to keep conversations open and help them recognise unhealthy behaviours. However, young people confirmed this is a difficult topic and many would feel fearful, helpless and under pressure. Conversations illustrated the need for more awareness of non‐physical abuse and resources specifically aimed at young people to enable them to help friends and know where and when to seek professional support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the implications and findings of a longitudinal evaluation of a UK charity's network of therapeutic projects for their effectiveness in improving child outcomes following child sexual abuse. Eight intervention projects across England and Wales participated in this one group pre- and post-test evaluation leading to a final sample of 42 children. We collected qualitative and quantitative data via the individual projects. These data included responses from the children's parents, the therapists and from the children themselves. The findings of this evaluation indicate improvements in the children's outcomes in some domains but persistence of problems in others. No deterioration was observed. We conclude the article by addressing the strengths and limitations of the evaluation and suggesting recommendations for future practitioner-researcher collaborations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages This paper presents findings from a longitudinal evaluation of a UK charity's network of therapeutic projects for their effectiveness in improving child outcomes following child sexual abuse., Eight intervention projects nationally participated leading to a final sample of 42 children. Children included in this evaluation showed improvement on most measures but the strength of the findings is limited by the lack of comparison group and the number of children and young people recruited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public inquiries have become a standard governmental response to managing matters of public interest and concern, including child abuse, in a number of countries, but questions have been raised over whether they are worth the time, money and resources. This paper examines experts' perceptions of the aims and outcomes of public inquiries, before moving on to consider whether there are more effective and efficient ways of investigating national scandals. Based on findings from a thematic analysis of the proceedings of a four‐day expert summit, and semi‐structured interviews with 16 participants who have been involved in child abuse inquiries in the UK and elsewhere, it concludes that public inquiries are not fulfilling all of their competing objectives. While a limited number of inquiries into the care and protection of children have had a positive impact on policy or practice, or successfully raised public awareness overall, there is little evidence of effectiveness. There is a need to: rethink the purpose, scope, methodology and impact of such inquiries to ensure that they are more effective and cost‐efficient; place children, victims and survivors at the centre; and use a wider range of professional expertise and skills. 'Examines experts' perceptions of the aims and outcomes of public inquiries... [and] consider[s] whether there are more effective and efficient ways of investigating national scandals' Key Practitioner Messages: Victims should be at the centre of any process to investigate serious cases of child abuse.Serious cases should be investigated by multidisciplinary teams comprising individuals with a range of different skill sets and capabilities.Cases where things have gone wrong should be considered alongside evidence from cases where children are well protected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sporting environments provide contexts in which a range of abuses of children has occurred. While there is an increasing awareness of the need to improve child protection in sport, the extent to which listening to children's voices can support this has yet to be explored. This paper reports on research commissioned by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's Child Protection in Sport Unit to understand the way in which the expression of children's voices is facilitated in sport. Thirty‐four national governing bodies of sport in the UK responded to an electronic questionnaire exploring expression of children's voices in their organisations. Findings indicate that challenges concern: children's perceived lack of interest; confidence in self‐expression; time, resources and logistics; organisational culture and attitudinal change. 'Good practice' was identified in: formal structural communications; tailoring contributions to interests and strengths; use of primary research; and sharing ideas remotely. The projected value of listening to children's voices includes understanding children's perspectives and identification of potential concerns. The expression of children's voices is of value to national governing bodies in sport and there is potential for this to prevent elements of abuse in sport. Key Practitioner Messages: National governing bodies of sport believe that the expression of children's voices in sport can positively inform child protection practice.Material and cultural limitations can prevent the expression of children's voices.There is potential for an embedded expression of children's voices that could support intervention prior to abuse occurring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been associated with negative mental and physical health consequences. Neighbourhood police officers (NPOs) are thought to be well placed to identify and support children experiencing ACEs. Within this paper, we describe a qualitative exploration of an initiative deployed by a large UK police force which aimed to aid early identification of young people with ACEs using police data and provide subsequent support given by NPOs. A thematic analysis was conducted using transcripts from three focus groups of NPOs, supplemented by questionnaires. Key themes identified in both sets of data offer reflections for policing and other public service provision seeking to target on the basis of ACEs, including: limitations in the usefulness of police data to identify childhood adversity; challenges using the ACEs framework as a means to target such 'early intervention'; and debates regarding the appropriate role of the police in supporting young people in adversity. Prior to replication of this intervention elsewhere, there are several points to consider: whether police data alone are sufficient in identifying ACEs; ensuring clarity regarding the role of the public sector agencies in such intervention; and determining an apt measure of success for the scheme. Key practitioner messages: Modelling using only police data can provide insight into the population of children who may have suffered from ACEs but may not provide significant opportunities for early interventionThere is a clear need for defining the role of UK police forces in the delivery of early interventionIt is evident that multi‐agency working/data sharing is crucial to preventing the duplication of referrals and interventions conducted with young people who have experienced ACEs 'There is a clear need for defining the role of UK police forces in the delivery of early intervention' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practitioners' preconceived ideas about service users can lead to prejudice and labelling, and ultimately may result in biased services. This paper reports on a UK‐based qualitative research study exploring the views and experiences of practitioners working with adult victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. It examines whether or not practitioners believe that childhood experiences of witnessing domestic violence indicate the likelihood of domestic violence in adulthood. It further explores practitioners' perceptions of factors contributing to the experiences of domestic violence amongst their service users. Twelve semi‐structured interviews were conducted with practitioners working in the domestic violence field, and thematic analysis was used to analyse their responses. The data did not indicate a general consensus on the matter of children becoming victims or perpetrators based on their childhood experiences of domestic violence. Participants' responses indicated that they thought the issue was more complex. Common themes that participants consider important to children's development of healthy/unhealthy relationships in this context were identified in the data. These included: an awareness of service users' individuality; the importance of meaningful support networks; and an understanding of the risk amongst their service users to normalise abusive behaviour. '[Explores] the views and experiences of practitioners working with adult victims and perpetrators of domestic violence' Key Practitioner Messages: Not all children witnessing domestic violence will inevitably become victims or perpetrators of abuse in adulthood.Perpetrating domestic violence in adulthood is often associated with a combination of various factors and circumstances, and can rarely be attributed to just one past experience.Assessments and holistic and judgement‐free services provided by practitioners are vital for children to develop positive and healthy future relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on doctoral research carried out in the UK into the experience of complexity in child protection work. The study explored what complexity meant for practitioners, and examined its significance for interprofessional working. A qualitative, case-based approach was adopted, drawing on the experiences of 17 practitioners working on two separate child protection cases. Participants were from a range of agencies, including children's social care, education, youth offending and child/adolescent mental health. Two rounds of semi-structured interviews were carried out over a period of four months. Interview transcripts were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis, a research methodology derived from qualitative psychology. The findings revealed complexity to be a multifaceted phenomenon, driven by the dynamics of cause and effect in open social systems. Practitioners' perception of unpredictability and volatility in these cases fed into various aspects of collaborative work: the experience of relationships, the process of assessment, efforts at intervention and concerns about risk. The paper concludes by exploring some implications for policy and practice in terms of how interprofessional networks are set up to manage the needs of vulnerable children and families. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Complexity makes it hard for practitioners to understand cause and effect, predict outcomes and control the course of events., To manage complexity, the team around the child may need to operate as a strategic unit rather than a collection of tactical interventions., When complex cases become 'stuck', professional networks may need additional support and consultation from specialist agencies., 'Complexity makes it hard for practitioners to understand cause and effect, predict outcomes and control the course of events' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment where there are concerns that an unborn child is likely to suffer significant harm is one of the most difficult tasks that social workers undertake; the legal and ethical context makes the process of assessment and intervention during this period complex. This paper explores pre-birth assessment guidance and practice in England. Local safeguarding guidance in 147 English localities was accessed and analysed, and interviews were conducted with 22 practitioners involved in pre-birth assessments. The findings showed that while most local safeguarding guidance was more detailed and explicit than the national guidance, legal and ethical issues were rarely addressed. Interview data showed that, in general, guidance to support social work assessments during the pre-birth period was insufficient, and that few practitioners used standardised tools to aid assessment. Some practitioners regarded pre-birth assessments as less urgent than cases involving infants/older children, thereby increasing delays in decision-making. It is concluded that existing guidance and practice with regard to pre-birth assessment are inadequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to identify key components of good practice in social care services for safeguarding refugee and asylum-seeking children. It is based on a wider research study, conducted in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which aimed to identify indicators and examples of good practice in social care for asylum seekers and refugees (both adults and children). Methods included a systematic literature review, focus groups with asylum seekers and refugees, and a survey of voluntary and statutory agencies. This paper reflects on the findings as they relate to children, including both unaccompanied children and those in families, with particular attention to safeguarding issues, and identifies key components of good practice from a synthesis of the findings. The primary component identified is a clear commitment to seeing the wellbeing of children and young people as the primary focus of practice, rather than the demands of immigration policy. Others include provision of safe and appropriate accommodation, support for engagement in appropriate education and leisure pursuits, attention to emotional well-being, good support and information for families, and inclusion of families and communities in the safeguarding agenda. The research showed that the needs of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people tend to be more visible than those living with their families, and that more research is needed, particularly in relation to the latter group. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the author describes and analyses undertaking a pilot study in which refugee or asylum-seeking parents who have been drawn into social work safeguarding children procedures reflect upon their experiences. This study is located within the context of political, policy and social work safeguarding practice developments in the UK which are relevant to refugee and asylum-seeking families. Interviews were undertaken with five refugee and asylum-seeking parents and one carer, three support workers and one social worker, and three conference chairs. Although the sample is small, the findings from the pilot study reveal some significant commonalities between comments from all three groupings, as well as significant differences. These findings will be of interest to refugee and asylum-seeking peoples, support workers, social workers, managers and policymakers and all who are concerned for the wellbeing of refugee and asylum-seeking parents, children and young people. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the rarely considered role of friends and peers supporting young people after sexual abuse experienced in adolescence, drawing on participatory research with 32 young people in the UK with lived experience. The article considers ways in which relationships with friends and peers interplay with recovery from abuse. This includes friends and peers as recipients of disclosure, conduits to professional support, sources of emotional support and distraction, and being embroiled in often challenging, precarious peer cultures that young people navigate post‐abuse. The article explores young people's rationale for, and experiences of, reaching out to friends and peers. It considers what young people seek and gain from these relationships in the aftermath of abuse, while acknowledging complex risks and precarity of these relationships. It argues that support from friends offers something distinct to family and professionals. It explores benefits of these relationships, but also potential for peer responses to undermine wellbeing if not sufficiently supportive or informed. The article ends by arguing for professionals to better recognise and respond to these relational contexts and consider whether there are safe and appropriate ways to 'support young people to support' without responsibilisation, and recognising welfare needs of those providing such support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisations funded by Sport England or UK Sport must work towards achieving standards for safeguarding and protecting children in sport as set by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children's Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) and encourage a culture of listening to children. The present research was commissioned by the NSPCC CPSU to understand the practices of UK sports clubs regarding this objective. An electronic questionnaire was distributed through the national governing bodies of sport working with the CPSU. Some 64 clubs/squads representing 6,000+ juniors (under 18 years) responded. Quantitative data were analysed using simple statistics and qualitative data were themed utilising Foucault's theory of power and following Braun and Clark's six‐phase guide. Discourse, hierarchical judgement and docility were considered with reference to formal management and cultural environments. Semantic and latent themes were explored. The themes identified were: expectation awareness, reframing voice and preserving discourse. Clubs recognise the value of listening to children. However, existing power relations valorise adult knowledge fields over the experiences of juniors. Technology could provide an effective solution as it is remote, potentially anonymous and culturally accessible. As power is a productive force, problematisation of organisational culture could centralise children's voices and limit/prevent abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Practitioner Messages: Closed, often tight‐knit army communities can potentially provide protective factors for children; however, this environment can make it difficult to seek help or to speak out when there are concerns about children's safety or wellbeing.The needs and experiences of non‐serving parents (often female partners) can be overlooked unless, or until, child protection concerns are serious.Army‐connected children benefit from accessing army and civilian health, education and welfare services; however, transitions and communication between these services need to be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burns are common causes of paediatric emergency care attendance; approximately ten per cent result from maltreatment. Following emergency department (ED) attendance with a burn by 232 under five‐year‐olds, 11 risk factors for maltreatment were collected via health visitor (HV) telephone surveys. Three of these risk factors (domestic violence, social care involvement and developmental impairment) were also available in ED records, and information collected was compared between the two. Non‐parametric Fisher's exact tests were applied. Fifty‐nine per cent of children lived in families with risk factors for maltreatment. Prominent risk factors known by HVs included: prior injuries (n = 55, 23.7%), carer/parent mental health problems (n = 48, 20.7%), domestic violence (n = 47, 20.3%) and social care involvement (n = 45, 19.4%). A total of 158 cases had complete data for all 11 risk factors: 49 (31.0%) lived in households with one factor, 22 (13.9%) with two factors and 27 (17.1%) with three or more risk factors. In cases where HVs recorded the following risk factors as present, EDs recorded five of 47 (10.6%) for domestic violence, ten of 45 (22.2%) with social care involvement and four of 23 (17.4%) with developmental impairment. Many risk factors that were known to HVs were not identified by EDs staff despite being part of a standardised proforma. Maltreatment risk assessment could be improved if EDs staff had access to HV information. Key Practitioner Messages: Fifty‐nine per cent of pre‐school children who attended an ED with a burn live in a family with one or more maltreatment risk factors, as identified by HV records.ED staff should be able to access a child's HV record electronically at the time of presentation, to identify known maltreatment risk factors.The lack of integration of community and acute setting health records is a barrier to comprehensive assessment and treatment decisions for children in EDs, especially in relation to safeguarding risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Practitioner Messages: Safeguarding supervision was viewed as a child‐focused, helpful activity that has led to practice improvements.Negative comments were in the minority and related to perceptions of its intrusive and punitive nature, the time involved and competing priorities.Improvements advocated were that safeguarding supervision should include discussion about children whose care is problematic but who are not subject to formal child protection proceedings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insight into the effects of methodological characteristics on reported child maltreatment prevalence rates can facilitate the interpretation of results of previous studies and improve the design of future prevalence studies. We reviewed findings from four previous meta-analyses (Stoltenborgh et al., , , , ) on methodological moderators in self-report prevalence studies on child sexual ( k = 323, N = 410,951), physical ( k = 157, N = 250,167) and emotional abuse ( k = 42, N = 76,586), and physical ( k = 13, N = 59 406) and emotional neglect ( k = 16, N = 59 655). We provide an overview of the moderating effects of participant characteristics (e.g. age), the sampling method and measurement characteristics (e.g. validation). No characteristic was without influence, but specific characteristics were significant moderators for certain types of abuse and not for others. This implies that the wide range of lifetime prevalence rates reported in the literature can partly be explained by methodological differences. Our best-evidence synthesis (sexual abuse: k = 4, N = 52 749; physical abuse: k = 2, N = 40 341; emotional abuse: k = 6, N = 4029; emotional neglect: k = 3, N = 3226) suggests that depending on the methodological characteristic under consideration a certain prevalence rate can be an over- or underestimation of the actual prevalence. Taking methodological characteristics' influence into consideration and choosing a sound methodology can help to get as close as possible to the actual child maltreatment prevalence. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages The methodological quality of studies affects the reported lifetime prevalence rates of child maltreatment, but the direction of this effect depends on the indicator of methodological quality., A higher response rate is related to a higher reported lifetime prevalence of child maltreatment for all maltreatment types except physical abuse., A sound study design and methodology can help researchers to get as close as possible to the actual lifetime prevalence of child maltreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined police officers' and social workers' experiences of investigating child sexual exploitation (CSE) cases and the impact on their welfare. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with frontline social workers and law enforcement professionals. Practitioners reported that they seldom reacted emotionally during forensic interviews because they were attending entirely to the victims while gathering evidence. Although some practitioners employed post-interview stress management techniques, anticipatory coping strategies were seldom adopted, and most coping methods were employed outside of the workplace (e.g., spending time with family). Practitioners focused on the needs of young people, almost to the exclusion of their own. Many did not consider the negative emotional impact of CSE cases on their welfare. These findings have important implications for practitioner wellbeing. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Practitioners rarely considered the emotional effects that CSE cases might have on them or ways to psychologically prepare themselves before meeting with young people., Practitioners reported a variety of ways they managed the impact of working with CSE which most often occurred outside of the workplace; a number of these ways could be actively promoted and developed within police forces and local authorities, especially preventative coping strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Openness in adoption practice now often includes post-adoption contact with the adopted child's birth family. Traditionally, indirect and direct contact has been supported and mediated by professionals following the adoption of children from the public care system in the UK. However, more recently, the widespread growth in the use of digital technologies has made it possible for both adopted children and birth relatives to search and contact one another through the use of sites such as Facebook without professional support. This practice has been called 'virtual contact'. Using data from interviews with 11 adoptive parents and six adopted young people, who had experienced virtual contact, it is suggested that virtual contact works well when it is successfully integrated with the maintenance of more traditional methods of contact but can present risks when introduced without prior contact. Implications for practice are discussed in terms of how virtual contact can become a positive addition to adoption practices by utilising integrated methods of openness through which adoptive relationships can be maintained. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Messages Technology, used to supplement existing relationships with birth relatives, can be successful within a climate of integrated openness where traditional and technological methods of contact are used., Prior 'traditional' contact can assist in the development of relationships and boundaries before moving to virtual contact., 'Out of the blue' virtual contact, without prior connections, can be challenging and present risks., Integrated openness may not work well for all individuals and it is necessary to assess the appropriateness and value of all relationships irrespective of the methods of contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult survivors of institutional abuse were interviewed with a comprehensive assessment protocol which included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Institutional Child Abuse Processes and Coping Inventory, the Structured Clinical Interviews for Disorders of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV axis I disorders and personality disorders, the Trauma Symptoms Inventory, a Life Problems Checklist, the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory and the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale. Profiles were identified for subgroups that described severe sexual (N = 60), physical (N = 102), or emotional (N = 85) abuse as their worst forms of maltreatment. Survivors of severe sexual abuse had the most abnormal profile, which was characterised by higher rates of all forms of child maltreatment and higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol and substance abuse, antisocial personality disorder, trauma symptoms and life problems. Survivors of severe emotional abuse were better adjusted than the other two groups. The profile of survivors of severe physical abuse occupied an intermediate position between the other two groups. A thorough assessment of abuse history and current functioning should be conducted when providing services to adult survivors of institutional abuse, since this may have important implications for the intensity of services required. Survivors of severe sexual abuse may require more intensive services. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]