90 results
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2. Measuring levels of family stress and engagement in child protection social work: an explorative analysis of parental stress and social worker practice skills
- Author
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Antonopoulou, Vivi, Killian, Michael, and Forrester, Donald
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- 2024
- Full Text
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3. Shipping containers and speed boats: exploring the contexts and relational spaces professionals navigate to safeguard young people from criminal exploitation
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Langhoff, Kristine, Lefevre, Michelle, and Larkin, Rachel
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- 2024
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4. Problematizing Child Maltreatment: Learning from New Zealand's Policies.
- Author
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Nazari, Hamed, Oleson, James C., and De Haan, Irene
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CHILD abuse ,CHILD welfare ,SOCIAL control ,SOCIAL classes ,WELL-being ,CONTENT analysis - Abstract
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]
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- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Caring records: professional insights into child-centered case note recording.
- Author
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Hawkes, Martine, Evans, Joanne, and Reed, Barbara
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CHILD protection services ,CHILD welfare ,SOCIAL work students ,REPORTING of child abuse ,CHILD abuse - Abstract
The consequences of poorly processed reports of child abuse and neglect, along with governance challenges in child protection systems, are well-documented. Recent research, inquiries and royal commissions emphasise the need for child-centered and participatory practices that support the rights and dignity of children and their families. However, the challenges of quality case recording in child protection systems and contexts remain unclear. This paper reports on the findings from a pilot study that interviewed (n = 22) and surveyed (n = 56) social work students and social work curriculum developers from Australian Universities and practitioners currently working in the Australian child protection service system. By capturing participants' professional insights, we aim to understand the embedded barriers to transforming child-centered systems by focusing on strengths and possibilities in current practices rather than reiterating deficiencies in recordkeeping. This paper reveals insights into how professionals working in the child protection system understand and are supported in child-centered case note recording and recordkeeping practices. It also identifies the possibilities for the crucial role that interdisciplinary collaboration and alignment between social work and recordkeeping informatics can play in transforming and supporting recordkeeping approaches and practices that prioritise and uphold the rights and dignity of the child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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- View/download PDF
6. From passive subjects to active agents: enabling child-centred recordkeeping in social care contexts.
- Author
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Vincent, Sharon, Hawkes, Martine, Ogle, Justine, Evans, Joanne, and Reed, Barbara
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SOCIAL group work , *CHILD protection services , *CHILD welfare , *CHILDREN'S rights , *SOCIAL work students - Abstract
This paper describes the findings and implications of interdisciplinary exploratory research conducted by social work and recordkeeping informatics researchers in Australia and the UK. It sought to identify the practices, systems, education and technologies that can foster rights-based, child-centred recordkeeping practices in child protection contexts, exploring the transformation and advocacy work that could be achieved in child protection case note recording and recordkeeping practices and systems through interdisciplinary collaborations. Drawing from qualitative interviews, focus groups and surveys with Social Work students, Social Work educators and practice educators, and with practitioners working in children’s social care (in England) and the child protection services system (in Australia), we identify how practitioners are prepared for keeping records that reflect children’s voices and experiences, and identify emerging best practices and persistent challenges. Focusing on the intersection of child rights, archival ethics, and participatory approaches, this paper adds to the discourse on critical archival studies concerning children and calls for an interdisciplinary approach to reimagine future possibilities for participatory and child-centred practice in which children are not just passive subjects but active collaborators in the recordkeeping process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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- View/download PDF
7. Restoring Children From Out‐of‐Home Care: Insights From an Aboriginal‐Led Community Forum.
- Author
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Newton, B. J., Gray, Paul, Cripps, Kyllie, Falster, Kathleen, Katz, Ilan, Chiswell, Kimberly, Wellington, Lisa, Ardler, Richard, Frith, Fiona, Jones, Tori, Kent, Mandy, and Tong, Neika
- Abstract
ABSTRACT Restoring children from out‐of‐home care (OOHC) to their families is the preferred outcome for all children removed by child protection services, yet little is known about how restoration processes are experienced by families and services supporting them. This paper provides important insights about Aboriginal child restoration from 40 practitioners and stakeholders at a community forum led by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations in regional New South Wales (NSW), Australia. This is one component of larger Aboriginal‐led research, which investigates child protection experiences and pathways to successful restoration in NSW and the data source for this paper. The community forum explored the issues for families navigating family preservation, OOHC and restoration within child protection and legal systems. Findings include the need for a continuum of support for families throughout their engagement with child protection systems and crucially following the removal of their children. Barriers to effective restoration practice included a lack of access to meaningful and ongoing preservation services, insufficient cultural care planning and family finding efforts that are often too late, the pressure on services to support families without adequate capabilities or enough resourcing, the lack of transparency and the complexities in navigating the restoration process, and the lack of culturally informed support for children and their families while children are in care. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. This paper contributes to understanding practice, processes and barriers for restoration, particularly focused on the perspectives of Aboriginal families and communities, with potential insights for practice within Australia and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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8. Children of extremist parents: Insights from a specialized clinical team.
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Rousseau, Cécile, Miconi, Diana, Johnson-Lafleur, Janique, Desmarais, Christian, and Hassan, Ghayda
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WOUNDS & injuries , *PEARSON correlation (Statistics) , *PSYCHOLOGICAL distress , *QUALITATIVE research , *RESEARCH funding , *PARENT-child relationships , *INTERVIEWING , *PARENTING , *QUANTITATIVE research , *CHI-squared test , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *RESEARCH methodology , *ABILITY , *TRAINING - Abstract
Background: Data on children who grow up with parents adhering to violent extremism is scant. This makes it extremely delicate to inform policies and clinical services to protect such children from potential physical and psychological harm. Objective: This paper explores the predicament of children whose caretakers were referred to a specialized clinical team in Montreal (Canada) because of concerns about risks or actual involvement in violent extremism processes. Methods: This paper uses a mixed methods concurrent triangulation design. Quantitative data was obtained through a file review (2016–2020). Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews and a focus group with the team practitioners. Results: Clinicians reported the presence of stereotypes in the health and social services network frequently representing religious extremist parents as potentially dangerous or having inappropriate parenting skills while minimizing the perception of risk for parents adhering to political extremism. Children displayed high levels of psychological distress, mainly related to family separation, parental psychopathology, and conflicts of loyalty stemming from familial or social alienation. Conclusions: Training practitioners to be aware of their own personal and institutional bias may help them to understand the predicament of extremist parents' children and implement systemic, trauma and attachment informed interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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9. La restricción del acceso de los menores de edad a la pornografía online: soluciones desde el derecho.
- Author
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Martínez Otero, Juan María
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INTERNET content ,INTERNET access ,CIVIL rights ,JUSTICE administration ,CHILD welfare ,INTERNET pornography - Abstract
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.)
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- 2024
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10. "Not Everyone Can Become a Rocket Scientist": Decolonising Children's Rights in Ethnic Minority Childhoods in Norway.
- Author
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Ursin, Marit and Lyså, Ida Marie
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CHILDREN'S rights ,FOSTER children ,FOSTER parents ,MINORITIES ,LEGAL status of minorities ,CHILD welfare ,SOCIAL workers - Abstract
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]
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- 2024
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11. Tackling the 'normalisation of neglect': Messages from child protection reviews in England.
- Author
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Taylor, Julie, Dickens, Jonathan, Garstang, Joanna, Cook, Laura, Hallett, Nutmeg, and Molloy, Eleanor
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POLICE education , *PROFESSIONAL practice , *CULTURE , *CHILD sexual abuse , *PSYCHOLOGY of parents , *CHILD abuse , *RESEARCH methodology , *ATTITUDE (Psychology) , *QUANTITATIVE research , *CRIME , *FAMILIES , *MENTAL health , *QUALITATIVE research , *SEVERITY of illness index , *STEREOTYPES , *CHILD welfare , *COMMUNICATION , *INTERPROFESSIONAL relations , *POVERTY , *SUDDEN infant death syndrome , *JUDGMENT sampling , *THEMATIC analysis , *DEATH , *HOUSING , *SOCIAL case work , *MENTAL illness - Abstract
Despite a history of critique, concentrated discussion and improved assessment processes, neglect continues to be a major challenge for child protection services. This paper draws on findings from a government‐commissioned analysis of 'serious case reviews' (SCRs) in England, arising from incidents of serious child abuse in 2017–2019. There were 235 cases, for which 166 final reports were available. Alongside a quantitative analysis of the whole cohort, we undertook an in‐depth qualitative analysis of 12 cases involving neglect. A key challenge in responding to neglect in its different forms is that it can be so widespread amongst families that practitioners no longer notice its severity or chronicity – it becomes normalised. In this paper we explore two dimensions of the 'paradox of neglect' where it seems to be everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. The first is that neglect is so closely bound up with the prevalence of poverty that little action is taken to address it. The second is that the overwhelming nature of neglect can blind practitioners to other forms of maltreatment that may also be present within a family. Practitioners, now more than ever, need to recognise the dimensions of this paradox to protect children from neglect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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12. Exploring Child Grooming Sexual Abuse through Differential Association Theory: A Criminological and Legal Examination with Constitutional Implications.
- Author
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Utari, Indah Sri, Arifin, Ridwan, and Ramada, Diandra Preludio
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LEGAL documents ,LAW enforcement officials ,LAW enforcement agencies ,LAW enforcement ,TECHNOLOGICAL innovations - Abstract
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]
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- 2024
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13. Associations between child marriage and food insecurity in Zimbabwe: a participatory mixed methods study.
- Author
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Gambir, Katherine, Matsika, Abel Blessing, Panagiotou, Anna, Snowden, Eleanor, Lofthouse, Clare, and Metzler, Janna
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CHILD marriage ,FOOD security ,CHILD nutrition ,DECISION making in children ,TEENAGE girls ,GIRLS ,ADOLESCENCE - Abstract
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]
- Published
- 2024
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14. A tale of two cases – investigating reasoning in similar cases with different outcomes.
- Author
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Ruiken, Barbara
- Subjects
CHILD welfare ,RESEARCH funding ,PARENT-child relationships ,RESPONSIBILITY ,DECISION making ,PARENT attitudes ,THEMATIC analysis ,MEDICAL coding ,ILLEGITIMACY ,JUDGMENT (Psychology) ,CHILD care - Abstract
Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge 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.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Case recording in child protection: An exploration of the evidence base and good practice.
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O'Keefe, Rebecca
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PREVENTION of child abuse , *CHILD welfare , *DOCUMENTATION , *CRITICISM , *SIBLINGS , *PROFESSIONAL practice , *MISINFORMATION , *SOCIAL case work , *DISCOURSE analysis , *ELECTRONIC health records , *CONTINUING education , *EVIDENCE-based medicine , *SOCIAL support , *ACCESS to information - Abstract
There is a statutory duty for all practitioners to record information in child protection work in England. Case recording is a daily task for practitioners, yet an under-researched area of practice. This continuing professional development (CPD) paper will consider the context in which case recording takes place and highlight messages from child protection reviews and enquiries before exploring learning from contemporary research. The complexities of case recording will be considered and how practitioners can reflect upon and improve their daily case recording skills. Practitioners are encouraged to keep the child's views and experiences central and consider the long-term impact of case recording on adults who have experienced abuse and neglect in childhood. Key Practitioner Messages • Case recording is a complex and nuanced task, often missing the multiple perspectives inherent in a child's narrative. • The views, experiences and identity of individual children and young people can be lost in case recording, especially for very young children, older children and those in sibling groups. • Case recording has a support function for care experienced adults to understand their childhood histories, aiding recovery from abuse and neglect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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16. Bringing ‘care’ back into locked residential institutions: What can we learn from adolescents' experiences of secure care?
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Turcotte, Mathilde and Fenchel, François
- Abstract
In Canada and elsewhere, efforts have been made to regulate the use of secure care on welfare grounds. Yet, studies raise questions about its usefulness as a psychosocial intervention since it appears to be mostly experienced as a punishment. The main objective of the current study was therefore to explore adolescents' experiences of secure care. We conducted qualitative interviews with 25 adolescents aged 14 to 17 years old while they were placed in secure care units in the province of Quebec, Canada. Uncertainty regarding how to exit secure care was the most important theme that emerged. Participants did not always understand the words used by practitioners to frame their expectations. Adolescents were also uncertain about how to prove they no longer presented a risk to others or themselves while being in locked settings. This uncertainty generated a lot of anger and distress. To get some control back, adolescents chose to just comply and pretend to agree with practitioners. The present paper questions the utility and even legitimacy of secure care as it is currently used. However, we argue that if an ethic of care predominated our conceptualisation of secure care, rather than an ethic of justice, adolescents could feel both secure and cared for.Key Practitioner Messages: Adolescents do not perceive they are being cared for while in secure care, so they only wish to get out as soon as possible;The fact that adolescents do not understand the objectives they must attain and how they can reach these goals in locked settings causes anxiety and distress;Adolescents only focus on how they can convince practitioners that they ‘deserve’ to get out and not on why they were placed in secure care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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17. Pakistani children's lived experiences of relationships in the context of child protection services in Norway: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.
- Author
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Wilson, Samita, Hean, Sarah, Abebe, Tatek, and Heaslip, Vanessa
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- *
CHILD welfare , *IMMIGRANTS , *SOCIAL workers , *NEGOTIATION , *FAMILY relations , *EXPERIENCE , *INTERPERSONAL relations , *PHENOMENOLOGY - Abstract
This paper examines how children from immigrant background experience and negotiate power relations with family and social workers in the context of child protection services (CPS) in Norway. Using the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology, 11 children from Pakistani background were interviewed about their lived experiences with CPS. Analysis of the data highlights that children have to negotiate and navigate generational and gendered power relations both within the families and the CPS to exercise their agency. The analysis contributes to a limited research field focusing on immigrant children's multidimensional lived realities in the context of CPS, where children's voices are largely missing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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18. Family Group Conference Provision in UK Local Authorities and Associations with Children Looked after Rates.
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Wood, Sophie, Scourfield, Jonathan, Meindl, Melissa, Au, Kar Man, Evans, Rhiannon, Jones-Willams, Delyth, Lugg-Widger, Fiona, Pallmann, Philip, Robling, Michael, Schroeder, Elizabeth-Ann, Petrou, Stavros, and Wilkins, David
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CHILD welfare ,SELF-evaluation ,RESEARCH funding ,T-test (Statistics) ,EXECUTIVES ,GOVERNMENT agencies ,PATIENT-family relations ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,SOCIAL services ,DECISION making ,FOSTER home care ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,FAMILIES ,ASSOCIATIONS, institutions, etc. ,FAMILY reunification ,COMPARATIVE studies ,FOSTER children ,DATA analysis software ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,PATIENT care conferences ,SOCIAL isolation ,REGRESSION analysis - Abstract
Family group conferences (FGCs) in child welfare share decision-making with family members by bringing the immediate and wider family together to make a plan to meet a child's needs. This paper reports survey findings on FGC provision in the UK in 2022 and explores whether in England the presence of an FGC service and the rate of FGC provision is associated with the rate of children in care, entering care, in kinship foster care and leaving care. Seventy-nine per cent (n = 167) of local authorities in the UK provided FGCs to families, and 14 per cent (n = 29) did not. Services that were more established offered a more diverse range of FGCs. The introduction of FGCs in English local authorities was associated with a higher rate of children in care, but also higher rates of kinship foster care, a key goal of FGCs where it is not possible for children to stay with their parents. Higher rates of FGCs were associated with more children leaving care, possibly due to reunification with birth families. To understand in more detail, the circumstances of children in and leaving care in local authorities with FGCs, individual data linkage studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
19. Social work in the context of child protection in Seychelles: educational preparedness from a global and local perspective.
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Orock, A. N. and Navratil, P.
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PREPAREDNESS , *CHILD welfare , *SOCIAL work with children , *SOCIAL workers , *SOCIAL services , *BACHELOR'S degree - Abstract
Child protection’s complexity requires localized understanding within social work. This paper focuses on the child protection system in the Republic of Seychelles and evaluates social workers’ preparedness within this context. Through a historical analysis of social work in Seychelles and an exploration of the current child protection system with an emphasis on the educational readiness of social workers for child protection work, this study investigates the unique challenges/opportunities in this field. This study uses an exploratory case study method to analyze the educational preparedness of social workers in child protection work and identify key strategies for improving practice outcomes in Seychelles. Findings show that the education of social workers, especially at the bachelor’s degree level, is more tuned to generic training in the social work profession than specializations in specific fields of practice like child protection. Recommendations for enhancing social work practice in Seychelles and other similar contexts are given, highlighting the need for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Separation at birth due to safeguarding concerns: Using reproductive justice theory to re‐think the role of midwives.
- Author
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De Backer, Kaat, Rayment‐Jones, Hannah, Montgomery, Elsa, and Easter, Abigail
- Abstract
Separation at birth due to safeguarding concerns is a deeply distressing and impactful event, with numbers rising across the world, and has devastating outcomes for birth mothers and their children. It is one of the most challenging aspects of contemporary midwifery practice in high‐income countries, although rarely discussed and reflected on during pre‐ and post‐registration midwifery training. Ethnic and racial disparities are prevalent both in child protection and maternity services and can be explained through an intersectional lens, accounting for biases based on race, gender, class, and societal beliefs around motherhood. With this paper, we aim to contribute to the growing body of critical midwifery studies and re‐think the role of midwives in this context. Building on principles of reproductive justice theory, Intersectionality, and Standpoint Midwifery, we argue that midwives play a unique role when supporting women who go through child protection processes and should pursue a shift from passive bystander to active upstander to improve care for this group of mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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21. What do child protection social workers consider to be the systemic factors driving workforce instability within the English child protection system, and what are the implications for the UK Government's reform strategy?
- Author
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Murphy, Ciarán, Turay, Jennifer, Parry, Nicole, and Birch, Nicola
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- *
OCCUPATIONAL disease risk factors , *CHILD welfare , *RISK assessment , *CRITICISM , *SOCIAL workers , *RESEARCH funding , *PROFESSIONAL practice , *FOCUS groups , *LABOR turnover , *SOCIAL services , *INTERVIEWING , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *SOCIAL worker attitudes , *STRATEGIC planning , *WAGES , *INTERNET , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *EXPERIENCE , *LABOR market , *HEALTH care reform , *LONGITUDINAL method , *PEDIATRICS , *THEMATIC analysis , *RESEARCH methodology , *MEDICAL coding , *PUBLIC administration , *GROUNDED theory , *LABOR supply , *EMPLOYEES' workload - Abstract
In 2023, the UK Government published its long-awaited reform strategy for England's children's social care system. Whilst the strategy set out planned reforms for several aspects of the wider system, an area requiring particular 'priority' was the purported workforce instability seen within child protection social work. However, the strategy has subsequently faced criticism on the basis that the suggested reforms were not satisfactorily informed by the testimonies of practicing social workers. This paper draws from a mixed-method study to report on the lived experiences of a sample of 201 child protection social workers practicing across England, in the context of better understanding the factors which they believed were impacting on workforce stability within England's child protection system. Implications that emerge are the need for an increase in the monetary commitment offered by the UK Government (especially in the context of tackling high caseloads, and improving local authority pay scales to reduce the allure of agency work); a targeted emphasis on challenging local cultures preoccupied with evidencing compliance over time spent with children; and the Government taking a more assertive role in tackling the often-counterproductive commentary perpetuated by politicians and media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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22. Supervision as a Dispersed Practice: Exploring the Creation of Supervisory Spaces in Day‐to‐Day Social Work Practice.
- Author
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Gregory, Mark
- Abstract
ABSTRACT Supervision is integral to social work practice; however, how it operates in day‐to‐day practice remains poorly understood. Existing research mainly comprises quantitative and qualitative accounts of social workers' and supervisors' experiences of supervision. More recently, a small number of studies examining the content of supervision have added to our understanding of what happens in supervision. However, supervisory interactions outside formal supervision have received scant empirical attention. This paper draws on an ethnographic study of four social work teams in England, exploring how formal and informal case discussion supports social workers' sensemaking. Data comprised observations of case talk in the office space (
n = 21) and group case discussions (n = 2), recordings of one‐to‐one supervision (n = 17) and semi‐structured interviews (n = 22). Findings highlighted the importance ofspace in how social workers perceived and engaged with supervision. Supervisory spaces involve the interaction of physical, thinking and emotional spaces to create spaces that are supportive, task‐focused and reflective. Moreover, these supervisory spaces are not confined to formal one‐to‐one supervision or to the dyadic supervisor–supervisee relationship. This raises questions for how child protection social workers can be best supported, across diverse supervisory spaces and relationships, to ensure their practice is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Measuring the ratio of true‐positive to false‐positive judgements made by child and family social workers in England: A case vignette study.
- Author
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Wilkins, David and Meindl, Melissa
- Subjects
- *
CHILD welfare , *SOCIAL workers , *PROFESSIONAL practice , *RECEIVER operating characteristic curves , *SOCIAL services , *DECISION making in clinical medicine , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *SOCIAL case work , *SURVEYS , *JUDGMENT (Psychology) , *FAMILY support , *DATA analysis software , *MEDICAL referrals - Abstract
Social workers routinely make judgements and decisions as part of their everyday practice. The nature and quality of these can have a significant and long‐lasting impact on the children and families concerned. In this paper, we present an analysis of more than 20 000 judgements (n = 21 193) made by social workers (n = 586) in relation to case vignettes, based on a series of anonymized referrals (n = 12) to social services in England. We do so to ascertain how accurately the social workers were able to predict subsequent actions, events and outcomes, and to calculate the ratio of true positives to false positives at various decision thresholds. We find that the social workers' predictions were more accurate than chance in relation to all but one of the referrals, albeit at the cost of a high rate of false positive errors. We consider these findings in relation to what appears to be a general lowering of the threshold for child protection interventions in England in recent years and in relation to who suffers the injustice of false positive errors in child and family social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
- Full Text
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24. Restricting family life - an examination of citizens’ views on state interventions and parental freedom in eight European countries.
- Author
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Skivenes, Marit, Falch-Eriksen, Asgeir, and Hassan, Bilal
- Subjects
COMPLICATIONS of alcoholism ,CHILD welfare ,SUBSTANCE abuse ,AUTONOMY (Psychology) ,RESEARCH funding ,MENTAL health ,T-test (Statistics) ,DATA analysis ,CHILD abuse ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,FAMILY relations ,DECISION making ,FOSTER home care ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,CHI-squared test ,EXPERIMENTAL design ,SOCIAL skills ,PSYCHOLOGY of mothers ,ANALYSIS of variance ,STATISTICS ,PSYCHOLOGY of parents ,SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC factors ,SOCIAL support ,COMPARATIVE studies ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,GOVERNMENT regulation ,SOCIAL control ,LEARNING disabilities ,WELL-being ,DISEASE complications - Abstract
Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge 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.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. The Child Protection Response to Domestic Violence and Abuse: a Scoping Review of Interagency Interventions, Models and Collaboration
- Author
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Hale, Hannah, Bracewell, Kelly, Bellussi, Laura, Jenkins, Ruth, Alexander, Joanne, Devaney, John, and Callaghan, Jane E. M.
- Published
- 2024
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26. Area‐deprivation, social care spending and the rates of children in care proceedings in local authorities in England.
- Author
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Doebler, Stefanie, Broadhurst, Karen, Alrouh, Bachar, and Cusworth, Linda
- Subjects
- *
LEGAL status of children , *PUBLIC welfare -- Economic aspects , *CUSTODY of children , *STRUCTURAL equation modeling , *STATISTICS , *FAMILY support , *SOCIAL isolation , *FACTOR analysis , *RESEARCH funding , *LEGAL procedure , *POVERTY , *DATA analysis , *LONGITUDINAL method , *POISSON distribution - Abstract
This paper examined relationships between area‐level deprivation, local authorities' social care expenditure and the rates of children entering care proceedings in England using a novel data linkage of de‐identified records provided by the Children and Family Court Advisory Service (Cafcass). Using structural equation modelling, the authors found strong positive relationships between socioeconomic area deprivation and high rates of children undergoing care proceedings in England between 2015 and 2019. Preventative social care expenditure is associated with lower child rates when adjusting for deprivation. Our findings suggest that deprived and underfunded local authorities respond to an increased need by prioritizing care arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Children and families with no recourse to public funds: Learning from case reviews.
- Author
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Jolly, Andrew and Gupta, Anna
- Subjects
- *
CULTURE , *SOCIAL determinants of health , *HEALTH services accessibility , *CHILD abuse , *PSYCHOLOGICAL vulnerability , *LEGAL status of refugees , *FAMILIES , *SOCIAL justice , *EMIGRATION & immigration , *FAMILY health , *MENTAL health , *DOMESTIC violence , *LANGUAGE & languages , *COMMUNITY support , *SOCIAL security , *SOCIAL isolation , *CONCEPTUAL structures , *EXPERIENCE , *PUBLIC housing , *CHILD welfare , *CHILDREN'S health , *HOMELESSNESS , *POVERTY , *SOCIAL attitudes , *CHILD mortality , *SOCIAL case work - Abstract
This paper reviews 26 reports into deaths and serious abuse of children in families who were subject to the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) rule. Our analysis illustrates vulnerabilities caused by exclusionary policies, exacerbating social deprivation and isolation experienced by the children and families and making it more difficult for professionals to respond in ways which safeguarded children's welfare. Drawing upon a social model for protecting children that requires recognition of the social determinants of harm and the economic, social and cultural barriers faced by families, we examine the experiences of children and families with NRPF who were the subject of a serious case review, and the responses of agencies responsible for safeguarding child welfare. We conclude with recommendations for practices aimed at promoting the rights and well‐being of children and families subject to NRPF rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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- View/download PDF
28. Now you see them, now you don't: Professional recognition of specialist professionals working with Deaf British Sign Language parents in child safeguarding.
- Author
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Oram, Rosemary, Young, Alys, and Cartney, Patricia
- Subjects
- *
OCCUPATIONAL achievement , *STUTTERING , *OCCUPATIONAL roles , *DEAFNESS , *RESEARCH methodology , *LINGUISTICS , *MEDICAL personnel , *SIGN language , *INTERVIEWING , *PATIENTS' families , *CHILDREN'S accident prevention , *QUALITATIVE research , *PARENTING , *CULTURAL competence , *RESEARCH funding , *JUDGMENT sampling , *STATISTICAL sampling , *THEMATIC analysis , *VIDEO recording - Abstract
This paper concerns parenting assessments which are integral to child-safeguarding professional processes in England, and which involve Deaf parents whose primary language is British Sign Language (BSL). In an under-researched area of social work, the research aim was to contribute to the existing literature by eliciting the practice wisdom of specialist professionals. Specifically, it draws upon their linguistic and cultural knowledge of the Deaf community when they are involved in parenting assessments with Deaf parents who are subject to safeguarding concerns. Data about these professionals' actual experiences of navigating Deaf cultural-competency in contemporary child protection practices were collected through seven video-recorded, semi-structured interviews conducted in BSL. Using interpretive phenomenological analysis, data were analysed in their source language (BSL). This article focusses on one key theme, termed 'Professional Recognition', which incorporates a) the identification of specialist roles and b) the impact of referral processes and protocols on assessment outcomes. The findings highlight participants' perspectives on the benefits and disadvantages of their specialist role in this context. Although their brokerage skills, cultural competence, linguistic fluency and specialist knowledge of the Deaf community are highly regarded and valued by some colleagues, there is insufficient recognition of their existence by the majority. Secondly, participants are concerned by the inefficiency and inconsistency of the referral processes and protocols which they consider have adverse effects on assessment outcomes, and consequently the parents involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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29. The meaningful participation of children in matters that affect them: Child participation in the context of child protection across five European countries.
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Abela, Angela, Devaney, Carmel, Heggem Kojan, Bente, Kotzeva, Tatyana, Arsic, Jelena, and Wilson, Samita
- Subjects
- *
POLICY sciences , *INTERPROFESSIONAL relations , *DIFFUSION of innovations , *CHILDREN'S accident prevention , *PATIENT participation - Abstract
• The study compares children's participation in child protection (CP) legislative and policy frameworks of Bulgaria, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Serbia. • The study is based on a comparative case study analysis. • The participation of children in child protection service is framed by a complex set of factors, with the necessary infrastructure in terms of legislation and policy and contextually framed resources, knowledge and awareness being central. • Facilitating the implementation of children's participation in the context of child protection requires the necessary financial and human resources. • The exchange of good practices and experiences between countries with more developed CP systems and those who have a shorter history of CP could create innovation to find solutions for better participation of children. This paper compares children's participation in child protection (CP) legislative and policy frameworks and how this is then reflected in practice among five European countries namely Bulgaria, Ireland, Malta, Norway and Serbia. Literature suggests that whereas many countries have adapted their legislative and policy frameworks, there exists a gap between these frameworks and what happens in practice (Wilson et al., 2020; Jensen et al., 2020). This paper will address this gap by considering the contextual forces that facilitate the participation of children in formal CP services, where listening to their voices and involving them in decision-making processes is important. The authors draw on the Eurofamnet national reports (Abela and Dudova, 2021) to provide an overview of the history of child protection, and other important indicators such as poverty. A case study approach is adopted. The comparative analysis of the five countries suggests that whereas all five countries have adapted their legislation to achieve child participation and CP policies are increasingly becoming child-centered, there exists a gap between the legislative and policy frameworks and what is on offer in practice. The participation and protection of children is interdependent on a child protection service with the necessary infrastructure in terms of legislation and policy but also necessitates contextually framed resources, knowledge and awareness about the benefits of such a policy for the wellbeing of children and their families. The exchange of good practices, knowledge and experiences in terms of child participation between countries with more developed CP systems and those with a shorter history of CP practices could create long-term collaborations and innovation in the area for those countries who most need it. The influential role of international institutions is also an important driving force, especially for those countries who may not have a welfare regime context that is supportive of entering into a conversation with children when they most need protection and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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30. Problematizing Child Maltreatment: Learning from New Zealand’s Policies
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Hamed Nazari, James C. Oleson, and Irene De Haan
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child maltreatment ,child protection ,child well-being ,social investment ,materialism ,corporations ,Social Sciences - Abstract
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.
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- 2024
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31. Child protection and welfare risks and opportunities related to disability and internet use: Broadening current conceptualisations through critical literature review.
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Flynn, Susan, Doolan Maher, Rose, and Byrne, Julie
- Subjects
- *
INTERNET , *CHILD abuse , *PARENTS of children with disabilities , *CHILDREN with disabilities , *RISK assessment , *QUALITATIVE research , *CHILDREN'S accident prevention , *CHILD welfare , *PSYCHOSOCIAL factors , *THEMATIC analysis , *CYBERBULLYING - Abstract
• The method of this paper is a critical literature review with qualitative thematic analysis, on the topic of disability, child protection and the internet. • This study found that disabled children are at greatly increased risk of child maltreatment above their non-disabled peers, whilst unique complexities are documented around disabled perpetrators of abuse toward children. • Findings from this research study attempts to broaden parents and guardians, safeguarding professionals, policy makers and scholars' conceptual understanding of the impact of pervasive internet use on the unique complexities that disability presents for child protection within the digital world. • Key learning for future safeguarding practice is presented towards keeping children safe, in the context of a rapidly encroaching world wide web, and its complex social implications. Findings are presented from a critical literature review on child protection and welfare risks and the opportunities of internet use related to disability. There is evidence of unique complexities and substantially increased risks and barriers to effective safeguarding practice, at the intersection of disability, internet use and child protection. This is further complicated by the surge in internet usage leading the vast majority of children in contemporary western societies to be deeply ensconced in virtual worlds. We present findings of a critical literature review with qualitative thematic analysis applied to a sample of 33 key documents. The premise of this paper is to broaden conceptual understanding of the opportunities and risks of internet use by children and adults with disabilities in the context of child protection and welfare practice. This paper is relevant to parents, guardians, safe guarding practitioners and academics. This paper highlights key learning for future safeguarding practice, further research and scholarly work, towards keeping children safe, in the context of a rapidly expanding digital world, and its complex social implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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32. Borderline personality disorder and parenting capacity: Understanding child protection population characteristics.
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- *
CHILD protection services , *PARENT abuse , *CHILD welfare , *CHILD abuse , *MEDICAL screening , *BORDERLINE personality disorder - Abstract
This paper describes an audit of borderline symptoms, risk factors for maltreatment and types of abuse among parents who completed a parenting capacity assessment at a South Australian health-based child protection service.A retrospective case note audit within a 28-month period was conducted and included parents (
n = 107) who had completed a Mclean’s screening instrument for borderline personality disorder and/or had a psychiatric review with a formal diagnosis. Parents who had a borderline personality disorder diagnosis or endorsed five or more symptoms were categorised into the ‘high’ borderline symptom group. Rates of parental risk factors for maltreatment and type of abuse were compared between parents with low or high borderline symptoms.Forty percent of parents endorsed at least five borderline symptoms on the screening tool. On average, parents high in borderline symptoms had a greater number of parental risk factors.These findings highlight the importance of screening for personality pathology among parents presenting to child protection services. Foundational training for staff and making evidence-based interventions available should be considered in such settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2024
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- View/download PDF
33. Ανήλικοι με εισαγγελική παραγγελία διερεύνησης παραμέλησης και κακοποίησης στην Ελλάδα.
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Μιμαράκης, Δ., Σολδάτου, Α., Πάνος, Α., Πλευρίτη, Ε., and Μιχελή, Κ.
- Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the characteristics of 310 children of up to 16 years of age with suspected abuse admitted to a tertiary pediatric hospital, to describe their management process, as well as to calculate the duration and basic cost of their hospitalization. METHOD Main variables of interest were examined from a data set of minors (demographics, family and socioeconomic status, etc.) from the archives of the Social Service of “P. & A. Kyriakou” Children’s Hospital of Athens. The dataset included the total of children admitted to the hospital with a public prosecutor’s order during a specific three years period. RESULTS The socioeconomic factor most often recorded in this study’s participants was parental unemployment within the nuclear family structure. The main reason for referral to the Hospital’s Social Service was neglect. The most frequently recorded case outcome category was the return of children to their family home under the supervision of Community Social Services. The analysis of the correlations between sex, age, residence status and the referral reasons of minors noted significant differences. CONCLUSIONS The findings of the study may contribute to the design and implementation of future interventions aimed at the development of an effective and immediate response system and the formulation of abuse prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
34. Examining the family belonging of adults with institutional care experience in childhood.
- Author
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Pasli, Figen and Aslantürk, Hüsnünur
- Subjects
INSTITUTIONAL care ,ADULTS ,CHILD welfare ,FAMILIES - Abstract
This study aimed to examine the sense of family belonging of individuals with childhood institutional care experience through personal details, institutional care, and post-institutional-care variables. Conducted with 313 adults with institutional care experience during childhood, the study revealed family belonging is related to gender, marital, educational, and employment status, age, and reason for being taken into institutional care, if exposed to abuse and its type, people with whom they live after the institution, medical/psychiatric support status, and whether there is a person to provide support. The results showed that professionals and policymakers working with adults with childhood institutional care experience should consider the importance of family belonging and related factors in institutional care and adaptation to life after, and understand the importance of transition to family- and community-based care services, which will benefit child welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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35. The multiple and competing functions of local reviews of serious child abuse cases in England.
- Author
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Dickens, Jonathan, Cook, Laura, Cossar, Jeanette, Okpokiri, Cynthia, Taylor, Julie, and Garstang, Joanna
- Subjects
CHILD abuse laws ,PREVENTION of child abuse ,CHILD abuse & psychology ,CHILD welfare ,POLICY sciences ,GOVERNMENT policy ,RESEARCH funding ,RESPONSIBILITY ,CHILDREN'S accident prevention - Abstract
When children are killed or seriously harmed from abuse or neglect, there is pressure to 'learn the lessons' to prevent similar events. England has a long-established system of locally-based multi-agency reviews for this, but the recurrence of tragedies and repetitive findings raise questions about its effectiveness. Reflecting and building on our research into reviews completed between 2017 and 2021, we analyse the complexity that routine criticisms of inter-agency working disguise, and argue that reviews are shaped by their multiple, competing functions. The stated purpose is to improve practice. Within this are other overt but ambiguous goals: establishing what happened, accountability, reassurance and commemoration. Then there are covert functions: to dissipate public outrage, deflect attention from underlying causes, and distort understandings of the work by making it seem straightforward. Reviews would benefit from paying more attention to the dynamics of frontline practice and the local actions to implement the lessons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Risks and representations: Creating consensus narratives about risk with pregnant women involved with child protection systems in Aotearoa New Zealand and Scotland.
- Author
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Critchley, Ariane and Keddell, Emily
- Subjects
CHILD welfare ,CONSENSUS (Social sciences) ,RISK assessment ,SOCIAL workers ,PROFESSIONAL practice ,SOCIAL justice ,RESEARCH funding ,SOCIAL services ,MOTHERS ,PREGNANT women ,PARENTING ,DECISION making ,PRENATAL care ,HUMAN voice ,MOTHER-child relationship ,PERINATAL period - Abstract
Social work aspires to empowerment ideals, including taking a 'non-expert' position of professional curiosity, and validating the perspectives of people in contact with services. Yet in child protection, social workers are involved in practice that refutes the views and opinions of people and are positioned by their role as an identifier of abuse and risk manager. Social workers and people who are subject to child protection services can be locked into meaning battles regarding the effect of parental behaviour and the representation of risks to children. These negotiations over meanings are especially difficult in the pre and perinatal period, where who controls the representation of the baby's voice or best interests is fundamental to decision outcomes. Using Fricker's concept of 'testimonial injustice' as an analytical lens, this article draws on studies in two different contexts: Aotearoa New Zealand and Scotland, to examine the implications of the intense mediation of meanings that affect child protection practice. We find that concepts relating to the importance of mothering, love for children, and extended family relationships were sources of mother's disagreements with professional views of risk, but that through qualified agreement or advocacy from community workers, a shared risk narrative could be constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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37. Monitoring a Fragile Child Protection System: a Longitudinal Local Area Ecological Analysis of the Inequalities Impact of Children's Services Inspections on Statutory Child Welfare Interventions in England.
- Author
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BENNETT, DAVARA L, SCHLÜTER, DANIELA K, MELIS, GABRIELLA, WEBB, CALUM JR, REDDY, STEVE, BARR, BEN, WICKHAM, SOPHIE, and TAYLOR-ROBINSON, DAVID
- Subjects
CHILD welfare ,POISSON distribution ,PROFESSIONAL practice ,CHILD health services ,SOCIAL services ,POVERTY areas ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,LONGITUDINAL method ,HEALTH equity ,JUDGMENT (Psychology) ,MEDICAL needs assessment ,NEEDS assessment ,DATA analysis software ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,WELL-being ,ECOLOGICAL research ,REGRESSION analysis - Abstract
Child protection systems monitoring is key to ensuring children's wellbeing. In England, monitoring is rooted in onsite inspection, culminating in judgements ranging from 'outstanding' to 'inadequate'. But inspection may carry unintended consequences where child protection systems are weak. One potential consequence is increased child welfare intervention rates. In this longitudinal ecological study of local authorities in England, we used Poisson mixed-effects regression models to assess whether child welfare intervention rates are higher in an inspection year, whether this is driven by inspection judgement, and whether more deprived areas experience different rates for a given inspection judgement. We investigated the impact of inspection on care entry, Child Protection Plan-initiation, and child-in-need status. We found that inspection was associated with a rise in rates across the spectrum of interventions. Worse judgements yielded higher rates. Inspection may also exacerbate existing inequalities. Unlike less deprived areas, more deprived areas judged inadequate did not experience an increase in the less intrusive 'child-in-need' interventions. Our findings suggest that a narrow focus on social work practice is unlikely to address weaknesses in the child protection system. Child protection systems monitoring should be guided by a holistic model of systems improvement, encompassing the socioeconomic determinants of quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. Worker Safety in High-risk Child Protection and Domestic Violence Cases.
- Author
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Tsantefski, Menka, Humphreys, Cathy, Wilde, Tracy, Young, Amy, Heward-Belle, Susan, and O'Leary, Patrick
- Subjects
RISK assessment ,COMMUNITIES of practice ,FOCUS groups ,QUALITATIVE research ,ADULT child abuse victims ,LEGAL procedure ,ETHNOLOGY research ,WORK environment ,CHILDREN'S accident prevention ,PSYCHOLOGICAL safety ,STRATEGIC planning ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,THEMATIC analysis ,DOMESTIC violence ,TECHNOLOGY ,POLICE ,INDUSTRIAL safety ,LABOR supply - Abstract
Purpose: Few studies have investigated how high-risk domestic and family violence perpetrators threaten staff, how organizations support staff, and whether communities of practice improve service coordination and the safety of workers and the families they serve. The purpose of this article is to explore worker safety among practitioners involved in high-risk domestic and family violence and child protection cases. Methods: Participatory action research methodology was used to investigate and develop cross-sectoral workforce capacity at the intersection of domestic and family violence and child protection practice. This study, based in Queensland, Australia, drew on a subset of data from a larger study of communities of practice. Participants were 15 senior practitioners and team leaders from child protection, women's and men's domestic violence services, family support, and justice services. Data were collected in 2018. Data sources included ethnographic notes and transcripts from communities of practice and focus groups. Data were qualitatively analyzed. Results: Five key themes emerged in the findings: risks to workers associated with the physical environment; advances in perpetrators' use of technology; failings in police responses and the judicial system; a parallel process between workers' and women's responses to threats to their physical and psychological safety; and strategies for improving safety when working with high risk perpetrators of domestic and family violence. Conclusions: Improving the physical and psychological safety of workers in high-risk domestic and family violence and child protection cases requires moving beyond intra-organizational policies and practices and addressing the inter-sectoral and systemic factors that increase risk and reduce safety for child and adult victim/survivors and workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. The Nature and Scope of Reported Child Maltreatment in Euro-CAN Countries: Current Evidence and Future Opportunities
- Author
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Jud, Andreas, Neelakantan, Lakshmi, Rajter, Miroslav, Græsholt-Knudsen, Troels, Witt, Andreas, Ntinapogias, Athanasios, Quantin, Catherine, Korhonen, Laura, Roth, Maria, Daniunaite, Ieva, Bettencourt Rodrigues, Leonor, Whelan, Sadhbh, Włodarczyk, Joanna, and Otterman, Gabriel
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. No Children in the Metaverse? The Privacy and Safety Risks of Virtual Worlds (and How to Deal with Them)
- Author
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De Cicco, Diletta, Downes, James, Helleputte, Charles, Goos, Gerhard, Series Editor, Hartmanis, Juris, Founding Editor, van Leeuwen, Jan, Series Editor, Hutchison, David, Editorial Board Member, Kanade, Takeo, Editorial Board Member, Kittler, Josef, Editorial Board Member, Kleinberg, Jon M., Editorial Board Member, Kobsa, Alfred, Series Editor, Mattern, Friedemann, Editorial Board Member, Mitchell, John C., Editorial Board Member, Naor, Moni, Editorial Board Member, Nierstrasz, Oscar, Series Editor, Pandu Rangan, C., Editorial Board Member, Sudan, Madhu, Series Editor, Terzopoulos, Demetri, Editorial Board Member, Tygar, Doug, Editorial Board Member, Weikum, Gerhard, Series Editor, Vardi, Moshe Y, Series Editor, Bertino, Elisa, Editorial Board Member, Gao, Wen, Editorial Board Member, Steffen, Bernhard, Editorial Board Member, Yung, Moti, Editorial Board Member, Woeginger, Gerhard, Editorial Board Member, Rannenberg, Kai, editor, Drogkaris, Prokopios, editor, and Lauradoux, Cédric, editor
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Slippers, canes and hospitalisations: adult to child violence in 1970s UK comics.
- Author
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Hagan, Robert
- Subjects
HOSPITAL care ,SOCIAL acceptance ,CHILD protection services - Abstract
UK comics in the 1970s had an ambiguous relationship with violence. Whilst portrayals of children who committed violent acts were deemed dangerous and provocative, adult to child violence was permissible. Using a range of comics and stories from the time period but focusing particularly on Dennis the Menace, the star of the popular pre-teen humour title, the Beano, this article argues that the social acceptability of parental physical chastisement in particular rendered any potential harm to the child invisible. The wider context in which physical abuse was being conceptualised in the UK at this time is presented, and how what happened in comics was in stark contrast to real events such as the terrible murder of seven-year-old Maria Colwell in 1973. Maria's death led to changes in the law and provoked the artist Sonia Lawson to produce a striking and distressing cartoon reflecting the incident. Whilst physical chastisement remained part of the Beano well into the late 1980s, nevertheless it is argued that the Beano's decision to eradicate smacking in its pages pre-empted wider cultural views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Investing in Infants: Child Protection and Nationalism in Transylvania during Dualism and the Interwar Period.
- Author
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Gál, Edina
- Subjects
- *
INFANT mortality , *CHILD welfare , *NATIONALISM , *INTERWAR Period (1918-1939) , *MOTHERHOOD , *MEDICALIZATION , *VISITING nurses - Abstract
The high infant mortality rate of illegitimate children in Dualist Hungary urged politicians to create a modern state child welfare system for the protection of abandoned children whose upbringing became a national matter. Their main concern was providing adequate nutrition for infants and increase their chances of survival. The article examines how demographical concerns and national-political ideals influenced the evolution of the child welfare system in multi-ethnic Transylvania, first as part of the dual monarchy and after the First World War as a province of Romania. The Hungarian state children's asylums offered a variety of nursing programs for abandoned infants, where the foster-care system often resulted in their Magyarization at a later age. During the First World War, the new objective was the protection of infants together with mothers and the promotion of breastfeeding in order to ensure the viability of the Hungarian nation. National arguments were used in both time periods to support infant protection initiatives. In interwar Transylvania, the urban-rural ethnic distribution influenced the development of infant protection facilities: all state investments were channeled toward the "authentic" Romanian countryside, while in the "foreign" urban environment ethnic minorities focused on their own institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. Parent Peer Advocacy, Mentoring, and Support in Child Protection: A Scoping Review of Programs and Services.
- Author
-
Saar-Heiman, Yuval, Damman, Jeri L., Lalayants, Marina, and Gupta, Anna
- Subjects
CHILD welfare ,CHILD support ,PARENTS ,MENTORING ,INDIVIDUAL differences - Abstract
Objective: Parent peer advocacy, mentoring, and support programs, delivered by parents with lived child protection (CP) experience to parents receiving CP intervention, are increasingly recognized internationally as inclusive practices that promote positive outcomes, but little is known about what shared characteristics exist across these types of programs and what variations may exist in service delivery or impact. This scoping review examines 25 years (1996–2021) of empirical literature on these programs to develop a systematic mapping of existing models and practices as context for program benefits and outcome achievement. Method: Studies were selected using a systematic search process. The final sample comprised 45 publications that addressed research on 24 CP-related parent peer advocacy and support programs. Data analysis explored how programs were studied and conceptualized and examined their impact on parents, professionals, and the CP system. Results: Substantial variation in program settings, target populations, aims, advocate roles, and underlying theoretical frameworks were identified. Across program settings, existing empirical evidence on impact and outcomes also varied, though positive impacts and outcomes were evident across most settings. Conclusions: Findings from this review highlight the need to account better for parent peer advocacy and support program variations in future practice development to ensure alignment with inclusive and participatory principles and goals. Future research is also needed to address current knowledge gaps and shed light on the impact of these differences on individual, case, and system outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. A rejtve maradt gyermekbántalmazás és a gyermekvédelmi (és igazságszolgáltatási) rendszer működése közötti összefüggés.
- Author
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Ágnes, Solt
- Abstract
Copyright of Belügyi Szemle / Academic Journal of Internal Affairs is the property of Ministry of Interior of Hungary 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.)
- Published
- 2024
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45. What is known about Australian child protection practitioners' participation in the health care of children living in out of home care: a scoping review.
- Author
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Sanders, Rachael Elizabeth, Modderman, Corina, Bracksley-O'Grady, Stacey, Harley, Fiona, Spencer, Jacquelin, and Molloy, Jacinta
- Subjects
CHILD welfare ,AUSTRALIANS ,SOCIAL workers ,MEDICAL quality control ,VIOLENCE ,OCCUPATIONAL roles ,CINAHL database ,FOSTER home care ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,EMOTIONAL trauma ,MEDLINE ,LITERATURE reviews ,CHILD care ,HEALTH equity ,WELL-being ,PATIENT participation ,PSYCHOLOGY information storage & retrieval systems - Abstract
Purpose: There is a growing recognition of the urgency to enhance health outcomes for children and young people residing in out-of-home care (OOHC). Research underscores the need to establish effective pathways to quality health care for children and young people who have been exposed to trauma. Child protection (CP) practitioners should play a vital role in proactively improving health outcomes and navigating the intricacies of healthcare systems. Their involvement in initiating and collaborating on healthcare interventions is pivotal for the well-being of these vulnerable children and young people. However, challenges associated with poor health literacy and the complexities of healthcare systems hinder collaborative service delivery in the Australian context. This review explores how CP practitioners support the health care of children and young people in their care. Design/methodology/approach: A scoping review followed Arksey and O'Malley's framework, employing a narrative synthesis to assess the selected studies. Findings: Health outcomes for children and young people in OOHC remain under-researched and potentially under-resourced within the realm of CP practice. There is room for enhanced practices and system integration in CP service delivery to better address health needs and prevent further health and well-being disparities. Originality/value: Through this scoping review and involving industry experts in the discussion of findings, this study contributes valuable insights to the existing knowledge base regarding the active participation of CP practitioners in addressing the healthcare needs of vulnerable children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. Modern Laws, Traditional Ties: Addressing Child Marriage Amidst Turkey's Syrian Influx.
- Author
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Kasap, Gizem Halis
- Subjects
CHILD marriage ,CHILDREN'S rights ,MARRIAGE age ,CHILD welfare ,PUBLIC spending ,CIVIL code - Abstract
The Syrian crisis has led to a significant influx of migrants into Turkey, which has exposed a clash between traditional practices and modern legal frameworks. While Turkey has modernised laws, including setting the legal marriage age at 18, exceptions remain for younger ages under certain conditions. Allowing underage marriage, even under specific conditions, can inadvertently lead children to view marriage as a viable escape route from their difficulties. The article advocates for the removal of these exceptions from Turkish Civil Code. It asserts that shifting from lex nationalis to lex loci celebrationis is unwarranted, given the existing public order provisions. Beyond legal amendments, it is crucial to actively educate the Syrian community, in particular about Islamic principles and child rights, to safeguard children's welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
47. Keeping Safe Together: A Brief Report on Children’s Experiences of One ‘All of Family’ Domestic Violence Intervention Program in Melbourne, Australia
- Author
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Diemer, Kristin, Hammond, Kate, Absler, Deborah, Spiteri-Staines, Anneliese, and Humphreys, Cathy
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Familien mit psychosozialen Belastungen identifizieren: psychometrische Eigenschaften und Nutzerakzeptanz eines neuen Screeninginstruments (PFAM-Screen) für die pädiatrische Praxis
- Author
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Georg, A. K., Berning, A., Vidalón Blachowiak, T., Wiehmann, J., Al-Ameery-Brosche, I., Dierolf, J., Krämer, J., Kalmar, J., Baumann, I., Heger, J., and Taubner, S.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. From Fear and Distrust to Trust and Collaboration: Exploring Transitions in the Quality of Relationships in the Encounters Between Immigrant Parents and Child Welfare Services
- Author
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Terrefe, Tesfahun Alemayehu
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Development of a Child-Informed Measure of Subjective Well-Being for Research on Residential Care Institutions and Their Alternatives in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
- Author
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Neville, Sarah Elizabeth, Wakia, Joanna, Hembling, John, Bradford, Beth, Saran, Indrani, Lombe, Margaret, and Crea, Thomas M.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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