Critical Child Protection Studies

A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Childhood and Youth Studies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 47370

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School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK
Interests: social problems and social welfare; child protection and child welfare; social work; social policy
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Dear Colleagues,

Until the last few years of the twentieth century, there was very little critical analysis of child protection policies and practices. Child protection was embedded in discussions about what to do about child abuse—it was constituted as the technical, administrative and legal response to the problem of child abuse. The core assumption was that it was concerns about child abuse and neglect which provided the rationale and focus for child protection policies and practices. The two were seen as inseparable and inherently intertwined.

However, in recent years, the study of child protection has undergone something of a transformation and is increasingly seen as an important area for study in its own right. Rather than see ideas about child abuse as being the determining factor in explaining the nature and purposes of child protection, a number of studies have begun to look at the shape and effects of child protection in a rather more critical and analytical light, including how policies and practices were themselves invented. What has become increasingly evident is that child protection policies and practices cannot be understood simply as responses to the phenomena of child abuse and neglect. They have their own dynamics and determinations to the point where, increasingly, they seem to operate quite independently of the social problem which, it is assumed, they are trying to prevent and respond to. A whole range of political, cultural, and sociological influences come to bear on the development and operation of child protection policies, practices, and systems.

The overall rationale for this Special Issue is that it is important to explicitly recognize the importance of critically studying child protection in its own right and that ‘child protection studies’ should be identified as an emerging and distinct interdisciplinary social science ‘field of study’. Up until this point, such a development has been incremental, with much of the work involving detailed and significant empirical work. More recently, however, we can detect developments of a more comparative, conceptual, and theoretical nature. Researchers from a range of academic disciplines have been involved, including those from anthropology, criminology, health, penology, politics, psychology, social policy, social work, and sociolegal studies.

The overall aim of this Special Issue is to provide a range of cutting-edge analyses of child protection. It will include papers which will advance theoretical, conceptual, and empirical understanding of how policies and practices operate and can be progressively and constructively reformed in a rapidly changing world. The Special Issue will be international in focus and will aim to include papers from a wide range of international academics and researchers. In the process, it will aim to establish ‘child protection studies’ as a distinct field of study.

It is anticipated that papers will address some of the following:

  • The emergence and key elements of what makes up child protection;
  • Historical studies of child protection;
  • Comparative studies of child protection;
  • Detailed analyses of different child protection systems in the form of case studies;
  • The impact and implications of child protection policies for different sectors of society in terms of social class, race, gender, indigenous peoples, ability;
  • Different approaches and orientations to child protection and their impact, including differential approaches, public health models, universal services, community, and user-based services;
  • Key elements and questions to be addressed by a ‘child protection field of study’.

Emeritus Prof. Nigel Parton
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 178 KiB  
Editorial
Critical Child Protection Studies: An Introduction
by Nigel Ashmore Parton
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(10), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11100444 - 27 Sep 2022
Viewed by 2617
Abstract
Until the last few years of the twentieth century, there was very little critical analysis surrounding child protection policies and practices [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Child Protection Studies)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

16 pages, 321 KiB  
Article
Parental Partnership, Advocacy and Engagement: The Way Forward
by Simon Haworth, Andy Bilson, Taliah Drayak, Tammy Mayes and Yuval Saar-Heiman
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(8), 353; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11080353 - 8 Aug 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4725
Abstract
This article, written with parents as co-authors, has two aims: (1) to provide a critical view of the English child protection system based on parents’ views and to locate these views within contemporary child protection studies and (2) to present the transformative value [...] Read more.
This article, written with parents as co-authors, has two aims: (1) to provide a critical view of the English child protection system based on parents’ views and to locate these views within contemporary child protection studies and (2) to present the transformative value of co-production in the context of child protection studies both as a form of critical scholarship and as a means to influence policy and practice. The current children’s social work system in England does not achieve good outcomes for families, and many children and parents frequently experience it as stigmatizing, inhumane, and harmful. The article presents the experience and recommendations for change produced by parents with a broad range of experience with child protection services in England. The Parents, Families and Allies Network worked with five allied organizations in which parents identified the extensive range of problems that the current system presents and ways forward to achieve more supportive, humane, and inclusive practice with families. Seven main themes emerged: a better definition of need and response to need; partnership, participation, and humane practice; improving legal representation and support in legal proceedings; better support in care proceedings; permanence that maintains links; a better response to domestic violence; and the lack of support for disabled children. The article discusses five features of the project that supported meaningful co-production: taking a political stance, choosing clear and feasible aims, incorporating a range of knowledge, the participation of parents with lived experience throughout all phases of the project, and not settling with just knowledge production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Child Protection Studies)
14 pages, 300 KiB  
Article
Ambivalence in Child Protection Proceedings: Parents’ Views on Their Interactions with Child Protection Authorities
by Aline Schoch and Gaëlle Aeby
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(8), 329; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11080329 - 27 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2595
Abstract
Child protection is a field characterized by intrinsic tensions and ambivalence, related to the state’s intervention in the family sphere and to a double mandate of care and control. This article focuses on the participation of parents in statutory child protection proceedings and [...] Read more.
Child protection is a field characterized by intrinsic tensions and ambivalence, related to the state’s intervention in the family sphere and to a double mandate of care and control. This article focuses on the participation of parents in statutory child protection proceedings and the ambivalence they experience in their interactions with the Child and Adult Protection Authority in Switzerland (CAPA). The aim is to explore parents’ views on what they consider as hindering or enabling in their interactions with the CAPA in order to be able to fully participate in child protection proceedings. The article is based on a large interdisciplinary research project including multi-perspective cases collected in four cantons of Switzerland and puts the focus on in-depth interviews with ten birth parents. Results show that ambivalence is inherent to the interactions between parents and the CAPA, as the mere opening of child protection proceedings is experienced as a threat to the parents’ integrity. Establishing trust, recognizing parents’ expertise and acknowledging their needs are key to re-establishing parental integrity, which seems to be a fundamental pre-requisite for reducing ambivalence and enhancing participation in child protection proceedings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Child Protection Studies)
16 pages, 494 KiB  
Article
Tracking Progress towards the International Safeguards for Children in Sport
by Amy Lorraine Wilson and Daniel J. A. Rhind
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(8), 322; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11080322 - 24 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2638
Abstract
In 2018, a review was conducted to explore sporting organisations’ use of global safeguarding policies. Due to an increase in the number of organisations now adopting these policies, it is thought that an up-to-date review should be conducted to reinstate what is known. [...] Read more.
In 2018, a review was conducted to explore sporting organisations’ use of global safeguarding policies. Due to an increase in the number of organisations now adopting these policies, it is thought that an up-to-date review should be conducted to reinstate what is known. As such, this study aims to assess the current state of sporting organisations on the adoption and implementation of the International Safeguards for Children in Sport. Global organisations were contacted to take part in an online questionnaire which explored their use of the International Safeguards for Children in Sport and adopted a novel use for the activation states theory. Results indicated an international, multi-sector use of the International Safeguards as well as supported the relevancy of these Safeguards. There was some stabilisation in activation states since the last review whilst others have progressed from reactive to active. Similarly, thematic analysis highlighted multiple key indicators important in creating a broader impact through safeguarding, such as an increase in disclosures. Furthermore, the results appear to support the newly developed Safeguarding Culture in Sport model. Overall, this research appears to demonstrate an improvement in organisations’ engagement with safeguarding but also highlights areas where this can be further improved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Child Protection Studies)
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19 pages, 345 KiB  
Article
Protective Support and Supportive Protection: Critical Reflections on Safe Practice and Safety in Supervision
by Carmel Devaney and Caroline Mc Gregor
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(7), 312; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11070312 - 18 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2636
Abstract
This paper was based on a framework for practice and supervision based on ‘protective-support and supportive-protection’ (PS-SP) that can be used to discuss and plan for practice in a way that maximises the capacity of workers in child protection and welfare (CPW) services [...] Read more.
This paper was based on a framework for practice and supervision based on ‘protective-support and supportive-protection’ (PS-SP) that can be used to discuss and plan for practice in a way that maximises the capacity of workers in child protection and welfare (CPW) services to provide support and protection simultaneously. The framework is underpinned by a long-established assumption about social work in child protection and welfare as a socio-legal practice of mediation in the social. The PS-SP framework was initially developed within an ecological context with a focus on networks and networking. In this paper, we developed this framework further, framing practice supervision using four functions of supervision (management, support, development, and mediation) and including a fifth component on safety. We did this alongside a review of related considerations around safety in supervision in general and in child protection and welfare in particular. While noting the important contribution of this work, we identified ongoing gaps for supervision focused on safety when considered within an ecological context. Bearing in mind the well-evidenced stress, challenges, and vicarious nature of child protection and welfare practice, we argued the importance of a wider framework based on PS-SP for supervision and support to manage this complexity with a particular emphasis on ‘safety’ as a contribution to this. To illustrate our framework and discussion, we referred to a case study throughout. This case study is drawn from a high-profile child abuse inquiry in Ireland over a decade ago. This case was chosen as it demonstrates the complex interplay of needs for support and protection over extended time. We considered how the PS-SP framework may be used in the present (hypothetically) regarding such a case scenario. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Child Protection Studies)
17 pages, 298 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Publicly Accessible Child Protection in Sport Education and Reporting Initiatives
by Ellen MacPherson, Anthony Battaglia, Gretchen Kerr, Sophie Wensel, Sarah McGee, Aalaya Milne, Francesca Principe and Erin Willson
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(7), 310; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11070310 - 17 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3920
Abstract
Despite sport being a vehicle through which youth may achieve positive developmental outcomes, maltreatment in the youth sport context remains a significant concern. With increased athlete advocacy and research demonstrating the high prevalence of maltreatment in sport, and the urgent need to address [...] Read more.
Despite sport being a vehicle through which youth may achieve positive developmental outcomes, maltreatment in the youth sport context remains a significant concern. With increased athlete advocacy and research demonstrating the high prevalence of maltreatment in sport, and the urgent need to address it, many international organisations have created child protection in sport initiatives. Of particular focus to athletes and researchers is the provision of evidence-based comprehensive education and independent reporting mechanisms for athletes who experience harm. The current study examined the extent to which the publicly accessible information provided by three sport-specific child protection organisations regarding education and reporting is aligned with recommendations provided by researchers and athletes. With regard to education, the findings highlight accessibility, programming for various stakeholders, and coverage of topics of interest (e.g., forms of harm and reporting processes). However, educational information about equity, diversity, and inclusion and information on how to foster positive environments in sport was lacking. For reporting mechanisms, results showed that each organisation’s approach to receiving reports of maltreatment varied, including their ability to directly intake, investigate, and sanction instances of maltreatment. The findings are interpreted and critiqued considering previous literature and recommendations for future research and practice are suggested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Child Protection Studies)
16 pages, 283 KiB  
Article
Green Lights and Red Flags: The (Im)Possibilities of Contextual Safeguarding Responses to Extra-Familial Harm in the UK
by Carlene Firmin and Jenny Lloyd
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(7), 303; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11070303 - 12 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4827
Abstract
Young people experience significant harm in a range of social contexts and from adults and peers unconnected to their caregivers. The recognition of this by policymakers in England, Scotland, and Wales has resulted in child protection policy frameworks increasingly requiring social work responses [...] Read more.
Young people experience significant harm in a range of social contexts and from adults and peers unconnected to their caregivers. The recognition of this by policymakers in England, Scotland, and Wales has resulted in child protection policy frameworks increasingly requiring social work responses to the extra-familial contexts where such harm occurs, as well as to the young people affected. This paper presents results from an embedded research project in which five local children’s social care departments used a Contextual Safeguarding framework to respond to this shifting policy direction. The data collected via ethnographic methods over three years included meeting and practice observations (n = 65), meeting participation (n = 334), reviews of young people’s case files (n = 122), interviews (n = 27) and focus groups (n = 33) with professionals, focus groups (n = 6), interviews (n = 2) and surveys (n = 78) with parents and young people, and analysis of local policies and procedures (n = 101). At two stages in the project, the researchers used this dataset to review the progress in each participant site against the Contextual Safeguarding framework. Reporting on the progress made across the five sites, this paper identifies elements of the system change that appeared most feasible or challenging. The results demonstrate four ways in which current policy reforms fall short in creating national contexts that are conducive to the implementation of Contextual Safeguarding, despite local progress towards this goal. The implications for the policy and practices are outlined, with fundamental questions asked of the statutory systems which need to protect, but all too often criminalise, young people abused beyond their front doors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Child Protection Studies)
10 pages, 273 KiB  
Article
Missing Children in Italy from 2000 to 2020: A Review of the Phenomenon Reported by Newspapers
by Jessica Burrai, Alessandra Pizzo, Beatrice Prisco, Lorenza De Filippis, Emanuela Mari, Alessandro Quaglieri, Anna Maria Giannini and Giulia Lausi
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(7), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11070267 - 21 Jun 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3482
Abstract
The disappearance of children has become a public social issue that has captured the attention of many in the last two decades, especially because there is not a worldwide consensus on the definition of “missing child”. This research analyzed events of missing children [...] Read more.
The disappearance of children has become a public social issue that has captured the attention of many in the last two decades, especially because there is not a worldwide consensus on the definition of “missing child”. This research analyzed events of missing children from 2000 to 2020 in Italy; data were collected from the main national sources of information: the websites of two Italian press agencies (ANSA and Adnkronos) and the four main Italian newspapers (Il Messaggero, La Repubblica, Il Corriere Della Sera, La Stampa) with a double-blind procedure. Our data show that male minors disappear to a greater extent than female minors and the disappearance of Italian minors is more represented than that of foreign minors. The majority of minors are found and when they are found they are still alive often within the first week after the disappearance. Our data shows that children disappear between the ages of 0–5 more than the cases involving adolescents. Also, of 182 missing and found children, information regarding the presence of abuse was reported in only 18 cases. The data of the present study were discussed in comparison with those of the Italian Government’s Extraordinary Commissioner for Missing Persons highlighting differences between the official data on missing children and those reported by newspapers; this study is intended to highlight a growing focus on the phenomenon, not only from a media perspective but also from an institutional one. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Child Protection Studies)
18 pages, 320 KiB  
Article
When Helping Hurts: A Zemiological Analysis of a Child Protection Intervention in Adolescence—Implications for a Critical Child Protection Studies
by Lauren Elizabeth Wroe
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(6), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11060263 - 16 Jun 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4325
Abstract
This paper presents data from a three-year, mixed methods study into the rate and impact of ‘relocation’ as a response to extra-familial harm in adolescence by children’s social care teams. Participatory approaches to research design, data collection and analysis are used to gain [...] Read more.
This paper presents data from a three-year, mixed methods study into the rate and impact of ‘relocation’ as a response to extra-familial harm in adolescence by children’s social care teams. Participatory approaches to research design, data collection and analysis are used to gain insights from young people, parents/carers and professionals about the impact of relocations on safety. Professionals and young people report a range of harms implicated in the use of relocations, whilst sharing that the intervention often increases safety. Data are analysed zemiologically to understand this ambivalence, connecting micro accounts of harm with meso, institutional and macro structures that determine child protection intervention. Zemiology is put forward as a promising approach for a Critical Child Protection Studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Child Protection Studies)
12 pages, 472 KiB  
Article
Parental Digital Mediation According to the Age of Minors: From Restraint and Control to Active Mediation
by Rebeca Suárez-Álvarez, Tamara Vázquez-Barrio and Belinda de Frutos-Torres
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(4), 178; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11040178 - 12 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4534
Abstract
Research shows that parental mediation is essential for the introduction of minors into the digital environment and their development therein as well as to reduce their exposure to online risks. The present study examines parental strategies depending on whether minors are (dis)connected to [...] Read more.
Research shows that parental mediation is essential for the introduction of minors into the digital environment and their development therein as well as to reduce their exposure to online risks. The present study examines parental strategies depending on whether minors are (dis)connected to the Internet and whether they differ according to their age. The motivations for minors to connect are also examined in relation to the frequency to which they connect to the Internet (activities related to school or learning, interacting with friends, and being entertained). The sample consists of 776 Spanish families with minors aged 5–17. Results show that parental mediation depends on the age of the minor, parental mediation strategies are more restrictive when minors are younger, and as their age increases strategies become more dialogue and collaboration oriented. In adolescence, parents mainly control internet purchases, yet they become more flexible with minors’ presence on social networks. The conclusions reveal that parental mediation is in the process of evolving from a restrictive approach to one that is more empathetic. The change in mediation is due to a greater awareness of the relevance of proper use of the Internet for the well-being of their children. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Child Protection Studies)
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15 pages, 482 KiB  
Article
Comparative Research and Critical Child Protection Studies
by Nigel Ashmore Parton
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(4), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11040156 - 1 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5167
Abstract
This article argues that two interrelated factors have played important roles in the emergence of academic analyses of child protection policies and practices: the evidence of growing strains and crises in child protection systems over the last forty years; and the development of [...] Read more.
This article argues that two interrelated factors have played important roles in the emergence of academic analyses of child protection policies and practices: the evidence of growing strains and crises in child protection systems over the last forty years; and the development of comparative research on different systems. The latter has demonstrated that child protection policies and practices vary between different countries such that the differences could not be explained by differences in the nature of child maltreatment in the different societies—other political, social, and cultural factors were at play. This paper outlines the nature of these key developments and the conceptual frameworks which have emerged to explain the differences. A significant positive outcome is that such conceptual frameworks can be drawn upon for furthering our analyses of different policies, practices and systems and their possible reform and improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Child Protection Studies)
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12 pages, 1108 KiB  
Article
The Subjective Well-Being of Children in Residential Care: Has It Changed in Recent Years?
by Carme Montserrat, Joan Llosada-Gistau, Marta Garcia-Molsosa and Ferran Casas
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(1), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11010025 - 14 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3332
Abstract
The subjective well-being of children in residential care is a relevant issue given the practical implications for improving the lives of these children who live in contexts of vulnerability. The question addressed in this respect was: “How does this well-being change over the [...] Read more.
The subjective well-being of children in residential care is a relevant issue given the practical implications for improving the lives of these children who live in contexts of vulnerability. The question addressed in this respect was: “How does this well-being change over the years”? Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the subjective well-being displayed by adolescents aged 11–14 in residential care in Catalonia (north-eastern Spain) in 2014 to that displayed by adolescents in residential care in 2020. To this end, 572 responses to a questionnaire adapted from the Children’s Worlds project (364 from 2014 and 208 from 2020) were analysed with respect to the life satisfaction items. In both 2014 and 2020, the questionnaires had the same wording, and data were disaggregated by gender. No significant differences in means were observed between most of the life satisfaction items in 2014 and 2020, with the exception of satisfaction with friends and classmates and the area where you live, with lower means for these items in 2020. There is a discussion of the possible influence of COVID-19 on these results, while the overall stability of these children’s subjective well-being over the years is highlighted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Critical Child Protection Studies)
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