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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
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Results for child maltreatment
160 results foundAuthor: Sullivan, Elizabeth Title: Deprived of Dignity: Degrading Treatment and Abusive Discipline in New York City and Los Angeles Public Schools Summary: This report examines degrading treatment and abusive disciplinary measures experienced by students of color from low-income communities in public schools in New York City and Los Angeles. It documents this destructive school culture through the lens of human rights. Details: New York: National Economic and Social Rights Initiative, 2007. 62p. Source: Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 116295 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentEducationHuman Rights |
Author: Taylor, P. Title: The Cost of Child Abuse in Australia Summary: In this report, the costs to the Australian economy and society of the abuse of children and young people aged 0 to 17 years are assessed, with five main types of child abuse covered -- physical, emotional and psychological, sexual abuse, neglect and witness of (or knowledge of) family violence. Details: Melbourne: Australian Childhood Foundation and Child Abuse Prevention Research Australia, 2008. 176p. Source: Year: 2008 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 113245 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentCosts of CrimeFamily ViolenceSexual Abuse |
Author: Cusick, Gretchen Ruth Title: Crime During the Transition to Adulthood: How Youth Fare as They Leave Out-of-Home Care Summary: This study examines criminal behavior and criminal justice system involvement among youth making the transition from out-of-home care to independent adulthood. It considers the importance of earlier experiences with maltreatment and within the child welfare system on criminal behavior during the transition to adulthood. In addition, it examines whether social bonds predict criminal behavior and the risk for criminal justice involvement among former foster youth. Details: Unpublished report to the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2010. 83p. Source: Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118076 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild Welfare AgenciesCriminal CareersFoster CareJuvenile Offenders |
Author: International Tribunal for Children's Rights Title: International Dimensions of the Sexual Exploitation of Children: Global Report Summary: The sexual abuse and exploitation committed on children by adults surpass all national boundaries. These abuses thus become the responsibility of more than one state, they become, in effect, an international problem. Some of the most common examples of these international dimensions of sexual exploitation of children include child sex tourism, cross-border trafficking of children for sexual purposes, child pornography and most recently the use of the Internet as a new channel for the proliferation of these forms of abuse and exploitation. This report presents an analysis and compilation of the recommendations produced by the first cycle of interventions of the International Tribunal for Children's Rights in France, Brazil and Sri Lanka. The recommendations cover a wide array of measures aimed at better protecting children from sexual exploitation and ensuring that their abusers are properly prosecuted and convicted, all over the world. Details: Montreal: International Bureau for Children's Rights, 1999. 116p. Source: Year: 1999 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 102426 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild PornographyChild ProtectionChild Sex TourismChild Sexual AbuseHuman TraffickingSex Offenders |
Author: Hunt, Lise Title: Females Who Sexually Abuse in Organisations Working with Children: Characteristics, International and Australian Prevalence Rates: Implications for Child Protection Summary: Media coverage in recent years has highlighted the number of females in a position of authority who have sexually abused children and young people in their care. This research was undertaken to determine how much child sexual abuse is perpetrated by women in children's organizations. Key findings of the research included that 6% of all Australian reported cases of sexual abuse of children were perpetrated by females and up to 30% of female perpetrated child sexual abuse occurs in an organizational setting: primarily whilst babysitting. Details: Melbourne: Child Wise, 2006. 50p. Source: Year: 2006 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 118322 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual Abuse (Australia)Sex Offenders (Females) |
Author: Usta, Jinan Title: Child Sexual Abuse: The Situation in Lebanon Summary: This study examines the extent of child sexual abuse in Lebanon by: 1) assessing the magnitude of the problem; 2) identifying its predisposing factors and drawing a profile of children who may be at high risk for victimization; and 3)assessing the effect of the July 2006 war on the prevalence of child sexual abuse. Details: Beirut, Lebanon: KAFA (enough) Violence & Exploitation, The Higher Council for Children,and the Ministry of Social Affairs; Stockholm: Save the Children Sweden, 2008. 148p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: Lebanon URL: Shelf Number: 114417 Keywords: Child AbuseChild MaltreatmentChild Sexual Abuse (Lebanon) |
Author: Freisthler, Bridget Title: Alcohol Use, Dinking Venue Utilization, and Child Physical Abuse: Results from a Pilot Study Summary: This paper examines how a parent's use of drinking locations is related to physical abuse. A convenience sample of 103 parents answered questions on physical abuse with the Conflict Tactics Scale - Parent Child version (CTS-PC), current drinking behavior, and the frequency with which they drank at different venues, including bars and parties. Probit models were used to assess relationships between parent demographics, drinking patterns, place of drinking and CTS-PC scores. Frequent drinking, frequent drinking in bars, parties in a parent's own home, and frequent drinking at friends' homes were positively related to child physical abuse. This suggests that time spent in these venues provides opportunities to mix with individuals that may share the same attitudes and norms towards acting violently. Details: Los Angeles: California Center for Population Research, University of California - Los Angeles, 2009. 22p. Source: On-Line Working Paper Series: CCPR-036-09; Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118611 Keywords: Alcohol AbuseChild AbuseChild Maltreatment |
Author: Ahern, Laurie Title: Torture not Treatment: Electric Shock and Long-Term Restraint in the United States on Children and Adults with Disabilities at the Judge Rotenberg Center Summary: This report documents the human rights abuses of children and young adults with mental disabilities residing at the Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton, Massachusetts. Details: Washington, DC: Mental Disability Rights International, 2010. 57p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118303 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionHuman Rights, ChildrenMentally Handicapped |
Author: Beaulieu, Catherine Title: Strengthening Laws Addressing Child Sexual Exploitation: A Practical Guide Summary: This guide was developed for international and non-governmental organizations, government institutions, professionals and all those working to end the sexual exploitation of children. Its purpose is three-fold: 1) to serve as a practical tool in the assessment of national child protection frameworks; 2) to inform the process of harmonizing and strengthening legislation; and 30 to support advocacy for legal reform to better protect children. Details: Bangkok, Thailand: ECPAT International, 2008. 145p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 118828 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual Exploitation |
Author: Jones, Adele D. Title: Child Sexual Abuse in the Eastern Caribbean: The Report of a Study Carried Out Across the Eastern Caribbean During the Period October 2008 to June 2009. Summary: Although there is extensive international research, few empirical studies of child sexual abuse have been carried out in the Caribbean and there are no reliable data on the prevalence of child sexual abuse, or indeed on attitudes and perceptions of abuse across the region. This study, which was commissioned by the UNICEF Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean in a joint programming initiative with UNIFEM, aimed at investigating perceptions of child sexual abuse; exploring attitudes towards the perceptrators of child sexual exploitation; and garnering opinions on the forms of action that might make a difference. Details: Huddersfield, UK: Centre for Applied Childhood Studies; London: Action for Children, 2010. 300p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 118755 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild Sexual Abuse (Caribbean)Child Sexual ExploitationIncest |
Author: Smith, Deborah J. Title: Love, Fear and Discipline: Everyday Violence Toward Children in Afghan Families Summary: This paper is focused on adults' perspectives and opinions on violence toward children, which are at times informed by their own experiences of violence as children. In focusing on adults' perspectives it discusses why parents are violent to the children in their families. The emphasis in this paper is predominantly on physical violence to children, with some discussion of verbal abuse. Details: Kabul: Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit, 2008. 73p. Source: Internet Resource; Issues Paper Series Year: 2008 Country: Afghanistan URL: Shelf Number: 119155 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect(Afghanistan)Child MaltreatmentFamily Violence |
Author: Wells, Matthew Title: Off the Backs of the Children: Forced Begging and other Abuse Against Talibes in Senegal Summary: Tens of thousand of children attending residential Quranic schools, or daaras, in Senegal are subjected to conditions that meet the international definition of being akin to slavery, and are forced to endure often extreme forms of abuse, neglect, and exploitation by the teachers, or marabouts, who serve as their de facto quardians. The vast majority of these children, known as talibes, are under 12 years old, though many are as young as four. Many teachers force the children to beg on the streets for long hours - a practice that meets the international definition of a worst form of child labor. This report concludes that without state regulation and a commitment to hold accountable those that abuse and exploit these boys, the widespread problem of forced child begging in Senegal will worsen. Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2010. 102p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: Senegal URL: Shelf Number: 119178 Keywords: Child AbuseChild Begging (Senegal)Child LaborChild Maltreatment |
Author: Great Britain. Taskforce on the Health Aspects of Violence Against Women and Children Title: Responding to Violence Against Women and Children - The Role of NHS Summary: The violence and abuse experienced by women and children every day in the U.K. is an urgent problem that must be addressed by all, and by our institutions - including the National Health Service. This report describes the key issues identified by women and children themselves, and by National Health Service staff as well as by experts from a wide range of interested bodies, and sets out a number of recommendations to address these issues. To support the work of the taskforce steering group, four sub-groups were set up covering: domestic violence; sexual violence against women; child sexual abuse; and harmful ttraditional practices such a forced marriage, female genital mutilation, honour-based violence and human trafficking. The reports from these sub-groups are included. Details: London: The Taskforce, 2010. 64p.; supplements Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 119183 Keywords: Child AbuseChild MaltreatmentChild Sexual AbuseDomestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceHealth ServicesVictims of Crimes, Services ForViolence Against Women (U.K.) |
Author: Lamont, Alister Title: Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect for Children and Adolescents Summary: "Child abuse and neglect is a social and public health problem in Australia, as well as a children’s rights issue. Abuse and neglect can lead to a wide range of adverse consequences for children and young people. The purpose of this Resource Sheet is to indicate the possible effects of child abuse and neglect and to explore whether different types of maltreatment are associated with specific adverse consequences in childhood and adolescence." Details: Melbourne, Australia: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2010. 7p. Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 16, 2010 at: http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/sheets/rs17/rs17.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/sheets/rs17/rs17.pdf Shelf Number: 119602 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Australia)Child Maltreatment |
Author: Frank, Cheryl Title: Children Used by Adults to Commit Crime Summary: This series of reports addresses the issue of the use of children by adults to commit crime, which has been identified as a worst form of child labour. It builds on South Africa’s commitment to address child labour, as evidenced in the constitutional protection accorded to this group of children, as well as early ratification by the South African government of ILO Convention 182 concerning the elimination of the worst forms of child labour. The implementation of ILO Convention 182 is marked by the need for the design and implementation of targeted measures to address the situation of children involved in the worst forms of child labour. The individual titles in the series are: 1) Situation Analysis and Pilot Design; 2) Prevention Programme Manual; 3) Children's Perceptions of their Use by Adults in the Commission of Offences; 4) Diversion Programme Manual; and 5) Guidelines for Role-players in the Criminal Justice System. Details: Bellville, Cape Town, South Africa: Community Law Centre, Child Labour Programme of Action, 2007. 5 vols. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 17, 2010 at: http://www.communitylawcentre.org.za/clc-projects/childrens-rights/other-publications (Reports can be downloaded at this site) Year: 2007 Country: South Africa URL: http://www.communitylawcentre.org.za/clc-projects/childrens-rights/other-publications (Reports can be downloaded at this site) Shelf Number: 119330 Keywords: Child Labor (South Africa)Child MaltreatmentJuvenile Offenders (South Africa) |
Author: Brackenridge, Celia Title: Protecting Children From Violence in Sport: A Review With A Focus on Industrialized Countries Summary: During recent years, however, it has become evident that sport is not always a safe space for children, and that the same types of violence and abuse sometimes found in families and communities can also occur in sport and play programmes. Child athletes are rarely consulted about their sporting experiences, and awareness of and education on child protection issues among sport teachers, coaches and other stakeholders is too often lacking. Overall, appropriate structures and policies need to be developed for preventing, reporting and responding appropriately to violence in children’s sport. In recognition of this, the UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre commissioned a review of the available empirical research and policy initiatives on this subject. The research resulted in a wealth of information. This report defines the many aspects of the issue, provides examples of both good and poor practice, and makes suggestions for sport organizations to assist them in their violence prevention work. In particular, the study recommends improvements in: 1) Data collection and knowledge generation about violence to children in sport; 2) Development of structures and systems for eliminating and preventing violence to children in sport; 3) Education, awareness-raising and training on this subject; and 4) Promotion of ethical guidelines and codes of conduct as part of the prevention system. It is anticipated that by addressing these gaps, significant improvements will be realized for the promotion and protection of the rights of children in sport. Details: Florence, Italy: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Innocenti Research Centre, 2010. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 19, 2010 at: Year: 2010 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 118805 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionSports Violence |
Author: Schorr, Lisbeth B. Title: Pathway to the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Summary: This report presents a comprehensive set of actions that policymakers, service providers, and community organizations can take to improve the lives of children and families, particularly those living in tough neighborhoods. Its emphasis is on acting strategically across disciplines, systems, and jurisdictions to reduce the costs of abuse and neglect and to promote healthy children, families and communities. Details: Cambridge, MA: Project on Effective Interventions, Pathways Mapping Initiative, 2007. 162p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2010 at: http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/cdssweb/entres/pdf/Pathway.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.dss.cahwnet.gov/cdssweb/entres/pdf/Pathway.pdf Shelf Number: 113449 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild Maltreatment |
Author: Ahmed, Yasmine M. Title: An Exploratory Study on Child Domestic Workers in Egypt Summary: In Egypt, an estimated 2 to 2.5 million children between the ages of 6-15 are working as street vendors, agricultural labourers, factory workers, laundry workers and helpers for mechanics, with the vast majority (83%) working in rural areas. This exploratory study The provides first-hand baseline data on employers of child domestic workers, former and current child domestic workers and their families. It reveals the opinions of children, employers, recruiters and families who are impacted by child domestic labour. Details: Geneva: Terre des hommes, Centre of Migration; Cairo: Center for Migration and Refugee Studies, 2010. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: Egypt URL: Shelf Number: 115398 Keywords: Child LaborChild Maltreatment |
Author: Finkelhor, David Title: Children's Exposure to Violence: A Comprehensive National Survey Summary: This Bulletin describes the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV), a nationwide survey of the incidence and prevalence of children's exposure to violence. NatSCEV estimated both past-year and lifetime exposure to violence across a number of categories, including physical assault, bullying, sexual victimization, child maltreatment, dating violence, and witnessed and indirect victimization. The NatSCEV study showed high levels of exposure to violence among a nationally representative sample of youth. More than three in five reported being direct or indirect victims of violence in the past year, and of those, nearly two-thirds were victimized more than once. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 2009. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 15, 2010 at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/227744.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/227744.pdf Shelf Number: 119807 Keywords: Abused ChildrenBullyingChild MaltreatmentChild Sexual AbuseChildren, Crimes AgainstDomestic ViolenceViolent Crime |
Author: Biehal, Nina Title: Maltreatment and Allegations of Maltreatment in Foster Care. A Review of the Evidence Summary: Since the 1980s The Fostering Network (UK), and its predecessor the National Foster Care Association (NFCA), have expressed concern about the sensitive issue of allegations of abuse against foster carers. This concern is shared by the Department for Education, the Scottish Government and DCSSF in Northern Ireland (Department for Education and Skills, 2006; Department for Children Schools and Families, 2009b; Department for Children Schools and Families, 2009a). Such allegations are profoundly upsetting for foster carers, can lead to the removal of children from their care and may result in some carers giving up fostering. Unfounded allegations therefore create immense stress for both children and carers, may cause placement disruption and may reduce the already inadequate supply of foster carers. In cases where such allegations are substantiated, the implications are even more serious. Concern about abuse in care has been expressed at least since the late 1970s. Following a series of high profile scandals about abuse in children’s homes a number of official enquiries were conducted into abuse in residential care, but there has been far less attention to the question of maltreatment in foster care. However, the Utting review of safeguards for children living away from home did highlight the importance of awareness of abuse in foster care. It argued that since fostering is essentially a private activity, fostered children may be isolated and particularly vulnerable, especially as many of them are very young (Utting, 1997).This report also suggested that children in private fostering placements may be particularly vulnerable, as local authorities are unaware of how many such placements exist in their area. Both unfounded allegations of maltreatment by foster carers and actual maltreatment of children in foster care are matters of serious concern. Yet despite the importance of these issues, there is little awareness in the policy, practice and academic communities of the research evidence available. This review has been conducted by the University of York, in partnership with The Fostering Network, and funded by The Nuffield Foundation. It draws together the research evidence that exists both on allegations of abuse and confirmed maltreatment and considers the implications of this rather limited body of evidence. Details: York, UK: Social Policy Research Unit, University of York, 2010. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper No. WP 2437: Accessed October 7, 2010 at: http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/research/pdf/FCabuse.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/research/pdf/FCabuse.pdf Shelf Number: 119880 Keywords: Child AbuseChild MaltreatmentFoster Care |
Author: Burnett, Jon Title: State Sponsored Curelty: Children in Immigration Detention Summary: This report presents key findings from the UK’s first large scale investigation into the harms caused by detaining children. Immigration detention is indefinite. In 2001 the New Labour government made a decision to detain families for immigration purposes, in the same way as single adults. This culminated in the detention of as many as 1,000 children a year in three Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs); Yarl’s Wood near Bedford, Tinsley House at Gatwick Airport, and Dungavel near Strathaven, Scotland. In 2010 the coalition government pledged to end the detention of children. Prime Minister David Cameron said ‘after the Labour Government failed to act for so many years, we will end the incarceration of children for immigration purposes once and for all’. However, the power to detain children still remains along with continued ‘dawn raids’, taking children into temporary care, and the separation of family members in order to force them to leave the UK. Details: London: Medical Justice, 2010. 79p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 9, 2010 at: http://http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/images/stories/reports/sscfullreport.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://http://www.medicaljustice.org.uk/images/stories/reports/sscfullreport.pdf Shelf Number: 119901 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentHuman RightsImmigrant DetentionImmigrantsImmigration |
Author: Barth, Richard P. Title: Development Status and Early Intervention Service Needs of Maltreated Children Summary: Children younger than three years of age are the most likely of all children to become involved with child welfare services. Those with medical or developmental conditions experience an even higher level of involvement, including more removals from parental care and longer stays in foster care. In 2003, the Federal government amended the Child Abuse and Prevention Treatment Act (CAPTA) to require that infants and toddlers who are substantiated for child maltreatment be referred to early intervention services funded under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The CAPTA requires each state to develop “…provisions and procedures for referral of a child under the age of three who is involved in a substantiated case of child abuse or neglect to early intervention services funded under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act” (section 106(b)(2)(A)(xxi)) (CAPTA, 2003). While there is some general agreement that children who experience child abuse/neglect may experience a range of developmental delays across developmental domains, little is known about the true extent of developmental problems of children substantiated for abuse/neglect, and those subsequently removed from parental custody and placed in an alternative living environment. This dearth of information is in part due to the inconsistencies in child welfare practice across jurisdictions; variability in state and jurisdictional eligibility criteria for infants and toddlers for Part C service; differential policies, procedures, and practice competencies of public child welfare workers; and the differential availability of resources to serve children once identified. Further complicating the issue is the requirement under Part C that states must provide services to children who meet the state criterion for eligibility, but states may also choose to serve children who are “at risk of having substantial developmental delays if early intervention services are not provided.” Only five states (CA, HI, MA, NM, & WV) currently serve such at risk children. This project is funded by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Child maltreatment has been shown to have a significant negative impact on children’s healthy growth and development. However, national estimates of the extent and type of need for early intervention services for maltreated infants and toddlers are lacking. The overarching question guiding our analysis is: What are the developmental problems among children receiving Child Welfare Services that suggest a need for Part C early intervention services? Implementing CAPTA requirements poses a variety of challenges. A key challenge is the lack of information on which to begin considering problems and solutions. Therefore, the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation has endeavored to achieve maximum benefit from data already collected in the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS) and the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) in an effort to provide some information about maltreated children and early intervention. This study answers several key questions: 1. To what extent do maltreated children have developmental problems or are subject to factors associated with poor developmental outcomes? 2. What services might these maltreated children be eligible for and what services are they receiving through child welfare systems? 3. What child and/or case characteristics (e.g., child welfare setting) influence developmental service receipt by maltreated children? and 4. What barriers to service provision and solutions have experts in the field identified? Data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being was used to describe the developmental characteristics of infants and toddlers in Child Welfare Services nationally. The National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS) was used to provide comparative national information on infants and toddlers entering Part C early intervention services. In addition to these two data sources, we conducted a literature review and discussions were held with Part C and Child Welfare Service experts. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, 2007. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/08/devneeds/report.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/08/devneeds/report.pdf Shelf Number: 119990 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild Maltreatment |
Author: Turton, Jackie Title: An Investigation Into the Nature and Impact of Complaints Made Against Paediatricians Involved in Child Protection Procedures Summary: Child protection is a complex and emotive area for any professional. A Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) survey (2004) demonstrated that paediatricians in the field are often the targets of unfounded complaints and that the number of such complaints was rising. Although over 97% of complaints were subsequently unproven, the survey identified that complaints had a profound impact on the professional and private lives of some paediatricians and had influenced their willingness to undertake future child protection work. The findings of this survey prompted a more detailed qualitative study to explore the nature and impact of complaints made against paediatricians in relation to child protection. The research undertaken was commissioned by the RCPCH as part of an ongoing programme of activity to support doctors working in child protection. Semi-structured interviews with a representative sample of 72 paediatricians drawn from the 2004 survey were conducted during mid-2005. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and the transcripts thematically analysed with NVIVO software. The sampling method used enabled the inclusion of a broad spectrum of paediatric experiences and the complaints discussed varied both in relation to the nature of the complaint and how far they progressed through the system. It is acknowledged that a limitation of the study was that the views of complainants were not sought, mainly because of ethical and practical difficulties of identifying complainants within the project time frame. The College Research Division has recently received funding for a project involving parents that will be used to complement the findings from this study. The study identified common themes in relation to complaints and considered strategies that might minimise complaints. It also highlighted the more general concerns expressed by paediatricians about their roles in safeguarding children, including educational and training needs. Details: London: Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, 2007. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: http://www.chimat.org.uk/resource/item.aspx?RID=56784 Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.chimat.org.uk/resource/item.aspx?RID=56784 Shelf Number: 119968 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Cancian, Maria Title: The Effect of Family Income on Risk of Child Maltreatment Summary: Over six million children were reported to the child welfare system as being at risk of child abuse or neglect in the United States in 2008. Researchers and policymakers have long recognized that children living in families with limited economic resources are at higher risk for maltreatment than children from higher socioeconomic strata, but the causal effect of income on maltreatment risk is unknown. Because many factors, for example, poor parental mental health, are known to increase the probability both of poverty and child maltreatment, teasing out the causal role of income can be challenging. Using newly available data, we exploit a random assignment experiment that led to exogenous differences in family income to measure the effect of income on the risk of maltreatment reported to the child welfare system. We find consistent evidence of a causal effect. Details: Madison, WI: Institute for Research on Poverty, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2010. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: Institute for Research on Poverty Discussion Paper no. 1385-10: Accessed October 21, 2010 at: http://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/dps/pdfs/dp138510.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.irp.wisc.edu/publications/dps/pdfs/dp138510.pdf Shelf Number: 120046 Keywords: Child AbuseChild MaltreatmentChild WelfarePovertySocio-Economic Status |
Author: Brandon, Marian Title: Building on the Learning from Serious Case Reviews: A Two-Year Analysis of Child Protection Database Notifications 2007-2009 Summary: Serious case reviews (SCRs) are local enquiries into the death or serious injury of a child where abuse or neglect are known or suspected. They are carried out under the auspices of Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) so that lessons can be learnt locally. Every two years an overview analysis of these reviews throughout England has been commissioned to draw out themes and trends so that lessons learnt from these cases can inform both policy and practice. This is the 5th such biennial analysis of serious case reviews, and relates to incidents which occurred during the period April 2007 - March 2009. The report aims to collate and describe data from the child protection database reports on all notifications which progressed to a SCR during this two-year period, adapting the coding framework used in the 3rd and 4th biennial analyses. It also compares those notifications (of serious injuries or harm) which do and do not become a serious case review and analyses the data to produce descriptive statistics and findings in relation to initial themes and trends emerging from the database reports. Details: Runcorn, UK: UK Department of Education, 2010. 61p. Source: Internet Resource:Research Report DFE-RR040: Accessed October 23, 2010 at: http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR040.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://publications.education.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DFE-RR040.pdf Shelf Number: 120062 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: U.S. Children's Bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect Title: Community Partnerships: Improving the Response to Child Maltreatment Summary: This manual offers guidance on how diverse community agencies, organizations, and individuals can work together to form a web of support for families and create safe, healthy environments where children can thrive. The manual describes the benefits of community partnerships, outlines the steps for establishing and sustaining partnerships, and demonstrates how to measure results. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, 2010. 142p. Source: Internet Resource: Crime Abuse and Neglect User Manual Series: Accessed November 4, 2010 at: http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/partners/partners.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/partners/partners.pdf Shelf Number: 120184 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Welfare |
Author: Freisthler, Bridget Title: Social Mechanisms of Child Maltreatment Summary: This article begins to describe and explicate the specific mechanisms by which substance use and the substance use environment contribute to specific types of child maltreatment. These mechanisms relating alcohol outlet densities and drug market activities to child maltreatment described here include effects on social disorganization, parent's drinking and drug use behaviors, and parental supervision. By investigating potential mechanisms, new information could be obtained on the importance and role of alcohol, drugs, and their availability in the etiology of child maltreatment. This knowledge can be used to further tailor interventions to those conditions most likely to prevent and reduce maltreatment. Details: Los Angeles: California Center for Population Research, University of California - Los Angeles, 2010. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: PSP-CCPR-2010-018: Accessed December 3, 2010 at: http://papers.ccpr.ucla.edu/papers/PWP-CCPR-2010-018/PWP-CCPR-2010-018.SocMech Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ccpr.ucla.edu/papers/PWP-CCPR-2010-018/PWP-CCPR-2010-018.SocMech Shelf Number: 120369 Keywords: Alcohol Outlet DensityChild Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentDrug MarketsDrug UseSubstance Abuse |
Author: Freisthler, Bridget Title: Exploring the Relationship Between Levels of Alcohol Use and Child Physical Abuse Summary: This study examined how different levels of drinking were related to the perpetration of child physical abuse in California. Methods. A general population telephone survey of 3,023 parents or legal guardians 18 years or older was conducted across 50 cities in California during March 2009 through October 2009. The telephone survey included items data on physically abusive parenting practices, drinking behaviors, and socio-demographic characteristics. Results. Ordered probit models found that heavier moderate drinkers, infrequent heavy drinkers, occasional heavy drinkers, and frequent heavy drinkers were all more likely to report engaging in physically abusive behaviors over the past year than were lifetime abstainers. The marginal effects for some demographic variables were statistically significant for participants who reported no and minor physical abuse. Conclusion. Parents who drink heavily infrequently or occasionally are not likely to meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence. Children of these parents may be overlooked by both the substance abuse treatment and child welfare systems, meaning that without intervention or services they are at greater risk for future problems. Details: Los Angeles: California Center for Population Research, University of California - Los Angeles, 2010. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: PWP-CCPR-2010-017: Accessed December 3, 2010 at: http://papers.ccpr.ucla.edu/papers/PWP-CCPR-2010-017/PWP-CCPR-2010-017.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ccpr.ucla.edu/papers/PWP-CCPR-2010-017/PWP-CCPR-2010-017.pdf Shelf Number: 120370 Keywords: Alcohol AbuseChild Abuse and NeglectChild Maltreatment |
Author: Freisthler, Bridget Title: The Geography of Drug Market Activities and Child Maltreatment Summary: The purpose of this study is to begin to understand how the drug market activities place children at risk for being abused or neglect by examining both the temporal and spatial patterns of drug market activities over time. Data were collected for 95 Census tracts in Sacramento, California over seven years (n = 665). The study examined the relationship between child maltreatment (as measured by referrals, substantiations, and foster care entries) and drug possessions and drug sales. Data were analyzed using Bayesian space-time models. The study found that referrals for child maltreatment investigations were less likely to occur in places where current drug market activity (as measured by drug possessions and drug sales) were present. However, drug sales and past year local and spatially lagged drugs sales were positively related to referrals. After the investigative phase (i.e., referrals) Census tracts with more drug possessions and drug sales had higher numbers of substantiations and those tracts with more possessions also had more entries into foster care. The temporal delay between drug sales and child maltreatment referrals may: (1) indicate that the surveillance systems designed to protect children may not be very responsive to changing neighborhood conditions or (2) be indicative of the time it takes for drug sales to reach their users and for the detrimental effects of the drug use to appear. Drug activity is likely factored into the overall risk to children by child welfare caseworkers as evidenced by significantly higher substantiations and foster care entries in these areas. Details: Los Angeles: California Center for Population Research, University of California - Los Angeles, 2010. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: PWP-CCPR-2010-016: Accessed December 3, 2010 at: http://papers.ccpr.ucla.edu/papers/PWP-CCPR-2010-016/PWP-CCPR-2010-016.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ccpr.ucla.edu/papers/PWP-CCPR-2010-016/PWP-CCPR-2010-016.pdf Shelf Number: 120380 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentDrug MarketsDrug Offenders |
Author: Mathews, Benjamin Title: Teachers Reporting Child Sexual Abuse: Towards Evidence-Based Reform of Law, Policy and Practice: Final Report Summary: This report presents the results of the largest study ever conducted into the law, policy and practice of primary school teachers’ reporting of child sexual abuse in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. The study included the largest Australian survey of teachers about reporting sexual abuse, in both government and non-government schools (n=470). Our research has produced evidence-based findings to enhance law, policy and practice about teachers’ reporting of child sexual abuse. The major benefits of our findings and recommendations are to: • Show how the legislation in each State can be improved; • Show how the policies in government and non-government school sectors can be improved; and • Show how teacher training can be improved. These improvements can enhance the already valuable contribution that teachers are making to identify cases of child sexual abuse. Based on the findings of our research, this report proposes solutions to issues in seven key areas of law, policy and practice. These solutions are relevant for State Parliaments, government and non-government educational authorities, and child protection departments. The solutions in each State are practicable, low-cost, and align with current government policy approaches. Implementing these solutions will: • protect more children from sexual abuse; • save cost to governments and society; • develop a professional teacher workforce better equipped for their child protection role; and • protect government and school authorities from legal liability. Details: Brisbane, QLD: Queensland University of Technology, 2010. 145p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 6, 2010 at: http://eprints.qut.edu.au/33010/1/ARC_DP0664847_Final_Report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://eprints.qut.edu.au/33010/1/ARC_DP0664847_Final_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 120387 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual Abuse (Australia) |
Author: O'Donnell, Dan Title: Child Victims of Torture and Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment Summary: This paper addresses the legal framework and medical and psychological impacts of torture on children. Part One, Legal Framework, begins by showing the three characteristics that legally distinguish torture from child abuse, by definition: Torture is committed by an agent of the state or someone acting with the encouragement or acquiescence of the state. Torture is committed for the purpose of obtaining information or a confession; to intimidate, coerce or punish the immediate victim or a third person; or as part of discrimination. Torture must cause severe pain or suffering. Because of these differences, torture should be treated differently to child abuse, in particular with regard to law enforcement. The fact that torture is committed by a representative of the state justifies a stronger response. That it involves severe pain or suffering is another reason that the response must be proportionate. International law prohibits both torture and „cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment‟, although the distinction between them is not clearly defined. When the victim is a child, his or her greater vulnerability must be taken into account in determining whether the acts inflicted constitute torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, according to jurisprudence of international courts and other bodies. The obligations of states regarding torture are different from those regarding child abuse. Under international law suspected torturers must be prosecuted, and if they are convicted, the sentence must reflect the gravity of the crime. In contrast, prosecution is not always the most appropriate response to child abuse, especially when it takes place in the home. Most states have accepted an obligation to cooperate with one another in investigating and prosecuting torture, and to prosecute any torturer found in their territory, regardless of where the crime took place. No similar obligation exists with regard to child abuse. The torture of children occurs in different contexts, including police operations against children seen as a threat to public order or safety; children confined in prisons or detention facilities; and children seen as linked to subversive groups, including the children of militants States have special obligations under international humanitarian law when torture or inhuman treatment are committed during armed conflict or foreign occupation. They must search for and extradite or prosecute persons alleged to have committed such “grave breaches” of humanitarian law. Individuals also may be prosecuted before the International Criminal Court for torture or cruel or degrading treatment committed during armed conflict. The obligation to bring torturers to justice in order to prevent impunity must be reconciled with the right of child victims to psychological recovery and the principle that the best interests of the child must be a primary concern in all decisions and proceedings that affect children. The United Nations Guidelines on Justice in Matters involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crimes can help reconcile these concerns. They provide that victims should be treated in a caring and sensitive manner that takes into account their personal situation and needs, and respects their physical, mental and moral integrity; that interviews and examinations should be conducted by trained professionals; and that all interactions should be conducted in a child-sensitive manner in a suitable environment. Part Two of the working paper addresses the medical and psychological impacts. States have an inescapable responsibility not only to prevent torture and punish torturers but also to assist the victims. These duties have special implications for health professionals. Yet the torture of children has low visibility and recognition among health workers. Details: Florence, Italy: United Nation's Children Fund Innocenti Research Center, 2010. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Innocenti Working Paper No. 2010-11: Accessed December 9, 2010 at: http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/iwp_2010_11.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/iwp_2010_11.pdf Shelf Number: 120433 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChildren, Crimes AgainstTorture |
Author: Hilferty, Fiona Title: The Evaluation of Brighter Futures, NSW Community Services' Early Intervention Program: Final Report Summary: This report presents the findings of the evaluation of the NSW Community Services‘ early intervention program, Brighter Futures. Brighter Futures is an innovative program, which has changed the practice of child abuse prevention services in NSW. The program has broken new ground nationally and internationally by developing an evidence-based service model; requiring caseworkers to use validated instruments for assessment and reporting; and being delivered through a cross-sectoral partnership between Community Services and non-government organisations. It is also innovative in specifically targeting families who are at most risk of entering the child protection system. The Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) at the University of New South Wales was commissioned to evaluate the program shortly after its state-wide rollout. SPRC worked in collaboration with researchers from the Centre for Health and Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE) at the University of Technology, Sydney, who undertook the Economic Evaluation. The results summarised in this document and detailed in the main report present a picture of program success. However as a consequence of evaluation timing, and the innovative nature of the program, teething problems associated with implementing a new program were identified. Evaluation findings were limited by the narrow timeframe with which we had been able to observe participant families following their exit from the program. Further tracking of participant families is possible as an avenue for future research. Key findings for each component of the evaluation are provided throughout the report. Details: Sydney: University of New South Wales, Social Policy Research Centre, 2010. 305p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2010 at: http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/brighter_futures_evaluation4.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/brighter_futures_evaluation4.pdf Shelf Number: 120442 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Australia)Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionEarly Intervention Programs |
Author: Greenbook National Evaluation Team Title: The Greenbook Initiative Final Evaluation Report Summary: In 1999, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges published Effective Intervention in Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment Cases: Guidelines for Policy and Practice (known as The Greenbook due to its green cover). The Greenbook’s principles and recommendations served as a guide for how communities and three primary systems—child welfare agencies, domestic violence service providers, and the dependency courts—should respond to families experiencing domestic violence and child maltreatment. In 2000, six communities received funding and other support from the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to implement the Greenbook recommendations over the course of a 5-year demonstration initiative. A national evaluation examined the process and effects of implementing the Greenbook recommendations on collaboration, systems change, and practice within and across the three primary systems. This effort was led by the national evaluation team, with extensive input and assistance from the local research partners, project directors, and others at the sites and the Federal partners. The national evaluation team collected data through site visit interviews with project directors, local research partners, and key collaborative stakeholders; stakeholder surveys; direct service worker surveys for each of the three primary systems; and child welfare case file reviews. The national evaluation ended data collection activities in June 2006, but several sites continued Greenbook work using rollover funds from the original grants. The Greenbook national evaluation results are presented in three reports. The Greenbook Demonstration Initiative: Process Evaluation Report: Phase 1 focused on the planning and goal setting phase of the Greenbook initiative in the sites. The Greenbook Demonstration Initiative: Interim Evaluation Report discussed work at the midpoint of the initiative, when the communities had moved from planning to implementation. This final evaluation report assesses the extent to which the Greenbook implementation activities facilitated cross-system and within system change and practice in the child welfare agencies, dependency courts, and domestic violence service providers. In addition to these evaluation reports, a special issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence will present Greenbook initiative national evaluation findings for a wide research- and policy-oriented audience. Findings of the evaluation show the efforts the partners made, the challenges and conflicts they faced in carrying out their work, and—to different degrees and in different sites and systems — the changes they were able to bring about in how the systems work to identify and respond to the needs of families and children experiencing the co-occurrence of domestic violence and child maltreatment. Details: Fairfax, VA: ICF International, 2008. 122p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2011 at: http://www.thegreenbook.info/documents/FinalReport_Combined.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://www.thegreenbook.info/documents/FinalReport_Combined.pdf Shelf Number: 120816 Keywords: Child AbuseChild MaltreatmentFamily Violence |
Author: Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth Title: Working Together to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect - A Common Approach for Identifying and Responding Early to Indicators of Need Summary: Current systems for protecting children in Australia are struggling to achieve their primary objective - to meet the needs of children. The statutory child protection system is overburdened with notifications of alleged child abuse and neglect, with numbers more than tripling nationally between 1999/2000 (107,134) and 2008/2009 (339,454) (AIHW 2008 and 2010). This represents huge demand on the resources within child protection agencies to assess and investigate these reports, and on government resources more broadly. The new approach is being developed under the auspices of the Common Approach to Assessment, Referral and Support (CAARS) Taskforce, which was established by the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) and the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) in 2009. The CAARS project is one of the 12 National Priorities planned during the initial three year period of the COAG National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009-2020: Protecting Children is Everyone’s Business. The Common Approach promotes the use of common language across professions and can be embedded in existing practice. With it universal service providers will have at their disposal a comprehensive and, at the same time, easy-to-use instrument that helps them identify the needs of children and families at an early stage. The Common Approach also provides guidance to practitioners on the next steps involved in assisting and empowering these children and families to meet their needs in an effective and timely manner. The Common Approach is thus expected to enhance the capacity of universal service providers to identify the strengths, concerns, protective factors and unmet needs of children, young people and families, and to facilitate a pathway to appropriate support services. Details: Woden, ACT: Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, 2010. 162p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 8, 2011 at: http://www.aracy.org.au/cmsimages/file/CAARS%20Final-Report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aracy.org.au/cmsimages/file/CAARS%20Final-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 120893 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (AustraliaChild MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Murtaza, Amir Title: Silent Shrieks: A Situational Analysis of Violence Against Street Children in Karachi Summary: Violence against children is certainly not a new phenomenon. Millions of children throughout the world, including Pakistan, are the victims of physical, sexual, emotional violence and discrimination. However, the definition of “violence” to children varies from country to country and culture to culture. Different countries have differing levels of “legal” violence to children, characterizing such violence as forms of allowable punishment. Negative impact of globalization, unplanned urbanization, increasing poverty, rural-urban migration and rising unemployment have devastating consequences for children. Under these adverse circumstances, poor families, especially in underdeveloped countries, abandon their children or they run away because of lack of parental care and concern. Poverty, neglect and mistreatment are the major factors compelling them to leave their homes and seek shelter in big cities, making streets, market places, bus stops and railway stations as their new homes. To make a living, they take petty jobs, indulge in immoral activities and often take drugs. In the process, they come across criminals who lure them to a similar life of crime. Children who leave, run away, or forced to take refuge in the streets are generally attracted to Karachi, the economic capital of the country. Therefore, street children are extremely visible in all 18 towns of the city. The exact numbers of street children in Karachi are unknown; a look of railway stations or bus stops strengthens the prevailing notion that the arrival of any train/bus from rural areas of the country increases the number of street children in Karachi. The working conditions of these children can be described as dirty and dangerous. They do all sorts of manual work and do not find any profession that could ultimately lead them to skilled profession. Children on the streets suffer both physically and psychologically. Their exposure to unhealthy living and working conditions, vulnerability to physical and sexual abuse, drugs and indulgence in criminal activities are some of the physical threats. Violence against street children in Karachi manifests itself in a number of forms. However, the exact scope of the problem is not known as it has been only in the last few years that the prevalence of deliberate physical and mental violence to street children by parents, peers, police and others has begun to be acknowledged however not documented. The purpose of this situational analysis is to document the patterns and magnitude of violence against street children in Karachi and provide groundwork for further researches. Details: Pakistan: Initiator Human Development Foundation, 2010. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2011 at: http://www.crin.org/docs/SLIENT-SHRIEKS.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Pakistan URL: http://www.crin.org/docs/SLIENT-SHRIEKS.pdf Shelf Number: 121072 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentStreet ChildrenViolence Against Children |
Author: National Center for Youth Law Title: Broken Promises: California’s Inadequate and Unequal Treatment of its Abused and Neglected Children Summary: The National Center for Youth Law examined key child welfare outcomes that indicate whether California’s 58 counties are protecting child abuse victims and meeting the needs of children in foster care. Our Report is based upon 12 performance measures — an equal number of federal and state measures that address the six areas listed below. The state measures were established as a part of California’s 2001 legislative mandate (AB 636) for greater accountability among county child welfare programs. The federal measures are used by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) to determine state compliance with federal mandates for child safety, stability, and permanency, and states are sanctioned if they do not meet federal performance standards. The measures are: • Recurrence of Abuse or Neglect • Incidence of Child Abuse and/or Neglect in Foster Care • Foster Care Re-entries • Stability of Foster Care Placements • Length of Time to Reunification • Length of Time to Adoption These outcome measures provide a gauge to determine how well children are being protected and, when they enter foster care, whether they are moved promptly back to a safe home, whether it be with their biological parents, a relative, adoptive parents, or other permanent placement. For those children who remain in care longer, the measures show whether a county has provided that child with a stable placement. Finally, by tracking the rate at which children re-enter care, the measures provide some indication of whether children are being returned to their families too soon, or if families are not given enough support to allow parents to properly care for their children. Details: Sacramento, CA: National Center for Youth Law, 2006. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 11, 2011 at: http://www.teenhealthlaw.org/fileadmin/ncyl/youthlaw/publications/2006_broken_promises.pdf Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: http://www.teenhealthlaw.org/fileadmin/ncyl/youthlaw/publications/2006_broken_promises.pdf Shelf Number: 121308 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (California)Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild WelfareFoster Care |
Author: Robson, Paul Title: Ending Child Trafficking in West Africa: Lessons from the Ivorian Cocoa Sector Summary: This report finds that trafficking of children to cocoa farms in Côte d’Ivoire still occurs. The research found significant numbers of young people in Mali and Burkina Faso who had worked as children in cocoa farms in Côte d’Ivoire in the last five years. The practices occur in the context of large-scale movements of people within the region including the trafficking of children to other agricultural activities and to other sectors. Details: London: Anti-Slavery International, 2010. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2011 at: http://www.antislavery.org/includes/documents/cm_docs/2011/c/cocoa_report_for_website.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Africa URL: http://www.antislavery.org/includes/documents/cm_docs/2011/c/cocoa_report_for_website.pdf Shelf Number: 121740 Keywords: Child LaborChild MaltreatmentChild Trafficking (West Africa)Human Trafficking |
Author: Sedlak, Andrea J. Title: Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS–4): Supplementary Analyses of Race Differences in Child Maltreatment Rates in the NIS–4 Summary: For the first time in the history of the National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect, the most recent cycle, the NIS–4, found race differences in maltreatment rates, with Black children experiencing maltreatment at higher rates than White children in several categories. The efforts described in this report attempted to understand this finding by considering possible reasons why the NIS–4 results diverged from the findings in earlier cycles and by using multi-factor logistic modeling to reanalyze the NIS–4 data in order to isolate whether and how race contributed to maltreatment risk independent of the other important risk factors that correlated with race. The authors examined two possible explanations for why the NIS–4 found statistically reliable race differences in rates of some categories of child maltreatment, in contrast to the findings of previous NIS cycles. They concluded that the finding is at least partly a consequence of the greater precision of the NIS–4 estimates and partly due to the enlarged gap between Black and White children in economic well-being. Income, or socioeconomic status, is the strongest predictor of maltreatment rates, but since the time of the NIS–3, incomes of Black families have not kept pace with the incomes of White families. Race correlates with a number of other predictors of maltreatment, so it was important to take the effects of these other correlated predictors into account when evaluating the effects of race. The authors attempted to do this by building multi-factor models that incorporated all the statistically reliable predictors of maltreatment in the category. The final multi-factor models revealed that race did have effects on risk in certain maltreatment categories, even after the effects of other important predictors were considered. Black children were at significantly greater risk than White children of experiencing physical abuse under both the Harm and Endangerment Standards, but in both cases, this race difference depended on SES. The race difference was small or nonexistent among children living in low SES households, but it was notably larger for children in not-low SES households. In two maltreatment categories, Endangerment Standard emotional maltreatment and overall Endangerment Standard maltreatment, race differences depended on SES and family structure. There were no race differences among children in low SES households, but the maltreatment risk for Black children in not-low SES households was two or more times greater than the risk for White children in this condition. Black children were also at comparatively elevated risk when living with unmarried parents or a single parent with a partner in the household, whereas the risk for White children in those circumstances was considerably lower. At the same time, White children appeared to have somewhat higher risk than Black children when living with married parents who were not both biologically related to them and when living with a single parent who had no cohabiting partner. White children had significantly higher risk for Endangerment Standard physical neglect, but this race difference appeared only among children in low SES households. This pattern resembled the earlier findings of multi-factor analyses of the NIS–3 data, which applied in more maltreatment categories in that study (Sedlak and Schultz, 2005). The present findings are qualified by the limitations of the predictors that were available for the NIS–4 multi-factor analyses, which comprised only general demographic characteristics of the children and their families. The key measure of SES was less than ideal in two respects—the large amount of missing data that required imputation and the fact race differences that emerged in the not-low SES condition could, in part, actually reflect the underlying income differences. Independent evidence indicates that Black and White children very probably have different underlying SES distributions within the NIS–4 non-low SES category, with the not-low SES Black children less well off than the not-low SES White children. If the economic resources of Black and White children had been equivalent in this condition, then the observed pattern of higher risk for Black children under non-low SES conditions may not have emerged. For these reasons, the race differences observed in the not-low SES condition in this report must be interpreted with caution. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, 2010. 110p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 24, 2011 at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/abuse_neglect/natl_incid/nis4_supp_analysis_race_diff_mar2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/abuse_neglect/natl_incid/nis4_supp_analysis_race_diff_mar2010.pdf Shelf Number: 121795 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentRace/EthnicityRacial DiparitiesSocioeconomic Status |
Author: Clacherty & Associates Title: Hard Work, Long Hours and Little Pay: Research with Children Working on Tobacco Farms in Malawi Summary: This research on tobacco farms in Malawi reveals that child labourers, some as young as 5, are suffering severe physical symptoms from absorbing up to the equivalent of 50 cigarettes a day through their skin. As the tobacco industry continues to shift its production to developing countries, more vulnerable children are being exposed to these hazardous working conditions. Details: Lilongwe, Malawi: Plan Malawi, 2009. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 18, 2011 at: http://plan-international.org/files/global/publications/protection/Plan%20Malawi%20child%20labour%20and%20tobacco%202009.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Malawi URL: http://plan-international.org/files/global/publications/protection/Plan%20Malawi%20child%20labour%20and%20tobacco%202009.pdf Shelf Number: 122090 Keywords: Child Labor (Malawi)Child MaltreatmentTobacco |
Author: Munro, Emily R. Title: Scoping Review to Draw Together Data on Child Injury and Safeguarding and to Compare the Position of England with That in Other Countries Summary: Statistical data on the proportion of children identified as likely to suffer significant harm, cases of substantiated abuse and neglect and the number placed in public care vary between regions and countries, as do placement types and service responses. Comparing the situation in England with that elsewhere and exploring similarities and differences in the approaches adopted to safeguard children from harm allows current policy and practice to be benchmarked against others. To make meaningful comparisons of data on child death, injury and safeguarding, it is first necessary to ascertain what data are already routinely collected by different countries and how comparable these datasets are. This report presents the findings from a small scale scoping review undertaken between July and December 2010 to explore some of these issues. The overarching aim of the study is to scope the existing international data on safeguarding children from physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and exposure to intimate partner violence and from child death and injury. The objective is to consider how different institutional and cultural approaches to safeguarding children and different forms of provision and support may influence trends in the incidence and nature of abuse and neglect and similarities and differences in the responses of public authorities. The study focuses on ascertaining the availability of data on preventable child death and injury and safeguarding; and identification of a core set of variables to facilitate exploration of the comparability of these data. Details: London: Department for Education, 2011. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report DFE-RR083: Accessed July 27, 2011 at: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-RR083 Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/RSG/AllPublications/Page1/DFE-RR083 Shelf Number: 122181 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.K.)Child MaltreatmentChild Sexual Abuse |
Author: Knerr, Wendy Title: Parenting and the Prevention of Child Maltreatment in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of Interventions and a Discussion of Prevention of the Risks of Future Violent Behaviour Among Boys Summary: This review aims to answer the following question: Are parenting interventions in low- and middle-income countries effective at reducing harsh and abusive parenting, increasing positive parenting behaviours, improving parent–child relationships or reducing child conduct problems? It will provide an overview of the broad issue of child abuse and neglect and the types of parent- or primary carer-focused interventions which either explicitly or implicitly aim to prevent them. It will include conclusions from high-quality systematic reviews of reviews of interventions from high-income countries; information about interventions with a strong evidence base in high-income countries, which have been implemented but not rigorously trialed in low- or middle-income countries; and discussion about the ‘active ingredients’ of evidence-based parenting interventions that have been shown to prevent or reduce abuse and neglect. In addition the review will analyse and discuss issues related to effective cultural adaptation of parenting interventions from one setting or population to another, and will also include a brief case study of an intervention from a middle- or low-income country, or an intervention with a strong evidence base from a high-income country which has been implemented but not trialed in a low- or middle-income country. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Sexual Violence Research Institute, South African Medical Research Council, 2011. 72p, Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 1, 2011 at: http://www.svri.org/parenting.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Africa URL: http://www.svri.org/parenting.pdf Shelf Number: 122235 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentParenting |
Author: Wagner, Dennis Title: California Department of Social Services Validation of the SDM® Reunification Reassessment Summary: In early 1999, the State of California began a phased implementation of a new case management system for child welfare services (CWS). The California child welfare Structured Decision Making® (SDM) system was developed in 1998 by seven pilot counties with the assistance of Children’s Research Center (CRC) and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). Workgroups comprised of staff from pilot counties and CRC developed several objective assessments to improve child welfare case management, including the following: A hotline screening protocol, to help determine if an intake referral meets the criteria for an in-person investigative response; A response priority assessment, to help intake workers decide how quickly to respond to an allegation of abuse and/or neglect; A safety assessment, to identify service interventions to protect children during a protective service investigation; An actuarial risk assessment, which estimates the family’s risk of future maltreatment at the close of an investigation; A family strengths and needs assessment, to help workers identify case plan goals and appropriate interventions when a case is opened for in-home or foster care services; A child strength and needs assessment, for identifying service interventions to improve the well-being of children. An in-home case risk reassessment, to evaluate progress toward case plan goals, update case plans, and estimate the likelihood of subsequent child maltreatment; and A foster care reunification reassessment, to monitor family progress towards reunification and inform the worker’s decision to reunify a child. The primary objectives of the SDM® system are to help child welfare agencies improve child well-being and safety and to expedite permanency. Workers complete SDM assessments at critical points in the child welfare case management process, e.g., safety planning, case opening, case plan goal identification, and child reunification. The assessments are fully integrated into CDSS case management policy guidelines for intake screening, child protective services (CPS) investigation, and ongoing family services. Since SDM implementation in 1999, the California family risk assessment and risk reassessment have been validated twice, and the construct validity of the response priority and safety assessment has also been assessed. Since the SDM assessments workers use in foster care took longer to implement, and placement case outcomes require additional time to observe, it was not possible to assess them until recently. By 2005, 17 California counties had implemented the family strengths and needs assessment (FSNA) for case planning and the California reunification reassessment (CRR) for evaluating caregiver progress toward reunification. In 2009 CDSS contracted with CRC to conduct a validation study of the CRR and the FSNA. Since the objectives of the SDM system are to improve child safety and expedite permanency, preferably by reunifying the child and family, this study attempts to (1) examine the relationship between foster care case assessment findings and two outcomes which reflect permanency and safety—child reunification and foster care reentry; (2) evaluate the utility of both assessments as constructs for improving reunification or reentry outcomes; and (3) propose changes in assessment procedure or content that may improve their performance. Details: Madison, WI: Children's Research Center, National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 2010. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2011 at: http://www.nccd-crc.org/crc/crc/pdf/CRR_Validation_Report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.nccd-crc.org/crc/crc/pdf/CRR_Validation_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 122459 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Welfare (California)Foster Care |
Author: Applied Research Services, Inc. Title: The Georgia Cold Case Project Summary: The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 had three goals: prevent unnecessary foster care placements; reunify children with parents whenever possible; and bring about the expeditious adoption of children unable to return home. The aim was to produce positive outcomes for both children and families. Compliance with federal requirements is assessed by the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) conducted by the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Georgia’s first CFSR in 2001 indicated the state was not performing in conformity with federal requirements, thus it was required to develop a Program Improvement Plan (PIP) to address each area of concern and given two years to implement the plan. By 2006 the Children’s Bureau determined that Georgia failed to complete all PIP requirements successfully and assessed a $4.3 million penalty, with additional penalties each year until compliance. Despite areas of positive performance, Georgia failed its second CFSR which indicated a difficulty with establishing permanency in a timely manner for children with extended stays in foster care (referred to herein as “cold cases”). In response, the Supreme Court of Georgia Committee on Justice for Children dedicated Court Improvement Project funds to develop a method for improving permanency outcomes for long term foster care “cold cases.” This project is timely as Georgia strives to improve performance in this area and anticipates successful successful completion of the PIP by August 2010. Working in full partnership and support with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and the Georgia Office of the Child Advocate, the Committee implemented the Georgia Cold Case Project in 2009. The Georgia Cold Case Project (June 2010) describes the process of defining and identifying “cold” cases, the development of a program protocol, the analyses of 214 cold cases, and feedback from anonymous surveys of case managers and attorneys. Fifteen policy recommendations are presented to help Georgia better respond to the permanency needs of children in foster care. The study found that the typical cold case child was 14 years old and had been in care for six years (ranging from less than one year to 16 years). The vast majority (85%) had some type of identified disability. Nearly two thirds of the children (64%) lived in an institution or group home; one third lived in a family setting (foster family, foster relative, or pre-adoptive home). The group averaged nine placements per child; 25% of the children had a dozen or more placements. For 90% of the children there was more than one reason for DFCS involvement in their lives. Parental substance abuse was the most frequently observed primary reason, followed by child neglect. One third of the children (36%) had previously been removed from their home. One in three children came from a single female-headed home. While one in three was part of a sibling group that could be placed together, only 25 kids in our sample were in a placement with a sibling. The abuses suffered by the children of this study were overwhelming. They often involved the drug addiction or mental illness of parents. Nearly one in three (29%) children had been a victim of sexual assault, primarily by parents and family members. The negative effects of sexual abuse permeate into adulthood as traumatic sexualization can lead to hypersexual or sexual avoidance behaviors. The feelings of intense guilt can manifest as substance abuse, self-mutilation and suicidal gestures. Details: Atlanta, GA: Applied Research Services, Inc., 2010. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 26, 2011 at: http://w2.georgiacourts.org/cj4c/files/The%20Georgia%20Cold%20Case%20Project_2010(1).pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://w2.georgiacourts.org/cj4c/files/The%20Georgia%20Cold%20Case%20Project_2010(1).pdf Shelf Number: 122485 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Welfare (Georgia)Foster Care |
Author: Siegel, Gary L. Title: Differential Response in Nevada: Final Evaluation Report Summary: Differential Response is a relatively new approach to child protection that has been implemented in one form or another in all or parts of approximately 20 states. In its most common form, incoming reports of child maltreatment are screened into one of two groups or response tracks. Reports involving more severe abuse or neglect, situations in which the safety of children is at imminent risk, are investigated in the standard manner. Reports that are less severe receive a family assessment, a procedure designed to be less stigmatizing and more preventative, seeking to address underlying causes of a family’s current, sometimes chronic problems. Family assessments are not less focused on the safety of children than investigations, and if concerns about child safety surface during an assessment, the system response is changed and an investigation conducted. Begun in early 2007, the Nevada DR project was phased in over a three-year period and family assessments became available to families in all but the most remote parts of the state. The Nevada DR model is unique among states with DR programs in involving community-based FRCs in all DR family assessment cases from start to finish. Ten FRCs and the Children’s Cabinet in Washoe County provide DR services in 11 Nevada counties where over 98 percent of the state’s population resides. Findings Nearly all families who receive a family assessment express satisfaction with the way they are treated and with the help they receive or are offered. Most feel their families are better off for the experience. The response of Nevada families has been as positive as families in other states who participated in similar evaluations of DR programs. Many of the families who receive a family assessment are poorer and less well educated than other families in the state. Many describe being stressed, for emotional and financial reasons or because they are socially isolated with few people to turn to for help. Importantly, families who receive services through DR tend to be those experiencing significant problems related to the wellbeing of their children, who often live in poverty, and with problems that are sometimes acute and often chronic in nature. Feedback from families and FRC case workers indicate that the DR program has been implemented with model fidelity, that is, as designed, both in terms of the protocol—the manner in which families are approached in response to a report of child maltreatment—and in terms of the assistance and services provided to them, often to address basic needs. Both FRC-DR workers and CPS case workers express a need for more training about DR. The DR program has achieved significant improvements in the outcomes of families when compared with similar families who have received a standard investigation, including: fewer subsequent reports of child maltreatment, fewer new investigations or family assessments, and fewer removals of children from their homes. Details: St. Louis, MO: Institute of Applied Research, 2010. 164p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 1, 2011 at: http://www.iarstl.org/papers/NevadaDRFinalReport.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.iarstl.org/papers/NevadaDRFinalReport.pdf Shelf Number: 122582 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Welfare (Nevada) |
Author: Flynn, Brean Title: Designing and Implementing Differential Response Systems in Child Protective Services: A Three State Case Study Summary: There are many types of child maltreatment and interventions must be able to address these differences. Differential Response Systems (DRS) are an alternative to traditional child protective service investigations based on the idea that flexibility in responding to reports of child maltreatment is in the best interest of children and their families. DRS focuses on the whole family unit, instead of addressing only the children involved. Relying on strength-based support through home or community visits, DRS offer services to empower families based on their unique strengths, and individual needs and risks. Family assessments and traditional investigations have an equal focus on child safety, and reports can be referred for an investigation if concerns about child safety arise during an assessment. As with any human service system, reform can be daunting and more difficult than expected. This report documents accomplishments and challenges that Minnesota, North Carolina, and Nevada have experienced during implementation of a Differential Response System. Our aim, in partnership with Casey Family Services, is to outline the story of change and the process of implementing the DRS models experienced by this small sample of states. Based on information collected from key interviews and literature, including but not limited to evaluation reports on each state’s DRS model, we have highlighted several important similarities and differences across the three states. We hope that these findings will provide insight to other states considering the implementation of a Differential Response System. Details: Medford, MA: Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University, 2011. 150p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 6, 2011 at: http://ase.tufts.edu/uep/Degrees/field_project_reports/2011/Team_1_Final_Report.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://ase.tufts.edu/uep/Degrees/field_project_reports/2011/Team_1_Final_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 122666 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.S.)Child MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: United Nations Children’s Fund Title: Violence Against Children in Tanzania: Findings from a National Survey 2009 Summary: Violence against children is a serious human rights, social and public health issue in many parts of the world and its consequences can be devastating. No country is immune, whether rich or poor. Violence erodes the strong foundation that children need for leading healthy and productive lives, and violates the fundamental right of children to a safe childhood. Violence against children is never justifiable. Nor is it inevitable. If its underlying causes are identified and addressed, violence against children is entirely preventable. The United Nations Secretary-General’s (UNSG) World Report on Violence against Children (2006) was the first and most comprehensive global study on all forms of violence against children. The aim of the study was to research, report, and make recommendations on violence in the multiple settings where children live and survive — including the home and family, in schools, care and justice systems, the workplace and the community. Overarching recommendations from this global study included the need to ‘develop and implement systematic national data collection and research’ urging States to improve data collection and information systems in order to identify the most vulnerable children, inform policy and programming at all levels and track progress towards the goal of preventing violence against children. Tanzania is the first country in Africa to undertake A National Study on Violence against Children – for the first time measuring all forms of violence (sexual, physical and emotional) amongst girls and boys and giving national estimates of the prevalence of violence. The results of this study which you are about to read indicate that sexual, physical and emotional violence are common for children growing up in Tanzania, and the perpetrators of this violence are often near and known to the children. This report provides, for the first time, national estimates which describe the magnitude and nature of violence experienced by both girls and boys in Tanzania. It highlights the particular vulnerability of girls to sexual violence and the negative health consequences of these experiences in their childhoods and beyond. Violence against children is a major threat to national development and our work to achieve the vision laid out in MKUKUTA and to reach the Millennium Development Goals. We will not achieve quality primary and secondary education unless children are safe in school. The spread of HIV/AIDS will not be halted until we stop sexual violence that helps to fuel the pandemic. We will not reduce the incidence and costs of mental and physical health problems if we do not address all forms of violence against children. We will not challenge the social and cultural legitimacy of violence in Tanzania without understanding its circumstances. The obligation for all States to work toward the elimination of all forms of violence against children is recognized by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratifi ed by Tanzania in 1990. Efforts to prevent violence form part of the government’s national commitment to uphold the right of each child to his or her human dignity and physical integrity. This commitment is refl ected in the Tanzanian Law of the Child Act (2009) - the national legal and regulatory framework to protect children. The results of this study will help the Government of Tanzania, through the Multi-Sector Task Force that has coordinated the Study, to enhance efforts to break the silence around violence against children and establish a stronger foundation for both prevention and response, nested within a nationally supported Child Protection System in line with the Law of the Child Act (2009). What is critical now is to move the Study from research to action. Responses are required across all sectors – including health, social welfare, education, justice – and at all levels - national, regional, district and lower levels. Civil society groups and individual citizens all have important roles to play. Details: Dar es Salaam: UNICEF Tanzania, 2011. 152p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 16, 2011 at: http://www.unicef.org/media/files/VIOLENCE_AGAINST_CHILDREN_IN_TANZANIA_REPORT.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Tanzania URL: http://www.unicef.org/media/files/VIOLENCE_AGAINST_CHILDREN_IN_TANZANIA_REPORT.pdf Shelf Number: 122754 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Tanzania)Child MaltreatmentChild Sexual AbuseChildren, Crimes AgainstViolence Against Children |
Author: Radford, Lorraine Title: Child abuse and neglect in the UK today Summary: This report presents new research findings from the NSPCC on child maltreatment in the United Kingdom, looking specifically at the prevalence and impact of severe maltreatment. We found that the rates of child maltreatment reported by young adults aged 18–24 were lower in 2009 than in 1998, suggesting maltreatment may be less prevalent today. However, significant minorities of children and young people in the UK today are experiencing severe maltreatment and this is associated with poorer emotional wellbeing, self-harm, suicidal ideation and delinquent behaviour. In 2000 the NSPCC published ground breaking research on the prevalence of child maltreatment in the UK. The research was based on a household survey of 2,869 young adults’ memories of childhood abuse (Cawson et al, 2000). In the past 11 years a lot has changed in children’s lives and in methods of research. The new research aimed to provide up to date information on the prevalence and impact of child maltreatment in a nationally representative sample of children and young people living in the UK, and to compare rates of childhood experiences reported by young adults interviewed in 2009 with rates reported in 1998-9. This study looked at children’s and young adults’ experiences of childhood maltreatment at home, in school and in the community. This first report presents the findings from this research on the prevalence, impact and severity of child maltreatment. Details: London: National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 2011. 205p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 19, 2011 at: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/findings/child_abuse_neglect_research_PDF_wdf84181.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/findings/child_abuse_neglect_research_PDF_wdf84181.pdf Shelf Number: 122773 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.K.)Child Maltreatment |
Author: McCloskey, Laura A. Title: A Systematic Review of Parenting Interventions To Prevent Child Abuse Tested with RCT Designs in High Income Countries Summary: This review aims to answer the following question: Are parenting interventions in low- and middle-income countries effective at reducing harsh and abusive parenting, increasing positive parenting behaviours, improving parent–child relationships or reducing child conduct problems? It will provide an overview of the broad issue of child abuse and neglect and the types of parent- or primary carer-focused interventions which either explicitly or implicitly aim to prevent them. It will include conclusions from high-quality systematic reviews of reviews of interventions from high-income countries; information about interventions with a strong evidence base in high-income countries, which have been implemented but not rigorously trialed in low- or middle-income countries; and discussion about the ‘active ingredients’ of evidence-based parenting interventions that have been shown to prevent or reduce abuse and neglect. In addition the review will analyse and discuss issues related to effective cultural adaptation of parenting interventions from one setting or population to another, and will also include a brief case study of an intervention from a middle- or low-income country, or an intervention with a strong evidence base from a high-income country which has been implemented but not trialed in a low- or middle-income country. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Sexual Violence Research Initiative, 2011. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 6, 2011 at: http://www.svri.org/systematicreviewParent.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.svri.org/systematicreviewParent.pdf Shelf Number: 122998 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionParentingSocioeconomic Status |
Author: Alexander, Kate Title: The Experiences of Children Participating in Organised Sport in the UK Summary: This is the report of a major three year study of children and young people’s experiences of participating in organised sport in the UK. Conducted between 2007 and 2010, the study had two elements: • An online survey of students (aged 18–22) in higher and further education institutions across the UK exploring their experience and retrospective views of participating in organised sport as children (aged up to 16). The survey yielded 6,124 valid responses • In-depth telephone interviews with young people who identified themselves in the survey as having experienced some harm in sport and who were willing to be interviewed. Eighty nine interviews were conducted. Many children participate in sport at every level: as elite or club athletes; recreationally; as helpers – ball boys and girls, mascots; and as spectators (Sport England, 2005 ). The Football Association (FA) estimates four million children in England participate in football alone (The Football Association, 2010). The benefits to children of participating in sport are well known and publicised (Scottish Executive, 2003). These include enhancement of self-confidence and self-esteem, physical and mental health, and wellbeing (Scottish Executive, 2003). However, evidence also suggests that a significant minority of children participating in sport face negative and harmful experiences, ranging from minor misuse of power and bullying to sustained and systematic physical and sexual abuse of the most serious kind. Children’s negative experiences of sport was the main focus of this study. Examples of negative experiences highlighted in the literature include (Brackenridge, 2001, Fasting, 2005): • Authoritarian, abusive, aggressive and threatening behaviour • Disrespectful treatment, including criticism and mockery of the child’s performance, and victimisation • Over-training and excessive physical demands • Ill treatment by over-aggressive and undermining parents • Bullying • Physical abuse • Emotional abuse • Grooming by paedophiles • Serious and sustained sexual assault and abuse. This study set out to investigate these issues and develop a greater understanding of the potential negative treatment of children in organised sport in the UK. Funded by NSPCC, the study was important because: • While the family is the setting for most maltreatment and abuse of children by adults, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and, in particular, sexual abuse, are all experienced outside the family in other settings (Radford et al., 2011 ). Sport is an activity engaged in by many children in the UK (Sport England, 2003b, Sports Council Wales, 2006, Sports Scotland, 2008a) and therefore, it is important to examine negative and harmful experiences of children in this setting • Prior research has been conducted on aspects of child maltreatment in sport in the UK (Brackenridge, 2001, Myers and Barret, 2002, Gervis and Dunn, 2004, Hartill, 2005, Stirling, 2008). However much of it has tended to focus on particular forms of harm, or on particular sports, or on the experience of elite athletes. Research examining the range of negative experiences that may be faced by children across sports and at all levels of participation is limited • Research in the UK focusing on children’s and young people’s views about the negative experiences of sport is also limited. The study aims were to: • Address the gap in the literature about harm to children in specific settings, in this case sport • Investigate the range of maltreatment and negative experiences children might face in sport settings • Explore the negatives of participating in sport • Provide information to assist in the development of policy about child abuse in sport • Provide information to Sports Governing Bodies and others involved in the delivery of sport to children about the harm to children and young people in organised sport (club level and above), enabling them to more effectively target policy, resources, training and support. Details: Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh/NSPCC Centre for UK-wide Learning in Child Protection, 2011. 202p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 22, 2011 at: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/findings/experiences_children_sport_main_report_wdf85014.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/findings/experiences_children_sport_main_report_wdf85014.pdf Shelf Number: 123087 Keywords: BullyingChild MaltreatmentSports (U.K.)Sports and Aggression |
Author: International Labour Office Title: An In-Depth Analysis of Child Labour and Poverty in Honduras Summary: The present document describes the country's political, economic and social context; analyses general labour market conditions and the context within which children's work takes place; a summary of the general situation of children's work in the country; the relationship between children's work and poverty and other conditioning factors; conclusions and recommendations. Details: San José, Costa Rica, International Labour Office, 2004. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 31, 2011 at: Year: 2004 Country: Honduras URL: Shelf Number: 118325 Keywords: Child Labor (Honduras)Child MaltreatmentPovertySocioeconomic Conditions |
Author: Gayle, Herbert Title: 'Forced Ripe!' How Youth of Three Selected Working Class Communities Assess their Identity, Support, and Authority System, including their Relationship with the Jamaican Police - A Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research (PEER) Summary: The focus of this research is on youth forced ripe and their relationship with the institutions and services on which they depend. In Jamaica the term forced ripe or fouce ripe is used most commonly to describe fruits, especially mangoes that are overexposed to sunlight but lack the other nutritional support to be tasty. Forced ripe fruits are deficient. They are poor tasting and therefore easily discarded. From the ground a forced ripe mango may seem fit but is a disappointment when it is plucked from the branches. Many adults use the metaphor fouce ripe to describe youth, but do so without fully assessing its implications. Many make an assumption of agency, which suggests that the youth are largely responsible for their development or graduation into adulthood and therefore are to blame for the problems or challenges associated with the decisions they make. This position seems to ignore the fact that youth depend on several social services and institutions to develop or at least survive. Many adults ignore the social structures of the Jamaican society, the lack of opportunities and the various forms of abuse that youth endure which force them to become adults prematurely. Much more nurture and protection are needed from the social institutions on which working class youth depend if they are to become properly riped fruits or young adults who can make a positive contribution to themselves, their families, their communities and the Jamaican society. The Forced Ripe Report is divided into four sections. Section (i) is an introduction and sets out the policy context of the study, as well as provides a brief synopsis of the findings. Section (ii) is the methodology. It outlines the objectives of the study, explains the selection of the three communities, and discusses the PEER method and how it was employed in the study. Section (iii) is the findings and core of the study. Section (iv), the final part presents some suggestions for strengthening agency and transforming social institutions in ways that empower young people, especially those of the working class. Details: Jamaica: The University of the West Indies, 2007. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 5, 2012 at http://198.170.76.2/jamspred/Forced_Ripe_Gayle_with_Levy.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Jamaica URL: Shelf Number: 123978 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Jamaica)Child MaltreatmentEthnography |
Author: Brandon, Marian Title: A Study of Recommendations Arising from Serious Case Reviews 2009-2010 Summary: To enable lessons from serious case reviews to be disseminated and implemented effectively, 'Working Together' (2010) advises that recommendations should be few in number, focused and specific. Most analyses of recommendations assess whether they are or can become Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely (SMART). Other learning about recommendations reflects more of a tension between, on the one hand, finding ways to act quickly on easy to audit learning before the impetus dissipates, and on the other hand, striving for more considered, deeper learning to overcome the perennial obstacles to good practice. This small study presents a critical, thematic analysis of recommendations from 33 of the serious case reviews (cases of child death or serious injury through abuse or neglect) completed in 2009-2010. The central aim of the study was to consider what part recommendations can play in aiding agencies and individuals to learn lessons to improve the way in which they work both individually and collectively to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Details: Runcorn, Cheshire, UK: Department of Education, 2011. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report DFE-RR-157: Accessed February 10, 2012 at: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/Download?DownloadPublicationReference=DFE-RR157&DownloadItemReference=A%20study%20of%20recommendations%20arising%20from%20serious%20case%20reviews%202009-2010%20PDF(DfES%20Online%20Store)&DocumentType=PDF&Url=%2Fpublications%2FeOrderingDownload%2FDFE-RR157.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/Download?DownloadPublicationReference=DFE-RR157&DownloadItemReference=A%20study%20of%20recommendations%20arising%20from%20serious%20case%20reviews%202009-2010%20PDF(DfES%20On Shelf Number: 124031 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.K.)Child MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: DuMont, Kimberly Title: Final Report: A Randomized Trial of Healthy Families New York (HFNY): Does Home Visiting Prevent Child Maltreatment? Summary: This study utilizes a seven-year randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a state-administered home visitation program, Healthy Families New York (HFNY), in preventing child maltreatment and risks for delinquency. Based on the Healthy Families America model, HFNY strives to promote positive parent-child interactions, prevent child maltreatment, support optimal child development, and improve parents’ self-sufficiency. In 2000, eligible families were randomly assigned to either an intervention group that was offered HFNY services or to a control group that received referrals to appropriate services. Baseline interviews were conducted with 1173 of the eligible women, with follow-up interviews at birth, and Ages 1, 2 and 3. At Age 7, interviews were completed with 942 of the original study participants and 800 of their children. The researchers also obtained administrative data on Child Protective Services (CPS) reports, foster care placements, federal and state-supported benefits, and program costs and services. HFNY produced markedly lower rates of confirmed CPS reports and initiation of child welfare services for a subgroup of mothers who had confirmed CPS involvement prior to random assignment, referred to as the Recurrence Reduction Opportunity (RRO) subgroup. There were no differences between the intervention and control groups in rates of confirmed CPS reports for the sample overall. However, consistent with prior findings, HFNY mothers reported engaging in serious physical abuse less frequently than mothers in the control group. HFNY children were also less likely to report that their mothers used minor physical aggression. In addition, sustained reductions in psychological and minor physical aggression were observed for a subgroup of young, first-time mothers, who enrolled in HFNY during pregnancy (the High Prevention Opportunity or HPO subgroup). HFNY also directly benefited children: Compared to children in the control group, HFNY children were more likely to participate in a gifted program, and less likely to receive special education services and to skip school. In addition, HFNY children in the HPO subgroup were less likely to score below average on a standardized vocabulary assessment and to repeat a grade. No differences were detected for problem behaviors. By age seven, participant earnings and savings from monetized benefits such as receipt of welfare and use of the child welfare system generated a return of more than $3.00 for every dollar invested in RRO families, but only partially recovered program expenditures for the HPO subgroup and sample as a whole. Home visiting presents a unique opportunity to forge enduring relationships with families at a time when parents are vulnerable and the developmental path of the newborn is particularly malleable. Findings from the current study demonstrate the benefits of providing HFNY services to families early in life. Details: New York: New York State Office of Children and Family Services, 2010. 155p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 28, 2012 at http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/reports/NIJ%20ReportFINAL%20REPORT%2011-29-2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/reports/NIJ%20ReportFINAL%20REPORT%2011-29-2010.pdf Shelf Number: 124315 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentCrime Prevention ProgramsHome Visitation Programs (New York) |
Author: Bogie, Andrea Title: Assessing Risk of Future Delinquency Among Children Receiving Child Protection Services Summary: Children who experience maltreatment are more likely than other children to be arrested and/or referred for delinquent offenses. Maltreated children are more likely to become delinquent at a younger age, and their risk of delinquency increases as their exposure to violence increases. In an effort to prevent children who are already involved with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (LA DCFS) from becoming involved with the Los Angeles County Probation Department, county managers sought to develop a structured, actuarial assessment to help identify which children served by LA DCFS were most likely to become delinquent. The managers intend to provide additional supports to children who are at high risk of future delinquency. For example, the county may provide wraparound services to meet the specific needs of these high risk children, in an effort to prevent them from becoming delinquent. This report describes a longitudinal study conducted by the Children’s Research Center (CRC) to identify the risk factors for subsequent delinquency, and if possible, construct a screening assessment that classifies children with an open child protective services (CPS) case by the likelihood of future delinquency. The next section examines findings from peer-reviewed literature regarding the needs and characteristics of children involved with both child welfare and juvenile justice systems, and provides more detail about the objectives of the current study. Subsequent sections of the report describe the methodology followed to construct an actuarial assessment that classifies children by risk of delinquency, and review findings of the study. The summary section identifies limitations of the current research and proposes next steps for piloting use of the delinquency screening assessment. Details: Oakland, CA: Children's Research Center, National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 2011. 57p. Source: Prepared for Los Angeles County Department of Children and Families: Internet Resource: Accessed March 25, 2012 at http://www.nccd-crc.org/crc/crc/pubs/LA_Delinquency_Screening_Assessment_Report.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.nccd-crc.org/crc/crc/pubs/LA_Delinquency_Screening_Assessment_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 124747 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild Protection ServicesJuvenile DelinquencyRisk Assessment |
Author: Meadows, Pamela Title: The Costs and Consequences of Child Maltreatment: Literature Review for the NSPCC Summary: This report is the first stage of a review of the costs and consequences of child maltreatment. It reviews a wide range of recent literature covering prevalence of different types of maltreatment of children and young people and the impact the maltreatment has on them. There is almost no literature covering costs, either in terms of the costs of the interventions or in terms of the costs of the consequences. Thus, the second stage of the review will combine the information from the literature review with other information about the impact on life chances of some of outcomes which are observed for children who have been maltreated. For example, maltreated children have poorer school performance than nonmaltreated children. The effect of this poor performance is likely to be similar to the effect of poor performance among other groups of children who have not been maltreated. The lifetime consequences of maltreatment are not therefore confined to the outcomes of maltreatment as identified in the literature. Rather, they include the consequential impact on their adult lives as well. This consequential impact has costs for the children themselves, for their families, and for the wider society, both in terms of ongoing support costs, and in terms of the costs of the behavioural consequences for a small minority. Details: London: National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, 2012. 148p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2012 at: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/findings/costs_and_consequences_pdf_wdf88910.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/findings/costs_and_consequences_pdf_wdf88910.pdf Shelf Number: 125170 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.K.)Child Maltreatment |
Author: Walsh, Wendy A. Title: Understanding Child Abuse in Rural and Urban America: Risk Factors and Maltreatment Substantiation Summary: Using a large national sample of child maltreatment reports, this brief compares the outcomes of child maltreatment cases in rural versus urban places and identifies the characteristics associated with substantiation. Child abuse cases substantiated in rural and urban areas share many caregiver risk factors, such as drug and alcohol abuse, and many family stressors. Substantiation is equally likely across income levels; approximately one-fourth of cases in each income level are substantiated. However, when place is taken into account, a greater share (36 percent) of higher-income families (that is, families with incomes greater than 200 percent of the federal poverty level) in rural areas have substantiated maltreatment reports than in urban areas. Details: Durham, NH: Carsey Institute, 2012. 4p. Source: Issue Brief No. 50: Internet Resource: Accessed June 19, 2012 at http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/publications/IB-Walsh-Child-Abuse-Substantiation.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/publications/IB-Walsh-Child-Abuse-Substantiation.pdf Shelf Number: 125361 Keywords: Child AbuseChild Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentRural CrimeUrban Crime |
Author: West, Andy Title: City Kids: Urbanisation and Its Consequences for Children’s Right to be Protected from Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation and Violence Summary: During the second half of the 20th century the process of urbanisation has accelerated in developing countries. Over half of the world’s population – including a billion children – are now estimated to live in urban areas. This recent change from a predominantly rural to a majority urban population has implications for the protection of children from all forms of violence. Rising urban poverty deprives hundreds of millions of children of even basic services, particularly education, healthcare and child protection services. But to date, this has not been a priority on the migration, urbanisation and development agenda of local governments, international agencies or organisations focused on children’s welfare. This discussion paper focuses on urbanisation and its consequences for children’s right to be protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence, and the importance of mainstreaming children’s needs into the routine practices of local governments. It highlights some of Save the Children’s child protection work in the context of urbanisation, notably in Ethiopia, South Africa, Romania, China, Bangladesh, Colombia, Libya, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Vietnam, and Latin America & the Caribbean. The paper also makes some important conclusions and points to the way forward. Details: Save the Children, 2012. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 29, 2012 at: http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/content/library/documents/city-kids-urbanisation-and-its-consequences-children%E2%80%99s-right-be-protected- Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/content/library/documents/city-kids-urbanisation-and-its-consequences-children%E2%80%99s-right-be-protected- Shelf Number: 125435 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentCrimes Against ChildrenUrban Areas |
Author: Velleman, Richard: Reuber, Danielle Title: Domestic Violence and Abuse experienced by Children and Young People living in Families with Alcohol Problems. Results from a Cross-European Study Summary: Children and young people living in families where parents have significant problems with alcohol are often very badly affected. They have a range of very negative experiences, and often develop problems and psychological and/or physical symptoms as a result. Similarly, children and young people growing up in families where there are significant problems with domestic violence or aggression are also often badly affected: they also often experience a range of distressing incidents, and also often develop problems of their own as a result. It is well known that the incidence of domestic violence and aggression is much higher in families where there are also alcohol problems; but very little research has been undertaken on the impact of both of these family problems on children and young people. Although many children and young people do develop problems as a result of both of these family upbringings, a significant minority do not. They seem to be resilient. This project set out to look at children and young people across Europe, to discover what impacts having parents with both of these problems combined had on children, and then to suggest ways of improving practice and policy, within individual countries and across the EU, that would help these children. Experts in issues relating to addiction or violence within the family from eleven institutions located within ten EU states participated in planning and overseeing this project: Germany, where experts also coordinated the project, and Austria, England, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, Netherlands, Poland and Spain. Details: Cologne, Germany: Catholic University of Applied Sciences North-Rhine Westphalia, 2007. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 17, 2012 at: http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/11965/1/Encare_ParentalAlcoholProblems.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Europe URL: http://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/11965/1/Encare_ParentalAlcoholProblems.pdf Shelf Number: 101391 Keywords: Alcohol Use and AbuseAlcoholismChild Abuse and Neglect (Europe)Child MaltreatmentDomestic ViolenceFamily Violence |
Author: Benedetti, Genevieve Title: Innovations in the Field of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention: A Review of the Literature Summary: Child abuse and neglect prevention is a complex field due, in part, to the diverse and numerous factors that can lead to maltreatment. As a result, prevention strategies, interventions, and initiatives must address multiple issues and rely on expertise from a variety of disciplines. This literature review considers recent and multidisciplinary research that can lead to innovative and improved ways to target, design, and monitor child abuse prevention efforts. The author identifies and explores eight promising trends or lines of learning. The paper discusses implications for future research, program planning and public policy relevant to preventing maltreatment, strengthening families, and promoting the health and well-being of children. Details: Chicago: Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, 2012. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 25, 2012 at: http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/Child%20Abuse%20&%20Neglect%20Prevention_09_11_12.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/Child%20Abuse%20&%20Neglect%20Prevention_09_11_12.pdf Shelf Number: 126449 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild Maltreatment |
Author: United Nations General Assembly. Human Rights Council Title: Joint Report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children on Prevention of and Responses to Violen Summary: The present report, submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 18/12, builds upon the 2006 United Nations Study on Violence against Children, which remains a foundational document for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against children in all settings, including within the juvenile justice system. This report describes the current situation of violence against children in the juvenile justice system, identifies the risks of violence to which children are exposed and analyses the systemic factors which contribute to violence. It provides a number of recommended strategies to prevent and respond to violence against children in the juvenile justice system. Details: Vienna: United Nations, 2012. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2012 at: http://srsg.violenceagainstchildren.org/document/a-hrc-21-25_505 Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://srsg.violenceagainstchildren.org/document/a-hrc-21-25_505 Shelf Number: 126471 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentJuvenile Justice SystemViolence Against Children |
Author: Pjano, Ahmed Title: Regional Report on Child Begging. Prevalence, Prevention and Supression of Child Begging. Prevention of Child Exploitation in South East Europe Summary: Begging, as a social phenomenon, is public, visible and undisguised. Most child beggars exist in major cities and have almost become one of their distinctive features. Although they can be regularly seen on city squares, traffic roads and crossroads, in front of shops and in parks, these children are largely invisible for the system and the society. Little is known about their origin, life, family and social statuses, while the underlying causes of their being involved in begging activities are usually not subject to research, nor are they being systematically dealt with. During the first half of the year, Save the Children Norway SEE together with four members of the South East Europe Children’s Rights Ombudspersons’ Network: Provincial Ombudsman of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Ombudsman for Children of the Republika Srpska, Ombudsman of the Republic of Montenegro and Ombudsman of the Republic of Serbia – conducted a research to collect data on prevalence and principal characteristics of the child begging phenomenon in the SEE Region. The research sets out priorities and gives recommendations to all of the stakeholders in the area of child begging, with an aim to protect numerous children subject to such exploitation. Details: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2011. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 11, 2012 at: Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: Shelf Number: 126678 Keywords: Child Begging (Europe)Child ExploitationChild MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: International NGO Council on Violence Against Children Title: Violating Children's Rights: Harmful Practices Based on Tradition, Culture, Religion or Superstition Summary: All violations of children’s rights can legitimately be described as harmful practices, but the common characteristic of the violations highlighted in this report is that they are based on tradition, culture, religion or superstition and are perpetrated and actively condoned by the child’s parents or significant adults within the child’s community. Indeed, they often still enjoy majority support within communities or whole states. Harmful practices based on tradition, culture, religion or superstition are often perpetrated against very young children or infants, who are clearly lacking the capacity to consent or to refuse consent themselves. Assumptions of parental powers or rights over their children allow the perpetration of a wide range of these practices, many by parents directly, some by other individuals with parents’ assumed or actual consent. Yet the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), ratified by almost every state, favours the replacement of the concept of parental “rights” over children with parental “responsibilities,” ensuring that the child’s best interests are parents’ “basic concern” (Article 18). Many of the practices identified in this report involve gross and unlawful discrimination against groups of children, including gender discrimination, and in particular discrimination against children with disabilities. Some are based on tradition and/or superstition, some on religious belief, others on false information or beliefs about child development and health. Many involve extreme physical violence and pain leading, in some cases intentionally, to death or serious injury. Others involve mental violence. All are an assault on the child’s human dignity and violate universally agreed international human rights standards. The International NGO Council on Violence against Children believes the continued legality and social and cultural acceptance of a very wide range of these practices in many states illustrates a devastating failure of international and regional human rights mechanisms to provoke the necessary challenge, prohibition and elimination. Comprehensive, children’s rights-based analysis and action are needed now. Above all, there must be an assertion of every state’s immediate obligation to ensure all children their right to full respect for their human dignity and physical integrity. This short report is designed to complement other current activities in the UN system that are focusing on harmful practices and children and will hopefully lead to more effective action. The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Violence against Children, Marta Santos Pais, held an International Expert Consultation on the issue in June 2012 in Addis Ababa in which the International NGO Council was represented and prepared a submission. Two UN Treaty Bodies, the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), are collaborating in drafting a General Comment/General Recommendation on harmful practices. Details: International NGO Council on Violence Against Children, 2012. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2012 at: http://www.crin.org/docs/InCo_Report_15Oct.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.crin.org/docs/InCo_Report_15Oct.pdf Shelf Number: 126806 Keywords: Child AbuseChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChildren, Crimes AgainstViolence Against Children |
Author: Baat, Mariska de Title: Combating Child Abuse and Neglect in the Netherlands Summary: In the Netherlands, every year more than 100.000 children and young people between the ages of 0 and 18 are abused in one or more ways. It is estimated that between 40 and 80 children die of the consequences. The Dutch Government finds it unacceptable that so many young people experience violence in their home situation. Because of the serious effects of child abuse, the Dutch government focuses on the prevention and early recognition and halting of child abuse. This report describes the national and regional strategies in policy and practice in addressing child abuse in the Netherlands. The Netherlands Youth Institute has been granted a two-year project (2011 – 2012) in the framework of the Daphne III programme: prevent and combat violence against children, young people and women and to protect victims and groups at risk. The aim of the project is to generate relevant knowledge on current strategies for the prevention of child abuse and neglect in Europe. It will focus on interventions and strategies that are targeted at preventing and the treatment of child abuse. It will compare the strategies of 5 European countries. This report is part of the first workstream, in which the national approaches of combatting child abuse and neglect in the five countries are described and compared to each other. The output of the project will be a manual with data on what works in preventing and the treatment of child abuse and it also has a research strand with the experiences of parents and children regarding their experiences with programmes. The project is a collaboration with the Swedish Orebro regional council, the Hungarian Family child Youth Association, the German Youth Institute, CESIS from Portugal and Verweij-Jonker from the Netherlands. This report contains six chapters. The first chapter describes the definition and prevalence of child abuse and neglect, the child welfare system in the Netherlands and the main governmental policy on child abuse and neglect. Chapter two, three and four describe the continuum of care: from universal and preventive services, to the detection, reporting and stopping of child abuse and neglect and the treatment services. Each of these chapters contain seven paragraphs, they are about: governmental strategies and actions, involved people and organizations, products, results, good practices, bottlenecks and a summary and conclusion. Chapter five is about the integrating of services and chapter six describes the professionalization of professionals in the Netherlands. We conclude with an overall summary and conclusion. Details: Utrecht: Netherlands Youth Institute, 2011. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2012 at: http://www.youthpolicy.nl/yp/downloadsyp/Daphne-report-The-Netherlands.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Netherlands URL: http://www.youthpolicy.nl/yp/downloadsyp/Daphne-report-The-Netherlands.pdf Shelf Number: 126935 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Netherlands)Child MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Berg-le Clercq, Tijne Title: Combating Child Abuse and Neglect in Germany, Hungary, Portugal, Sweden and The Netherlands. Final Report of Work Stream 1: Collecting and Comparing Strategies, Actions and Practice Summary: The Netherlands Youth Institute in co-operation with 4 partner country organisations in Germany, Hungary, Portugal and Sweden has been granted a two-year project (2011 – 2012) within the framework of the Daphne III programme ‘preventing and combating violence against children, young people and women and to protect victims and groups at risk’. The project is called ‘Prevent and Combat Child Abuse: What works? An overview of regional approaches, exchange and research’. It aims to generate relevant knowledge on current strategies for the prevention of child abuse and neglect in Europe. It focuses on interventions and strategies that are targeted at the prevention and treatment of child abuse in the five participating European countries. The project also has a research strand with the experiences of parents regarding programmes. The final output of the project is a manual with data about what works in the prevention and the treatment of child abuse. The project is coordinated by the Netherlands Youth Institute and carried out in collaboration with the Swedish Orebro regional council, the Hungarian Family child Youth Association, the German Youth Institute, CESIS from Portugal and the Verweij-Jonker Institute from The Netherlands. Work stream 1 This report is the final product of work stream 1 of this Daphne project called ‘Collecting and Comparing Strategies, Actions and Practice’. In this work stream, the focus was on collecting information and research in all the participating countries on the policy and practice regarding the full circle of combating child abuse, ranging from prevention to treatment. All five countries collected their own data and made a résumé and analysis on basis of national data. Next, they wrote a national report on strategies, measurements and management of tackling child abuse and neglect in the full circle, from prevention to treatment (the continuum of care). They did so by means of a questionnaire called ‘The description of the résumé and analysis of the national information and research’ that was developed especially for this Daphne project by the Netherlands Youth Institute (see Appendix 1). On the basis of the reports received from the partners and their presentation about these reports, the Netherlands Youth Institute wrote this overview report. Set-up of this report The overview report outlines the policy and practice regarding the full circle of combating child abuse, ranging from prevention to treatment in these five countries. The first chapter of this overview report outlines international obligations and the international context regarding child abuse and neglect. The second chapter describes the child welfare system of Germany, Hungary, Portugal, Sweden and The Netherlands. Chapter three addresses the measurement and management of tackling child abuse and neglect in these five countries. This chapter addresses several topics: definitions; attitudes; research; legislation and national strategies regarding child abuse and neglect. Chapter four, five and six describe the continuum of care regarding child abuse and neglect, consisting of universal and preventive services (chapter 4), detecting, reporting and stopping child abuse and neglect (chapter 5) and care services (chapter 6). These three chapters as well as chapter 8 (that addresses the education and training of professionals) have a similar set-up. All these chapters contain the following sections: introduction; governmental strategies and actions; products and their results; good practices; bottlenecks; conclusions. In contrast, chapter 7 deals with the integration of services. The final chapter of this report summarizes the main points of the previous chapters. It also contains interesting elements of each of the five countries regarding their child welfare system; the available universal and preventive services; detecting, reporting and stopping of child abuse and neglect; care services; the integration of services; the education and training of professionals. Details: Utrecht: Netherlands Youth Institute, 2012. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2012 at: http://www.youthpolicy.nl/yp/downloadsyp/Publications-Combating-child-abuse-and-neglect-in-Germany,-Hungary,-Portugal,-Sweden-and-The-Netherlands.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.youthpolicy.nl/yp/downloadsyp/Publications-Combating-child-abuse-and-neglect-in-Germany,-Hungary,-Portugal,-Sweden-and-The-Netherlands.pdf Shelf Number: 126936 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Germany, Hungary, PortugaChild MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Idaho State Police, Statistical Analysis Center Title: Violent Crimes Against Children in Idaho as Reported to Law Enforcement: 1998-2011 Summary: This is a report on violent crimes against children as reported to the police in Idaho from 1998 through 2011. Data comes from police agencies participating in the Idaho State Incident-Based Reporting (IIBR) program. The IIBR is a subset of the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which collects crime data from law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Violent crimes include murder/non-negligent manslaughter, negligent manslaughter, aggravated assault, simple assault, intimidation, and sexual assaults (forcible rape and sodomy, forcible fondling, and sexual assault with an object). Trends -- The rates of violent crime against both children and adults are down nationally and in Idaho. In Idaho, violent crimes against children decreased at a greater rate than violent crimes against adults from 1998 to 2011 (-43% versus -27%). Aggravated assaults of children and abductions of children decreased the most since 1998 (-56% and -61% respectively). Details: Meridian, ID: Idaho State Police, 2012. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 29, 2013 at: http://www.jrsa.org/ibrrc/background-status/Idaho/ID_JuvenileVictims.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.jrsa.org/ibrrc/background-status/Idaho/ID_JuvenileVictims.pdf Shelf Number: 127425 Keywords: Child Abuse (Idaho)Child MaltreatmentChild Sexual AbuseCrime Against ChildrenFamily ViolenceViolent Crimes |
Author: Cashmore, Judy Title: The Long-Term Effects of Child Sexual Abuse Summary: This paper reviews recent Australian and international research on the long-term effects of child sexual abuse. It aims to assist practitioners and policy-makers who work with survivors of sexual abuse and their families to understand the significant findings from this large and sometimes complex body of research. Details: Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2013. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: CFCA Paper No. 11: Accessed February 8, 2013 at: http://www.aifs.gov.au/cfca/pubs/papers/a143161/cfca11.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aifs.gov.au/cfca/pubs/papers/a143161/cfca11.pdf Shelf Number: 127553 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Sexual Abuse (Australia) |
Author: Protection Project, Johns Hopkins Unviersity Title: Child Protection Model Law. Best Practices: Protection of Children from Neglect, Abuse, Maltreatment, and Exploitation Summary: In September 2009, The Protection Project at The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies started a joint project with the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children to draft a Model Law on Child Protection aimed at protecting children from all forms of neglect, abuse, maltreatment, and exploitation. The project envisioned the holding of various expert group meetings globally to accompany the drafting process by identifying key issues of child protection in each region of the world and suggesting legislative solutions. The Model Law was written through six drafting stages – each version being carefully revised and expanded to reflect the discussions at the regional expert meetings. The final version of the Model Law incorporates international standards and best practices of child protection, based on the protection measures of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its two optional protocols from the year 2000, the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the sale of children, child prostitution and pornography (OPSC) and the Optional Protocol to the CRC on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC). Over the course of the project, more than 400 national laws relating to child protection from over 150 countries were researched and analyzed to identify best practices. Details: Washington, DC: The Protection Project, The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS); Alexandria, VA: The International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), 2013. 253p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 30, 2013 at: http://www.protectionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/CP-Model-Law_Jan-2013_Final-w-cover.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.protectionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/CP-Model-Law_Jan-2013_Final-w-cover.pdf Shelf Number: 128172 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild LaborChild MaltreatmentChild Protection (International)Child Sexual Exploitation |
Author: Randour, Mary Lou Title: A Common Bond: Maltreated Children and Animals in the Home. Guidelines for Practice and Policy Summary: Practitioners, advocates, policymakers, and researchers now acknowledge that violence against children frequently exists alongside other forms of family violence, such as domestic violence. A shift in conceptualizing child maltreatment and family violence occurred, and it no longer seemed wise to treat those different forms of violence as separate, unrelated problems. In a similar spirit, A Common Bond examines the significant role that animals play in child development and in family and community life—whether the animals are beloved, mistreated, or simply forgotten. Accepting this moreinclusive understanding of the many currents in child development and maltreatment generates important questions: • How can child protective services agencies work with other agencies to both intervene sooner and enhance safety when homes being investigated for suspected child abuse or neglect include family pets? • What are the factors that need to be considered in these families? • How can abusers be held accountable while also protecting the close bonds that may exist between children and their family pets? • Does considering animal maltreatment as an important part of child maltreatment have implications for the identification of victims, the treatment of families, and legal and policy responses? Details: Englewood, CO: American Humane and The Humane Society of the United States, 2008. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2013 at: http://awionline.org/sites/default/files/uploads/legacy-uploads/documents/DV-CommonBond-040811-1302285421-document-39019.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://awionline.org/sites/default/files/uploads/legacy-uploads/documents/DV-CommonBond-040811-1302285421-document-39019.pdf Shelf Number: 128201 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.S.)Child MaltreatmentCruelty to Animals |
Author: Gallagher, Margaret Title: Helpline Highlight: Northern Ireland: A year in review April 2011-March 2012 Summary: The NSPCC has provided a helpline in Northern Ireland for the last 25 years, as part of a UK-wide service. The helpline protects children by providing advice and information to adults and professionals, and by making referrals to trusts and the police when necessary. People can get in touch by telephone, text, email or online. Those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can make contact by textphone or webcam. In 2011/121, over 44,000 people across the UK reported concerns about children, a 29 per cent increase on the previous year. This report, however, explores the data available for Northern Ireland. It identifies the numbers of adults in Northern Ireland who contacted the helpline, the nature of the concerns they had about children, the length of time they waited before getting in touch, and the number of cases the helpline had to refer to Northern Ireland children’s services or police. These topline statistics have been supplemented by an in depth review of 200 Northern Ireland contacts that resulted in a referral to social services or police. This report features anonymised quotes from some of these contacts, to provide the reader with a sense of the nature and content of these cases. Key findings • In 2011/12 the helpline responded to 691 contacts from people in Northern Ireland. • This is an increase of 58 per cent on the previous year. • 353 of the contacts in 2011/12 resulted in referrals – involving 717 children – to children’s services or the police in NI (1.7 per cent of all referrals made by the helpline across the UK). • 338 were contacts where helpline counsellors2 provided information or advice, helping an estimated 676 children (1.6 per cent of the total number of advice calls dealt by the helpline across the UK). • Neglect was the leading cause for referrals (138 cases, 39 per cent); it accounted for 12 per cent of cases where we offered advice (40 contacts). • 14 per cent of referrals (50) were about sexual abuse. This is higher than the UK average, which was 10 per cent. • 289 children (45 per cent) involved in referrals were under six years old3. • In total, 138 people contacting us from Northern Ireland reported that they had concerns for more than a month, with 68 of these being so serious we had to make referrals. • In cases where the concerns were so significant we had to make referrals, 41 people (32 per cent)4 had waited more than six months before getting in touch (compared to 26 per cent for the rest of the UK). • The majority of contacts leading to referrals came from members of the public, not from family members or professionals. Details: London: NSPCC, 2013. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 5, 2013 at: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/helpline/helpline-highlight-northern-ireland-pdf_wdf94910.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/helpline/helpline-highlight-northern-ireland-pdf_wdf94910.pdf Shelf Number: 128291 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Northern Ireland)Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual Abuse |
Author: Harker, Lisa Title: How Safe Are Our Children? Summary: This report compiles the most robust and up-to-date child protection data that exists across each of the four nations in the UK. It sets out 19 different indicators and each indicator looks at the question from a different perspective. These indicators will be regularly updated as new statistics are published. The report allows us not only to understand how many children are being abused and neglected, but also to track progress so that society can be held to account for its responsibility to children. Only by monitoring the extent of child abuse and neglect in the UK can we judge whether efforts to prevent maltreatment and to protect children are working. The report finds that in some ways today's children are safer from abuse and neglect than those of previous generations but worrying levels of abuse still remain. Even though there has been an increase in the number of children being made subject to child protection plans or registers, the report finds that: "for every child subject to a child protection plan or on a child protection register in the UK, we estimate that there are likely to be around eight other children who have suffered maltreatment." The report also looks at nine key risk factors that can put children at an increased risk of maltreatment. Details: London: NSPCC, 2013. 90p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2013 at: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/findings/howsafe/how-safe-2013-report_wdf95435.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/findings/howsafe/how-safe-2013-report_wdf95435.pdf Shelf Number: 128427 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.K.)Child MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Kelly, Liz Title: Realising Rights: Case studies on state responses to violence against women and children in Europe Summary: The commitment within Europe to combating violence against women (VAW), and to a lesser extent violence against children, has increased throughout the last decade as a result of sustained actions by women’s movements, non-governmental organisations, and initiatives such as DAPHNE. The initial set of DAPHNE activities were carried out on an annual basis between 1997 and 1999. Thereafter, those activities were continued by the European Commission in the form of DAPHNE I (2000-2003), DAPHNE II (2004-2008 with a budget of EUR 50 million), and DAPHNE III (2007-2013 with a budget of EUR 166 million). The projects funded under DAPHNE have addressed VAW and violence against children and youth, with most focusing on one or the other. Realising Rights (RRS) is part of the current DAPHNE III programme and explores both fields of violence. The aims of the RRS project were threefold: · to provide a comprehensive analysis of existing European legislation in the fields of violence against women (VAW) and child maltreatment (CM); · to undertake in depth case studies on approaches to, and effectiveness of, protection and justice; · to present an analytic overview of promising directions and gaps in legislation and implementation, in order to suggest directions for further reforms in laws, procedures and public policy. Mapping legislation was begun in 2009 and then carried over and deepened in a feasibility study for the European Commission1 which also included sexual orientation violence. That research project covered the first aim, and to some extent the third. In this report we present the multi-country case studies from phase 2 of RRS focused on the wider policy context and the social and institutional processes that define the practices covering: national action plans (NPA) on VAW; child protection processes; and protection for women living with domestic violence. One of our starting points is to develop a deeper understanding of how and why the same principles and concepts lead in diverse directions or why diverse legal frameworks seem to achieve similar results in terms of implementation and understandings of women and children’s human rights. Whilst core principles are established in human rights discourse for addressing VAW and VAC respectively, historical, societal and cultural diversity and legal traditions appear to shape their interpretation, especially when different rights can be interpreted as being in tension. Three case studies were developed to explore this conundrum more fully, involving the four specialised institutions collaborating in this project: · Child & Woman Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU, London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom); · International Victimology Institute Tilburg (INTERVICT, the Netherlands); · Institute for Educational Science, University of Osnabrück (Germany). · German Institute for Human Youth Services and Family Law, Heidelberg (DIJuF, Germany) CWASU undertook the NPA case study involving the following countries: Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Serbia, Turkey and the UK. These countries were selected in order to provide a reasonable geographic spread, a diversity of legal frameworks, and different social, economic and cultural traditions and conditions. The Institute for Educational Science of the University of Osnabrueck and the German Institute for Human Youth Services and Family Law (DIJuF) in Heidelberg undertook the study on child maltreatment and child protection practice across a range of countries, while INTERVICT in Tilburg, the Netherlands, conducted the study on barring orders. Each case study used a slightly different methodological approach to the case studies, meaning that these are documented within each chapter. The first chapter supplements the European Commission report on legal responses (European Commission, 2010), presenting data on an additional 11 non-EU countries with respect to VAW and VAC. Chapters 2-4 present the three case studies and the final chapter explores cross-cutting themes. Details: London: Child and Women Abuse Studies Unit, London Metropolitan University, 2011. 223p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2013 at: http://www.cwasu.org/ Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: http://www.cwasu.org/ Shelf Number: 128433 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentGender-Based ViolenceViolence Against Women (Europe) |
Author: Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children Title: Ending Legalised Violence against Children. Global Report 2012 Summary: We live in a time of incredible change – relentless political and social upheaval (for better or worse), technological advances, ever more and faster methods of communicating and information sharing…. It seems that little stays the same for long. But the pace of change in how we treat children remains stubbornly slow. It is shocking that at this point in the 21st century we are still fighting entrenched attitudes that hitting children is OK or even a duty. On the one hand this situation makes all the more remarkable the achievements of the 33 states which have enacted laws to prohibit corporal punishment and are now focusing their efforts on ensuring the laws are implemented and that children can live their lives free from violence at the hands of those who care for them. But on the other hand it exposes the low status that children still have in too many societies, a failure to regard them as fully human and holders of human rights, and a refusal to perceive their ongoing subjection to physical and emotional assault in their own homes and in places of learning as a serious violation of their fundamental human rights that should be rectified immediately. We can rightly celebrate the progress described in these pages, but we can equally question why it is that so many children are yet to benefit from full legal protection from all forms of corporal punishment in all settings of their lives. In last year’s Global Report, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, who led the UN Secretary General’s Study on Violence against Children, drew attention to the target of 2009 which the Study report set for prohibition of all legalised violence against children: “Yes this was wildly over-optimistic – but how could we justifiably be ‘realistic’ about the time it takes to convince governments to prohibit such obvious human rights violations against their youngest citizens? How could we be true to children and yet condemn another whole generation to suffer childhoods scarred by deliberate and legalised adult violence?” This report documents increasing numbers of active campaigns in all regions: we must work together to insist that states fulfil their obligations to the present generation of children. Details: Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children; Save the Children Sweden, 2012. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 1, 2013 at: http://www.endcorporalpunishment.org/pages/pdfs/reports/GlobalReport2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.endcorporalpunishment.org/pages/pdfs/reports/GlobalReport2012.pdf Shelf Number: 128589 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionCorporal Punishment (International)Violence Against Children |
Author: Lindo, Jason M. Title: Economic Conditions and Child Abuse Summary: Although a huge literature spanning several disciplines documents an association between poverty and child abuse, researchers have not found persuasive evidence that economic downturns increase abuse, despite their impacts on family income. In this paper, we address this seeming contradiction. Using county-level child abuse data spanning 1996 to 2009 from the California Department of Justice, we estimate the extent to which a county's reported abuse rate diverges from its trend when its economic conditions diverge from trend, controlling for statewide annual shocks. The results of this analysis indicate that overall measures of economic conditions are not strongly related to rates of abuse. However, focusing on overall measures of economic conditions masks strong opposing effects of economic conditions facing males and females: male layoffs increase rates of abuse whereas female layoffs reduce rates of abuse. These results are consistent with a theoretical framework that builds on family-time-use models and emphasizes differential risks of abuse associated with a child's time spent with different caregivers. Details: Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research, 2013. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: NBER Working Paper No. 18994: Accessed May 4, 2013 at: http://www.nber.org/papers/w18994 Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w18994 Shelf Number: 128663 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.S.)Child MaltreatmentEconomics and CrimePoverty |
Author: Asian Centre for Human Rights Title: Nobody’s Children: Juveniles of Conflict Affected Districts of India Summary: In the wake of the gruesome rape of a young woman on 16th December 2012 in Delhi, a heated debate has been raging at national level with respect to lowering the age of juveniles to 16 years. However, there are 184 districts (58 districts notified as “disturbed” under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and 106 districts declared as Left Wing Extremism affected, the edifice of juvenile justice do not exist. In 140 out of the 184 districts i.e. 76% of the total conflict afflicted districts do not have Observation Homes and Special Homes implying that juveniles who are taken into custody are kept in police lock up or camps of the army and para-military forces in clear violation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 [JJ(C&PC) Act] and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Juvenile Justice Boards exist only paper as funds are siphoned off. In the meanwhile, arbitrary arrest, detention, torture, extrajudicial executions, and sexual assault on the girls continue unabated. Details: New Delhi: Asian Centre for Human Rights, 2013. 83p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 6, 2013 at: http://www.achrweb.org/reports/india/JJ-Nobodys_Children2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: India URL: http://www.achrweb.org/reports/india/JJ-Nobodys_Children2013.pdf Shelf Number: 128668 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseJuvenile DetentionJuvenile Justice Systems (India) |
Author: Care Inspectorate (Scotland) Title: A Report Into the Deaths of Looked After Children in Scotland 2009-2011 Summary: Any time a looked after child dies, local authorities must inform the Care Inspectorate, which is charged with reviewing the circumstances of the death. The report shows that 30 looked after children in Scotland died between 2009 and 2011. The report examines the causes of death, praises hospices for their care of children with life-limiting conditions and makes specific recommendations to ensure looked after children can access substance misuse treatment and local psychological services as necessary. The Care Inspectorate also recommends that all staff involved in the care of looked after children be confident in recognising and managing suicide risk factors. Details: Dundee, Scotland: Care Inspectorate, 2013. 14p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2013 at: http://www.scswis.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_details&gid=940&Itemid=378 Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.scswis.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_details&gid=940&Itemid=378 Shelf Number: 128683 Keywords: Child DeathsChild MaltreatmentDrug Abuse and AddictionLooked After Children (Scotland)Substance Abuse TreatmkentSuicides |
Author: International Labour Organization Title: World Report on Child Labour: Economic vulnerability, social protection and the fight against child labour Summary: This new report is the first in a series to be published annually by the ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour. It brings together research on child labour and social protection, identifying policies that are designed to achieve multiple social goals. It discusses the role of poverty and economic shocks in rendering households vulnerable to child labour and considers the impact on child labour of cash transfers, public employment programmes, social insurance and other social protection initiatives as they have been implemented around the world. The report distils a broad range of research in economic and social policy and should be of interest to those looking for ways to combat poverty in the present and reduce its burden on the next generation. Details: Geneva, SWIT: International Labour Organizations, 2013. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 13, 2013 at: http://www.ilo.org/washington/WCMS_178184/lang--en/index.htm Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.ilo.org/washington/WCMS_178184/lang--en/index.htm Shelf Number: 128718 Keywords: Child Labor (International)Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionEconomicsPoverty |
Author: Wynd, Donna Title: Child Abuse: What Role Does Poverty Play? Summary: Child abuse (maltreatment and neglect) has received a great deal of public attention since the release of the government’s Green Paper for Vulnerable Children (New Zealand Government, 2011). There is reason to be concerned: New Zealand children’s mortality rates from intentional injury almost doubled over the 1980s, and have improved little since then (Craig & et al, 2011, p. 59; 2012, p. 56). In 2003 UNICEF reported that New Zealand ranked third highest amongst rich nations for its child maltreatment death rates (UNICEF, 2003). There is now a substantial body of research, including New Zealand research, showing the association between poverty and deprivation, and child maltreatment and neglect. Much of this work emphasises the complexity and multiplicity of risk factors in child abuse, and the equally complex mix of protective factors that can change outcomes for children. However current policy responses to the tragedy of New Zealand’s child abuse are focused not on dealing with the causes of abuse but on reporting and monitoring, and risk assessment. The maltreatment and neglect of children matter because they cause harm to children at the time of the abuse and long afterwards. There is now a substantial body of research linking child abuse with poor outcomes in childhood and/or into adolescence and later life. Consequences of maltreatment, including psychological abuse and neglect, can be physical and/or psychological and these effects cannot always be separated from each other (for example brain damage can lead to behavioural problems). Other consequences for victims may include an increased likelihood of smoking, obesity, high-risk sexual behaviours, unintended pregnancy, alcohol and drug use, fear, isolation, an inability to trust others, low self-esteem, depression and difficulties forming and maintaining relationships. In addition, It is estimated approximately one-third of abused and neglected children will eventually victimise their own children (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2008a). Yet the paramount reason that child abuse is unacceptable is because it violates their human rights as children. Present and future social and economic costs are not the only – nor even the main – reason child maltreatment and neglect should be of concern to the government and public. As a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC), New Zealand has a legal obligation to protect and promote children’s rights to provision, protection and participation. A great deal of research has gone into determining the risk factors for child maltreatment and neglect, and a broad range of factors is recognized including the child him/herself, caregivers, the family, neighbourhoods and social settings, social and economic policy settings, and the dynamics and relationships between these actors. A consistent theme in the formal research is the role of poverty in child maltreatment and neglect. The association between child abuse and poverty is reflected in New Zealand data. Rates of hospital admissions for assault, neglect and maltreatment were significantly higher for the most deprived two deciles of New Zealand’s population. Rates of poverty for Māori and Pacific people are consistently double that of European/Pakeha people, regardless of which measure is used (Perry, 2012, p. 118), and Māori and Pacific children were 3.24 and 2.26 times respectively more likely to be admitted to hospital for intentional injuries than European children between 2000-2011 (Craig & et al, 2012, pp. 56-60). A 2000 literature review published by the then Ministry of Social Policy on the physical abuse and neglect of children by family members noted the role of poverty and the role of individuals’ and families’ ability to cope with economic and other stress (Angus & Pilott, 2000). Details: Auckland, NZ: Child Poverty Action Group Inc., 2013. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 1, 2013 at: http://www.cpag.org.nz/assets/Publications/130610%20CPAG%20Child%20Abuse%20Report%201%20June%202013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.cpag.org.nz/assets/Publications/130610%20CPAG%20Child%20Abuse%20Report%201%20June%202013.pdf Shelf Number: 129214 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (New Zealand)Child MaltreatmentPoverty |
Author: Healy, Claire Title: Report for the Study on Typology and Policy Responses to Child Begging in the EU Summary: Child begging is a common sight in cities such as Budapest, Sofia, Paris or Warsaw. It is not so common, and in fact has all but disappeared, in Stockholm, Copenhagen or Vienna. One of the purposes of this report is to examine the reasons behind these differences, in relation to legislation, policy and responses, as well as the characteristics and causes of child begging across Europe. Begging children occupy a place at the lowest echelons of society, come from poor backgrounds, are often badly dressed and badly cared for, and mostly treated as a nuisance by the authorities, rather than as a child protection concern. Their visibility on the streets of European cities casts doubt upon the viability of child protection frameworks and reminds passers-by of the intolerable levels of poverty, inequality, exclusion and child abuse that exist in Europe today. During the last few years, there has been increasing attention in many EU Member States and other European countries on the phenomenon of child begging. Whilst a consensus exists among Member States that child begging needs to be addressed, there has been little evidence thus far on what is the best policy approach. In order to provide a comprehensive understanding and rigorous empirical research on child begging, it is necessary both to conduct research at a national level, and to bring the research down to a local level, to examine the reality of the phenomenon as it affects the children themselves and as it plays out in European localities. Therefore research was conducted first at a national level in 15 European countries – 13 EU Member States and 2 non-EU countries, as well as, in a second phase, in a total of thirty European cities, on the phenomenon of child begging. The Country Sections included in this Report present a complex phenomenon that is by no means homogenous in nature, and involves children of various backgrounds and in different situations. Nevertheless, there are some key features common to a number of cities, setting out the main scenarios that child begging represents. Details: Brussels: European Commission, 2012. 337p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 6, 2013 at: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/e-library/documents/policies/organized-crime-and-human-trafficking/cybercrime/docs/child_begging_final_11jan2013_en.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/e-library/documents/policies/organized-crime-and-human-trafficking/cybercrime/docs/child_begging_final_11jan2013_en.pdf Shelf Number: 129259 Keywords: Child Begging (Europe)Child ExploitationChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionRunawaysStreet Children |
Author: Murphy, Clare Title: Understanding Connections and Relationships: Child maltreatment, intimate partner violence and parenting Summary: This Issues Paper reviews the evidence on the frequency with which intimate partner violence and child maltreatment co-occur. The United States NatSCEV study showed: • 34% of the children who had witnessed intimate partner violence had also been subjected to direct maltreatment in the past year, compared to 9% of those who had not witnessed intimate partner violence. • Over their lifetimes, over half of those (57%) who had witnessed intimate partner violence were also maltreated, compared to 11% of those who had not witnessed intimate partner violence. • Men were more likely to perpetrate intimate partner violence incidents that were witnessed by children than were women, with 68% of children witnessing violence only by men. Exposure to violence can have ongoing negative impacts on children and young people’s health, education, social and economic wellbeing. Recommendations from this paper include the need for greater recognition of: • The links between child maltreatment and intimate partner violence • The detrimental effects of children’s exposure to intimate partner violence • The disruption to mother-child relationships due to intimate partner violence • The poor fathering that can accompany perpetration of intimate partner violence This needs to translate to greater understanding of the importance of supporting children’s relationships with the non-abusive parent. This work needs to include creating conditions of safety, and may need to include active work to help restore relationships between non-abusive parents and their children. Work to address poor fathering is also necessary. Details: Auckland, NZ: New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse, 2013. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Issues Paper 3: Accessed July 10, 2013 at: http://nzfvc.org.nz/sites/nzfvc.org.nz/files/issues-paper-3-2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: New Zealand URL: http://nzfvc.org.nz/sites/nzfvc.org.nz/files/issues-paper-3-2013.pdf Shelf Number: 129346 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentFamily ViolenceIntimate Partner Violence (New Zealand) |
Author: Price-Robertson, Rhys Title: Rarely an Isolated Incident: Acknowledging the interrelatedness of child maltreatment, victimisation and trauma Summary: It is increasingly recognised that experiences of child maltreatment are rarely isolated incidents; different forms of abuse often co-occur, and trauma often develops over prolonged periods. This paper provides practitioners, policy-makers and researchers with an overview of a number of influential recent approaches to conceptualising, recognising and responding to the complexity of child maltreatment and trauma. Key Messages -- One of the most recent major shifts in the focus of child maltreatment research has been recognition of the interrelatedness of childhood victimisation experiences. Two main frameworks have been developed to better understand and measure this interrelatedness: multi-type maltreatment and polyvictimisation. Alongside this shift, has been the growing recognition in the fields of traumatology and psychiatry that traditional mental health diagnoses often do not adequately capture the effects of chronic and/or multiple types of victimisation. Complex trauma and cumulative harm are both popular models that account for complexity in traumatic outcomes. Researchers investigating the consequences of a specific form of victimisation should account for the effects of other victimisation experiences, as well as for the effects of cumulative experiences. Practice and policy responses to children who experience single maltreatment events should be different to those for children who experience multiple maltreatment events. Survivors of multiple maltreatment events are more likely to experience complex trauma and the negative effects of cumulative harm, both of which require more comprehensive intervention and treatment. Details: Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2013. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: CFCA Paper No. 15: Accessed July 18, 2013 at: http://www.aifs.gov.au/cfca/pubs/papers/a144788/cfca15.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aifs.gov.au/cfca/pubs/papers/a144788/cfca15.pdf Shelf Number: 129455 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Australia)Child Maltreatment |
Author: Hilferty, Fiona Title: Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect Through a Common Approach to Assessment, Referral and Support: Evaluating the Trial (Stage 2) Summary: This report presents the findings of a formative evaluation of a trial of the Common Approach to Assessment, Referral and Support (CAARS). The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) commissioned researchers at the Social Policy Research Centre (SPRC) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to undertake the evaluation in April 2011. CAARS is an innovative tool that facilitates conversations between a wide range of practitioners and client children and families. The aim of CAARS is to help universal practitioners identify early signs of need in clients, and provide appropriate forms of support. The development of CAARS was funded by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). CAARS is identified as a National Priority Project within the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009). This Framework promotes child protection as ‘everyone’s responsibility’ and CAARS attempts to achieve this by ensuring that universal practitioners who come into daily contact with children and families, know how to engage families in conversations that assist in the early identification of problems and the provision of support. Given the formative nature of the evaluation, the focus has been on highlighting lessons from the trial to further develop the tool and improve implementation. The key objectives of the evaluation are to: 1. Examine the appropriateness of CAARS in different contexts and with different client groups; 2. Examine how CAARS impacts on the working practices of practitioners who use the tool; 3. Examine the impact of CAARS on interagency collaboration in primary prevention; 4. Develop a better understanding of how families engage with CAARS; and 5. Provide insight into the process of implementation of CAARS in specific geographic locations and how this is likely to impact on any larger rollout of CAARS. Details: Sydney: Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales,, 2012. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: SPRC Report 7/13: Accessed August 19, 2013 at: https://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/media/SPRCFile/Report7_13_SPRC_CAARS_Final_Report_November.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: https://www.sprc.unsw.edu.au/media/SPRCFile/Report7_13_SPRC_CAARS_Final_Report_November.pdf Shelf Number: 129651 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Australia)Child MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Muggah, Robert Title: 100 Best Practices in Child Protection Summary: Children are among our most vulnerable populations. The injustices many children suffer are unspeakable and occur in all corners of the globe, in all walks of life. The term child protection is very broad and can encompass a wide range of issues. Custody and support, child abuse and neglect, violence against children, child prostitution, child pornography, sex tourism, child labor, and trafficking in children are just some of the issues that arise when discussing child protection. Civil society organizations and government agencies are actively working around the world to address many of these problems and to better provide broad protections for children. The Protection Project at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children encourage the dissemination of information on child protection best practices. This guide is intended to offer examples of some successful initiatives undertaken by civil society organizations as well as individuals and government agencies concerned with protecting children around the world. The document is divided into seven partsPart I focuses on child protection principles and definitions; Part II highlights several child protection measures and services; Part III presents initiatives focused on the protection of children in the family and community; Part IV looks at programs aimed at the protection of children from sexual exploitation; Part V includes examples of projects focused on the protection of children from economic exploitation; Part VI looks at the protection of children in situations of emergency, including armed conflict; and Part VII features the protection of children in the justice system. This division of issues follows the topics addressed by the Child Protection Model Law Best Practices: Protection of Children from Neglect, Abuse, Maltreatment, and Exploitation another publication based on a joint research inititative of The Protection Project and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. Details: Washington, DC: The Protection Project at the Johns Hopkins University Paul N. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies; Alexandria, VA: International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, 2013. 122p. Source: Internet Resource: A Series of 100 Best Practices, Volume III: Accessed march 12, 2014 at: http://www.protectionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Best-Practices-in-Child-Protection-2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.protectionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Best-Practices-in-Child-Protection-2013.pdf Shelf Number: 131865 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Child MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Protection Project Title: 100 Best Practices in Child Protection Summary: Children are among our most vulnerable populations. The injustices many children suffer are unspeakable and occur in all corners of the globe, in all walks of life. The term child protection is very broad and can encompass a wide range of issues. Custody and support, child abuse and neglect, violence against children, child prostitution, child pornography, sex tourism, child labor, and trafficking in children are just some of the issues that arise when discussing child protection. Civil society organizations and government agencies are actively working around the world to address many of these problems and to better provide broad protections for children. The Protection Project at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children encourage the dissemination of information on child protection best practices. This guide is intended to offer examples of some successful initiatives undertaken by civil society organizations as well as individuals and government agencies concerned with protecting children around the world. The document is divided into seven partsPart I focuses on child protection principles and definitions; Part II highlights several child protection measures and services; Part III presents initiatives focused on the protection of children in the family and community; Part IV looks at programs aimed at the protection of children from sexual exploitation; Part V includes examples of projects focused on the protection of children from economic exploitation; Part VI looks at the protection of children in situations of emergency, including armed conflict; and Part VII features the protection of children in the justice system. This division of issues follows the topics addressed by the Child Protection Model Law Best Practices: Protection of Children from Neglect, Abuse, Maltreatment, and Exploitation another publication based on a joint research inititative of The Protection Project and the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. Details: Washington, DC: The Protection Project at the Johns Hopkins University Paul N. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies; Alexandria, VA: International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, 2013. 122p. Source: Internet Resource: A Series of 100 Best Practices, Volume III: Accessed march 12, 2014 at: http://www.protectionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Best-Practices-in-Child-Protection-2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.protectionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Best-Practices-in-Child-Protection-2013.pdf Shelf Number: 131865 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Child MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: National Child Abuse and Neglect Training and Publications Project Title: The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act: 40 Years of Safeguarding America's Children Summary: The story of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) is one of interrelationships among advocates, researchers, policymakers, and public and private agencies. At times a story of challenges and obstacles, this rich history is ultimately one of cooperation and collaboration in addressing the critical issue of child maltreatment. It is a story told by the pioneers, past and present: Those who have led the field of child maltreatment research and practice, as well as those who continue to respond to the daily challenges of ensuring that children have an opportunity to grow into healthy and productive adults. CAPTA and the work that it has engendered are understood best in the context of politics, cultural events, and societal changes. Over four decades, CAPTA has progressed from responding primarily to the occurrence and effects of child maltreatment to focusing more on risk, protection, and prevention. This evolution has included broad recognition of the need for a multidisciplinary approach and development of vital cross-system partnerships. CAPTA is also a story of the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) and its successor, the Office on Child Abuse and Neglect (OCAN). In 1974, CAPTA recognized that a national problem required a national response and mandated the creation of a National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect to spearhead federal efforts. NCCAN, and later OCAN, provided leadership and funded the vital programs that helped to inform and transform child protection throughout the nation. The National Conferences on Child Abuse and Neglect are also woven into this rich history. Since 1976, the National Conferences have served to simultaneously drive and respond to the field by focusing on the most current thinking on child maltreatment issues and trends. The themes and content of these major training and technical assistance events reflect both the changing CAPTA requirements and the emerging work of NCCAN and later the Children's Bureau's OCAN, their stakeholders and partners. The story of the next 40 years is already being written: through innovative Children's Bureau-supported projects throughout the country; in the technical assistance being provided to states to improve child protection systems; and in the strong partnerships with states and tribes, national organizations, and recognized experts who help guide and support these efforts. The goal may be the most ambitious ever undertaken: a comprehensive child welfare system that supports children, families, and communities in ways that will prevent the occurrence - or recurrence - of maltreatment in the future Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, 2014. 107p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 12, 2014 at: http://childlaw.sc.edu/doc/CAPTA.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://childlaw.sc.edu/doc/CAPTA.pdf Shelf Number: 132332 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.S.)Child MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: World Health Organization Title: Preventing Violence: Evaluating Outcomes of Parenting Programmes Summary: Violence is both a serious human rights violation and a major public health concern. It affects the general well-being, physical and mental health, and social functioning of millions of people; it also puts strain on health systems, lowers economic productivity, and has a negative effect on economic and social development. In particular, the number of children affected by violence each year is a major concern. Child maltreatment affects children's physical, cognitive, emotional and social development. It can lead to the body's stress response system being overactive, which can harm the development of the brain and other organs, and increase the risk for stress-related illness and impaired cognition (the capacity to think, learn and understand). Maltreatment is a risk factor for mental health, education, employment and relationship problems later in life. It also increases the likelihood of behavior that is a risk to health, such as smoking, drinking heavily, drug use, over-eating and unsafe sex. These behaviours are, in turn, major causes of death, disease and disability, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and suicide - sometimes decades later. Victims of maltreatment are also more likely to become perpetrators and victims of other types of violence later in life. Child maltreatment negatively affects a country's economy, due to expenses relating to treating victims' health problems, welfare costs, lowered economic productivity and so forth. In the United States of America (USA), in 2010, the lifetime cost for each victim of non-fatal child maltreatment was estimated to be US$ 210 012. The many serious economic, physical and mental health consequences of child maltreatment mean that it makes sense to develop and implement effective prevention strategies. Child maltreatment is more likely in families that have difficulties developing stable, warm and positive relationships. Children are at increased risk of being maltreated if a parent or guardian has a poor understanding of child development, and therefore has unrealistic expectations about the child's behaviour. This is also the case if parents and guardians do not show the child much care or affection, are less responsive to the child, have a harsh or inconsistent parenting style, and believe that corporal punishment (for example, smacking) is an acceptable form of discipline. Strengthening parenting therefore plays an important role in preventing child maltreatment. One way of strengthening parenting is through parenting programmes. Although many parenting programmes do not specifically aim to reduce or prevent violence, those which aim to strengthen positive relationships through play and praise, and provide effective, age-appropriate positive discipline, have the potential to do so. Parenting programmes to prevent violence usually take the shape of either individual or group-based parenting support. An example of individual parenting support is home visits, which involve trained home visitors visiting parents (typically only the mother) in their homes both during and after their pregnancy. The home visitor supports and educates parents so as to strengthen parenting skills, improve child health and prevent child maltreatment. Group-based parenting support, on the other hand, is typically provided by trained staff to groups of parents together. These programmes aim to prevent child maltreatment by improving parenting skills, increasing parents' understanding of child development and encouraging the use of positive discipline strategies. Most parenting programmes that have proven to be effective at preventing violence have been developed and tested in high-income countries such as the USA and the United Kingdom. There is very little work on parenting programmes in lowand middle-income countries. However, there is evidence from low-resource settings that positive parent-child relationships and a positive parenting style can buffer the effects of family and community influences on children's development, including violent behaviour later in life. From what is already known, there is good evidence to support promoting parenting programmes across different cultural and economic backgrounds. Because we do not know enough about parenting programmes in low- and middle-income countries, evaluations of programmes are critical. First, we need to confirm that desired results are achieved in new contexts. Second, because of the lack of resources available to fund programmes in poorer countries, evaluations can prevent time and money from being wasted on programmes that do not work. Third, the results from outcome evaluations can be used to influence governments to fund parenting programmes. This document was designed to help strengthen the evidence for parenting programmes aimed at preventing violence in low- and middle-income countries. The intended audiences are: - policy-makers; - programme developers, planners and commissioners; - high-level practitioners in government ministries, such as health and social development; - nongovernmental organisations; - community-based organisations; and - donors working in the area of violence prevention. Details: Geneva, SWIT: World Health Organization, 2013. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 14, 2014 at: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/85994/1/9789241505956_eng.pdf?ua=1 Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/85994/1/9789241505956_eng.pdf?ua=1 Shelf Number: 104859 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionCrime PreventionDelinquency PreventionParenting Programs |
Author: Harwin, Judith Title: Changing Lifestyles, Keeping Children Safe: an evaluation of the first Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) in care proceedings Summary: This report presents the findings from an independent evaluation of the pilot Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC). FDAC is an innovative approach to care proceedings where parental drug or alcohol misuse is a key feature of the case. The FDAC pilot began in January 2008 at the Inner London Family Proceedings Court in London. The pilot was funded by the Department for Education, the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office, the Department of Health and three inner-London local authorities (Camden, Islington, and Westminster) - the pilot local authorities. Since April 2012, when government funding came to an end, the FDAC specialist team has been funded by a consortium of five London authorities, including Southwark and Hammersmith & Fulham as well as the original three. The specialist team is provided by a partnership between the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and the children's charity, Coram. Parental substance misuse is a formidable social problem and a major risk factor for child maltreatment. It is a factor in up to two-thirds of care applications and parents with substance misuse problems are often involved in repeat care proceedings in relation to subsequent children. There has also been a rise in the number of care proceedings since 2008, so the scale of the problem is substantial. FDAC has been adapted to English law and practice from a model of Family Treatment Drug Courts (FTDCs) that is used widely in the USA and shows positive results. The US national evaluation of over 2,000 cases found that, compared to proceedings in the ordinary court, more FTDC parents and children were able to remain together safely, and there were swifter alternative permanent placement decisions for children if parents were unable to stop misusing, all of which meant savings on the cost of foster care during and after proceedings. The catalysts for the UK pilot were the encouraging evidence from the US evaluation and concerns about the response to parental substance misuse through ordinary care proceedings in England. These concerns were about poor child and parent outcomes; insufficient co-ordination between adult and children's services; late intervention to protect children; delay in reaching decisions; and the soaring costs of proceedings, linked to the length of proceedings and the cost of expert evidence. Details: Uxbridge, UK: Brunel University, 2014. 188p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 17, 2014 at: http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/FDAC_May2014_FinalReport_V2.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/FDAC_May2014_FinalReport_V2.pdf Shelf Number: 1322487 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionDrug Abuse and AddictionFamily CourtsProblem-Solving CourtsSubstance Abuse |
Author: Burwick, Andrew Title: Costs of Early Childhood Home Visiting: An Analysis of Programs Implemented in the Supporting Evidence-Based Home Visiting to Prevention Child Maltreatment Initiative Summary: Home visiting programs offer a promising method for delivering support services to at-risk families and children and preventing child maltreatment. As interest grows in scaling up home visiting programs as a strategy to promote parent and child well-being and prevent child maltreatment, program implementers and policymakers are seeking more information about the costs of implementing these programs. The Cost Study of Evidence-Based Home Visiting Programs applied a uniform approach and common time frame to analyze costs among agencies implementing five different home visiting program models. The study assessed (1) the total cost of providing home visiting programs during a year of steady-state operation, (2) the allocation of annual costs among cost categories and program activities or components, (3) the cost to serve a participating family, and (4) variation in average costs across program models and other agency characteristics. Mathematica Policy Research and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago conducted the study with support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and in collaboration with Casey Family Programs. It included agencies that participated in the Supporting Evidence-Based Home Visiting to Prevent Child Maltreatment (EBHV) initiative, a five-year grant program launched in 2008 by the Children's Bureau of the Administration for Children and Families at HHS. In 2011, the EBHV grant program was formally incorporated into the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) State Formula Grant Program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration of HHS. The cost study sample includes 25 implementing agencies (IA) that delivered home visiting services in 13 states.3 The IAs offered one of five home visiting program models: (1) Healthy Families America (HFA, 7 IAs), (2) the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP, 10 IAs), (3) Parents as Teachers (PAT, 3 IAs), (4) SafeCare (SC, 4 IAs), and (5) the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P, one IA). Most of the IAs (15 agencies) were private nonprofit organizations. Seven were state or county government agencies, and 3 were hospitals or medical centers. IAs located in urban areas (16 agencies) were more common than those located in suburban or rural areas (5 and 4 agencies, respectively). We analyzed program costs from the implementing agency's perspective. Costs include all resources used by an agency to deliver a program during a one-year period of "steady-state" operation (July 1, 2011, through June 30, 2012), and cost estimates provide an indication of the resources that an agency would need in order to replicate a program at a similar scale in a similar context. To conduct the study, we collected three types of data from IAs: (1) data on resources used for program operations, to estimate total costs; (2) data on staff time use, to allocate costs among program components; and (3) data on the number of families served and their receipt of home visiting services, to estimate costs per family. The cost analysis was conducted using the "ingredient" or resource cost method, which involved itemizing the types of resources (or ingredients) needed to provide services, gathering information on the types and value of resources used by each agency during the study period, and aggregating costs to estimate total program costs (Levin and McEwan 2001). To represent more accurately the total resources required to implement a program, we incorporated costs not typically captured by budgets or accounting records, including donated resources such as volunteer time and in-kind contributions of services or materials, as well as the value of staff time spent on the program beyond normal working hours (and not reflected in salaries or fringe benefits). Details: Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research, 2014. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 17, 2014 at: http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/documents/Costs%20of%20EC%20Home%20Visiting.Final%20Report.January%2030%202014.2.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/documents/Costs%20of%20EC%20Home%20Visiting.Final%20Report.January%2030%202014.2.pdf Shelf Number: 132494 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentCost-Benefit AnalysisCosts of Criminal JusticeCrime Prevention ProgramsEvidence-Based PracticesHome Visiting Programs |
Author: Woodman, Jenny Title: The GP's Role in Responding to Child Maltreatment: Time for a Rethink? An overview of policy, practice and research Summary: 1. A public health approach There are increasing calls for a public health approach to child maltreatment. A public health approach prioritizes prevention and early intervention. Within healthcare services, opportunities for a public health approach are located in the contact between professionals and children or their parents or carers and are likely to be characterised by identifying and responding to parental risk factors for maltreatment and harmful parent-child interaction. Defining the spectrum as 'maltreatment-related' concerns This report focuses on the role of GPs for marginally maltreated children (in the grey area around the threshold for defining 'maltreatment') as well as for children whose experiences can obviously and definitively be labelled as maltreatment. We use the term 'maltreatment-related concern' to capture the full range of professional concern which is relevant to child maltreatment. 2. Structure and methods This overview of policy, practice and research was based on a series of literature and policy reviews and answered five questions: - Chapter 3: Why focus on GPs? - Chapter 4: How far does policy and practice guidance support GPs' direct responses to families? - Chapter 5: What do we know from research and practice about direct responses to maltreatment-related concerns by GPs? - Chapter 6: What do we know about how parents, young people, adolescents and children view the doctor-patient relationship in general practice? - Chapter 7: What is the way forward? Details: London: NSPCC, 2014. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 21, 2014 at: http://www.rcgp.org.uk/news/2014/july/~/media/Files/CIRC/Safeguarding%20Children/RCGP-GP-Role-responding-to-child-maltreatment-July-2014.ashx Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.rcgp.org.uk/news/2014/july/~/media/Files/CIRC/Safeguarding%20Children/RCGP-GP-Role-responding-to-child-maltreatment-July-2014.ashx Shelf Number: 131261 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.K.)Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionHealthcareMedical Profession |
Author: Robertson, Jeremy Title: Effective Parenting Programmes: A review of the effectiveness of parenting programmes for parents of vulnerable children Summary: The urgent need to address New Zealand's high rate of child maltreatment has led to the search for effective interventions to reduce child maltreatment and its main risk factors. The 2012 White Paper for Vulnerable Children highlighted the importance of positive parenting practices for optimal child development and the value of supporting parenting, especially in the early years. An action from the White Paper was for SuPERU to review and report on effective parenting programmes by the end of 2013. For the purposes of this review we focused on parenting support programmes for parents of vulnerable children aged zero to six years. This included parent education, parent training programmes and home visiting programmes, but excluded general support that does not address parenting (such as financial assistance, mental health and drug abuse programmes). We aimed to provide evidence on the effectiveness of parenting support programmes in reducing maltreatment, or the risk of maltreatment, of vulnerable children. We first reviewed international research, determining common features of successful programmes overseas. We then reviewed the evidence for the effectiveness of New Zealand programmes. The review highlighted a number of issues related to the effectiveness of programmes (such as programme implementation) and these are also covered in this report. Details: Wellington, NZ: SuPERU, a division of Families Commission, 2014. 190p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report no. 1/14: Accessed August 22, 2014 at: http://www.familiescommission.org.nz/sites/default/files/downloads/Effective-Parenting-Programme-Report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.familiescommission.org.nz/sites/default/files/downloads/Effective-Parenting-Programme-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 133084 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentDelinquency PreventionParenting Programs |
Author: United Nations Children's Fund - UNICEF Title: Ending Violence Against Children: Six Strategies for Action Summary: Ending Violence Against Children: Six Strategies for Action provides evidence of effective programmes to address violence against children drawn from UNICEF's decades of experience, and informed by key partners. Case studies from around the globe illustrate how well-crafted prevention and response strategies can reduce the prevalence and impact of violence against children. The report is released as part of the #ENDviolence global initiative calling for an end to all forms of violence against children. It is directed at government leaders, civil society representatives, the private sector and the international development community Details: New York: UNICEF, 2014. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 30, 2014 at: http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/Ending_Violence_Against_Children_Six_strategies_for_action_EN_9_Oct_2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/Ending_Violence_Against_Children_Six_strategies_for_action_EN_9_Oct_2014.pdf Shelf Number: 133836 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild ExploitationChild MaltreatmentChild Sexual AbuseViolence Against Children |
Author: Child Protection Monitoring and Evaluation Group Title: Measuring Violence against Children - Inventory and assessment of quantitative studies Summary: Research and data on violence against children are scarce and inconsistent, especially in low- and middle-income countries. As a result, rigorous evidence on the extent, nature and impact of violence against children and on the underlying social norms and attitudes that perpetuate it is limited. Robust data are needed to develop evidence-based programmes and policies that can prevent and respond to violence, to establish baselines and monitor progress, and for advocacy. Such data are also needed to inform the development of and improve campaigns, laws, regulations and services that contribute to children's protection and well-being. The last two decades have witnessed a proliferation of different measurement activities aimed at filling the existing gaps, primarily through population-based sample surveys. Initiatives have been undertaken by or with the support of international agencies, international and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government institutions and researchers. The fact that governments and others have expressed interest in advancing in this area and have invested in improving related data-collection efforts is a positive step forward. While many organizations and individuals are active in research on violence against children, no gold standard for measuring this sensitive issue has been agreed upon internationally. As a result, different approaches have been developed to gather data, including the use of diverse indicators, questionnaires and study designs. This combination of factors has often led to the collection of inconsistent and unreliable data. It has also raised important questions about the risks and ethical issues that arise when the data-collection process involves children. The Child Protection Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group's (CP MERG) Technical Working Group on Data Collection on Violence against Children was established to provide guidance in this area and to produce outputs that can assist countries and partners in their efforts to gather data that are both reliable and useful and obtained in an ethically sensitive manner. The goal is to support, facilitate and coordinate the development of guidelines, standards and tools for the collection of data on violence against children at global, regional and national levels. With these objectives in mind, the Working Group decided to undertake a review of quantitative studies on violence against children to provide an overview of some recent data-collection activities that will feed into the development of guidelines. This review focused mainly on studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries; however, three studies from Western Europe (Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) and one study from the United States were also included. The review was based upon interviews with key informants, the identification of large-scale studies on violence against children, and an in-depth assessment of surveys from six countries and one subregion: Chile, the Eastern Caribbean, Georgia, India, the Republic of Moldova, the United Kingdom and the United Republic of Tanzania. Surveys conducted as part of larger international survey programmes, such as the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys and Demographic and Health Surveys, were not included in the review. Details: New York: Division of Data, Research and Policy, UNICEF,2014. 109p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 18, 2014 at: http://data.unicef.org/corecode/uploads/document6/uploaded_pdfs/corecode/CP-MERG-REPORT_205.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://data.unicef.org/corecode/uploads/document6/uploaded_pdfs/corecode/CP-MERG-REPORT_205.pdf Shelf Number: 134137 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionSocioeconomic Conditions and CrimeViolence Against Children |
Author: Steven, David Title: If Not Now, When? Ending Violence Against the World's Children Summary: Key Messages -- A target to end abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence, and torture against children has been proposed as part of the post-2015 development agenda. Support for this target is based on the recognition that no violence against children is justifiable and all violence against children is preventable. It forms part of a broader commitment to the role peaceful and inclusive societies play in sustainable development. At present, an epidemic of violence undermines child survival and development, while causing broader economic damage and trapping children into cycles of violence they may not escape as adults. Ambitious post- 2015 commitments on children's education, health, and wellbeing cannot be met as long as so many children live in fear. While the challenge of protecting all children is a substantial one, strategies exist for tackling violence and other forms of abuse. With the right policies and sufficient resources, substantial improvements in child safety can be achieved in less than a decade. Proposed targets to protect, prevent and address violence against children must be included in the final version of the new development agenda, with governments persuaded this is a signature issue that will resonate with the public around the world. But as Nelson Mandela wrote a decade ago, safety and security don't just happen: they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We must now begin preparing for implementation of new targets, moving beyond aspirations to credible plans. We now have an historic opportunity to unite the world behind a global, national, and local movement to protect children from violence, based on increased political will, a global partnership that will protect children, and the identification of pathfinder countries that will be ready to deliver the new agenda from January 2016. The next twelve months are critical. We must: 1. Secure an unequivocal global commitment to ending violence against children. Governments must be convinced that tackling violence is an essential and resonant priority that will significantly improve the lives of children. A target to end violence against children must be retained in the post-2015 development agenda. 2. Develop foundations that will allow implementation to begin in January 2016. An aspiration to end violence must be turned into something more concrete. Priorities include forming the partnership to scale up action to prevent violence and protect children and the coalition of pathfinder countries prepared to act first. 3. Create opportunities for world leaders to pledge support for urgent action to protect children. Champions are needed to advocate for implementation of targets to end all forms of violence against children. The Financing for Development conference in July and Heads of State and Government Summit in September 2015 should be used to announce ambitious commitments. Details: New York: New York University, Center on International Cooperation, 2014. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 18, 2014 at: http://www.globaldashboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/If_Not_Now_When_Final_201014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.globaldashboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/If_Not_Now_When_Final_201014.pdf Shelf Number: 134138 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild ExploitationChild MaltreatmentChild TraffickingChild VictimsViolence Against Children |
Author: U.S. Attorney General's Advisory Committee on American IndianAlaska Native Children Exposed to Violence Title: Ending Violence so Children Can Thrive Summary: Day in and day out, despite the tremendous efforts of tribal1 governments and community members, many of them hindered by insufficient funding, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children suffer exposure to violence at rates higher than any other race in the United States. The immediate and long term effects of this exposure to violence includes increased rates of altered neurological development, poor physical and mental health, poor school performance, substance abuse, and overrepresentation in the juvenile justice system. This chronic exposure to violence often leads to toxic stress reactions and severe trauma; which is compounded by historical trauma. Sadly, AI/AN children experience posttraumatic stress disorder at the same rate as veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and triple the rate of the general population.2 With the convergence of exceptionally high crime rates, jurisdictional limitations, vastly under-resourced programs, and poverty, service providers and policy makers should assume that all AI/AN children have been exposed to violence. Through hearings and Listening Sessions over the course of 2013-14, the Attorney General's Advisory Committee on American Indian and Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence3 examined the current epidemic of violence and evaluated suggestions for preventing violence and alleviating its impact on AI/AN children. This report presents the Advisory Committee's policy recommendations that are intended to serve as a blueprint for preventing AI/ AN children's exposure to violence and for mitigating the negative effects experienced by Al/AN children exposed to violence across the United States and throughout Indian country. The primary focus of the report is the thirty-one wide-ranging findings and recommendations that emerged from hearings and Listening Sessions. The Advisory Committee also examines the reports of the Attorney General's National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence in 20124 and the Indian Law and Order Commission (ILOC) in 2013,5 and incorporates some of the recommendations from these important reports that most strongly impact AI/AN children exposed to violence. This report contains five chapters: (1) "Building a Strong Foundation"; (2) "Promoting Well-Being for American Indian and Alaska Native Children in the Home"; (3) "Promoting Well-Being for American Indian and Alaska Native Children in the Community"; (4) "Creating a Juvenile Justice System that Focuses on Prevention, Treatment and Healing"; and (5) "Empowering Alaska Tribes,6 Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Attorney General's Office, 2014. 258p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 8, 2014 at: http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/defendingchildhood/pages/attachments/2014/11/18/finalaianreport.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/defendingchildhood/pages/attachments/2014/11/18/finalaianreport.pdf Shelf Number: 134286 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.S.)Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChildren and ViolenceIndians of North AmericaIndigenous Peoples |
Author: World Health Organization Title: Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014 Summary: Despite indications that homicide rates decreased by 16% globally between 2000 and 2012, violence remains widespread. Released today, the "Global status report on violence prevention 2014" reveals that 475 000 people were murdered in 2012. Homicide is the third leading cause of death globally for males aged 15-44 years. These facts highlight the importance of creating more decisive action to prevent violence. Jointly published today by WHO, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the report indicates that: only one third of the 133 countries surveyed are implementing large-scale initiatives to prevent violence, such as bullying prevention programmes, visits by nurses to families at risk, and support to those who care for older people; just over half the countries are fully enforcing a set of 12 laws generally acknowledged to prevent violence, although 80% of countries have enacted them; only half of all countries have services in place to protect and support victims of violence The "Global status report on violence prevention 2014" is the first report of its kind to assess national efforts to address interpersonal violence, namely child maltreatment, youth violence, intimate partner and sexual violence, and elder abuse. Individual country profiles reflect the extent to which key violence prevention programmes and laws and selected services for victims of violence are being implemented. Details: Geneva, SWIT: WHO, 2014. 292p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2014 at: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/status_report/2014/en/ Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/status_report/2014/en/ Shelf Number: 134305 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentElder AbuseHomicidesInterpersonal ViolenceSexual ViolenceViolenceViolence PreventionViolent CrimeYouth Violence |
Author: Brandon, Marian Title: Missed opportunities: indicators of neglect - what is ignored, why, and what can be done? Summary: Neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment in England (Department for Education, 2013; Radford et al, 2011) and the USA (Sedlak et al., 2010). In England, almost half (43%) of child protection plans are made in response to neglect, and it features in 60% of serious case reviews (Brandon et al., 2012). Radford and colleagues' study for the NSPCC found that 9% of young adults had been severely neglected by parents or guardians during their childhood (Radford et al, 2011). Yet a number of high profile child deaths (see Laming, 2003; Lock, 2013) have shown that it is extremely difficult for professionals with safeguarding responsibilities to identify indicators of neglect, to assess whether what they have observed is sufficiently serious for them to take action, and to decide on the most appropriate course of action. The purpose of this report is to help practitioners understand the research evidence and practice learning concerning indicators of actual, current neglect and risk factors that are associated with a likelihood of actual harm or future harm in very young children. The report is also intended to inform new guidance for social workers and all other professionals involved with parents and their children. The broad research questions established at the beginning of the project were as follows: 1. To help practitioners understand the research and practice related evidence concerning risk factors in the environment, the parent and the child that are associated with a likelihood of actual harm or future harm in very young children. 2. To help practitioners understand the research and practice related evidence about indicators of actual, current neglect in very young children. This report was prepared by members of an expert advisory group which met three times and was convened by the Department for Education. The purpose of the project was to discuss and reach a consensus on these research questions and draw on the learning from numerous existing literature reviews rather than setting out exhaustive new searches. The research and literature reviewed in this report is all in the public domain and has not raised ethical issues. Appendix 1 explains the search strategy and the contributions of the members of the expert group who were supported by the researcher Clare Lushey. The report has been subject to independent peer review. Details: London: Department of Education, 2014. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2015 at: http://www.cwrc.ac.uk/documents/RR404_-_Indicators_of_neglect_missed_opportunities.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cwrc.ac.uk/documents/RR404_-_Indicators_of_neglect_missed_opportunities.pdf Shelf Number: 134592 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.K.)Child MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Kendrick, Andrew Title: Protecting and Safeguarding Children in Care : A Review of Developments in Services for Children in Care in Scotland Summary: This review will focus on developments to protect and safeguard children and young people in residential and foster care that have happened, for the most part, over the past 25 years, although it will touch on longer term developments when necessary. It will complement and update the Shaw Historical Abuse Systemic Review (1). It will bring together existing evidence on changes in legislation, policy and practice which have been aimed at improving the quality and safety of residential and foster care, and it will identify gaps in existing knowledge. This review does not focus specifically on the abuse of children in care but rather the developments in care practice which have been triggered by reviews and inquiries into abuse in care. Previous work on the abuse of children in care settings has identified three key aspects of residential and foster care practice which have been linked to the safety and protection of children in care: recruitment, selection, support and training of carers; inspection, monitoring and standards; and listening to children and children's participation (2). This review will use these three areas as a framework to discuss developments in residential and foster care in Scotland. Details: Glasgow: University of Strathclyde, Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland, 2014. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 16, 2015 at: http://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/50417/1/Kendrick_2014_Protecting_and_safeguarding_children_in_care.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/50417/1/Kendrick_2014_Protecting_and_safeguarding_children_in_care.pdf Shelf Number: 134630 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Scotland)Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionFoster CareResidential Care |
Author: Child Welfare Information Gateway Title: Establishment and Maintenance of Central Registries for Child Abuse Reports Summary: This publication examines State laws and procedures for maintaining records of child abuse and neglect. Most States maintain a central registry, which is a centralized database of child abuse and neglect investigation records. In some States, the individual State agencies that received the reports of suspected abuse or neglect are required to maintain these records. Central registry reports are typically used to aid social services agencies in the investigation, treatment, and prevention of child abuse cases and to maintain statistical information for staffing and funding purposes. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau, 2014. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 19, 2015 at: https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/centreg.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/centreg.pdf Shelf Number: 134648 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.S.)Child MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Allnock, Debbie Title: No one noticed, no one heard: a study of disclosures of childhood abuse Summary: This report describes the childhood experiences of abuse of 60 young men and women and how they disclosed this abuse and sought help. These young people experienced high levels and different kinds of violence, including sexual abuse and family violence.1 It is often asserted that young people who experience abuse do not talk about it. The face to face interviews for this study show that a majority of young people did attempt to disclose their abuse to at least one person although this information was not identified in the surveys for this study. Eighty per cent - 48 of the 60 young people we spoke to - attempted to disclose the abuse before they were 18 years old. Some of these disclosures led to protective action and some did not. Research2 has suggested that sexual abuse is unlikely to be disclosed - and yet 38 of the 44 young people (86 per cent) who suffered from sexual abuse3 did disclose during childhood; 66 per cent attempted to disclose when the abuse was happening. However, just like many high profile cases, not all of these disclosures were "heard" or acted upon. Young people generally made more than one disclosure. Of the 203 disclosures in childhood that were made, 117 disclosures (58 per cent) were acted upon by recipients. Suffering from abuse is a distressing experience. It should be no surprise that disclosures that were ignored, denied or badly handled added to the negative experiences of the young people in this study. Details: London: National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), 2014. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 19, 2015 at: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/no-one-noticed-no-one-heard-report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/no-one-noticed-no-one-heard-report.pdf Shelf Number: 134658 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.K.)Child MaltreatmentChild Sexual Abuse |
Author: World Health Organization Title: Improving efforts to prevent children's exposure to violence: a handbook for defining programme theory and planning for evaluation in the new evidence-based culture Summary: As part of a global movement to direct greater attention and resources to child protection, programmes aimed at reducing children's exposure to violence are being implemented with increasing frequency across the world. These programmes are diverse and range from raising public awareness of the issues to widening and strengthening government policies and protective structures, improving children's and families' access to medical, therapeutic and legal support, and increasing children's and parents' protective skills. Over the last several decades a substantial body of research has accumulated, providing much needed information about the experience of violence in childhood. We now know that child abuse, neglect, peer violence, sexual victimization and exposure to domestic and community violence are suffered by very large numbers of children. We understand much more about the serious negative consequences of violence exposure on children's physical and mental health, effects that can carry through from generation to generation. In addition, we have come to appreciate that children's health and safety concerns often cluster together, and that children and families with the fewest resources often suffer from disproportionate levels of exposure to violence. Evaluation research has also helped us to identify which prevention and intervention strategies work well and make the biggest difference to children's well-being. What is needed now is a global movement to build on this knowledge in order to channel programme efforts in increasingly effective ways. Given the seriousness of the problem of children's exposure to violence and the scarcity of resources with which to tackle it, our focus should be to ensure that: - new programmes and initiatives are grounded in research knowledge; - programmes are routinely evaluated so that we continue to learn more about what works and what does not. It is only by sharing, using and growing the evidence base that we will hasten our positive impact on the lives and well-being of children worldwide. This handbook is intended to help implementing agencies (e.g. nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), development/foreign aid agencies, community-based organizations, not-for-profit agencies) make better use of existing research and plan for evaluation when designing and implementing child violence prevention programmes, and also to convey these intentions to potential funding organizations. Details: Geneva, SWIT: WHO, 2014. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 12, 2015 at: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/144308/1/9789241507882_eng.pdf?ua=1 Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/144308/1/9789241507882_eng.pdf?ua=1 Shelf Number: 134911 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionEvidence-Based PracticesViolence Against Children |
Author: Wlodarczyk, Joanna Title: National Survey of Child and Youth Victimization in Poland. Research Report. Summary: 1. Key findings - 71% of teenagers (11 to 17-year-olds) have experienced at least one form of victimization. - More than half of the respondents have experienced peer and sibling victimization, which is the most common category of victimization. The most frequent forms of peer and sibling victimization are peer or sibling assault (41%) and emotional bullying (28%). - More than one in three (34%) teenagers has been abused by known adults. Every fifth young person has experienced psychological abuse by adults (22%), and nearly the same proportion have been physically abused (21%). - 27% of teenagers have fallen victim to conventional crime. The largest proportion of young people have experienced vandalism (21%), while robbery and assault with a weapon have been much less common (8% and 5%, respectively). - 18% of the respondents have witnessed violence at home. - 9% have experienced at least one form of noncontact sexual victimization in most cases these were the less severe forms of sexual abuse: verbal sexual harassment (5,3%) and online grooming (5,1%); 6% of teenagers have fallen victim to at least one form of contact sexual victimization. - 6% of children have experienced neglect. - One in ten teenagers is a poly-victim which means that he or she has experienced 6 or more forms of victimization. Details: Warsaw: Fundacja Dzieci Niczyje (Nobody's Children Foundation), 2013. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2015 at: http://www.canee.net/files/National_Survey_of_Child_and_Youth_Victimization_in_Poland_2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Poland URL: http://www.canee.net/files/National_Survey_of_Child_and_Youth_Victimization_in_Poland_2013.pdf Shelf Number: 134996 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Poland)Child MaltreatmentChildren and ViolenceChildren, Crimes AgainstRepeat VictimizationVictims of Crime |
Author: Nobody's Children Foundation Title: The Problem of Child Abuse: Comparative Report from Six East European Countries 2010-2013 Summary: The goal of the study was to assess attitudes towards child abuse and corporal punishment as well as parental practices in six countries participating in the project "Childhood without Abuse: Towards a Better Child Protection System in Eastern Europe" financed by OAK Foundations. The same measurements were applied in 2010 and 2013 to provide an objective evaluation of the change that occurred during the project as well as comparison between countries. The results from earlier studies were also utilised to address the changes in attitudes towards corporal punishment and, in effect, findings from years 2005-2013 have been compared. To achieve the above mentioned goal, the following research questions were stated: - How do the respondents estimate the dynamics of various aspects of child abuse? - What are the respondents' self-reported attitudes toward parental use of physical punishment of children? - What are their attitudes towards a legal ban on different forms of corporal punishment? - What institutions in the broadly understood field of child protection provide help for abused children? - How do parents punish their children? Details: Warsaw, Poland: Nobody's Children Foundation, 2013. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 23, 2015 at: http://www.canee.net/files/OAK_Comparative_Report_Child_Abuse_6_Countries_2010-2013_.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Europe URL: http://www.canee.net/files/OAK_Comparative_Report_Child_Abuse_6_Countries_2010-2013_.pdf Shelf Number: 135001 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Europe)Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionCorporal Punishment |
Author: Gould, Chandre Title: Positive parenting in South Africa. Why supporting families is key to development Summary: Preventing and reducing violence by supporting parents is critical to national development. This policy brief explains how positive parenting relates to violence prevention and national development, and why the national implementation of evidence-based programmes to support positive parenting is both necessary and achievable. There is a strong body of national and international evidence we can draw on to help us understand what causes violence, as well as a growing body of South African evidence on what works to prevent it. Government has identified the need to intervene early to prevent violence and the Department of Social Development has a strong legal and policy framework around which to grow preventative interventions. Preventing the kinds of violence children experience, and grow up to repeat, requires us as a society to start thinking about how best we can support parents. In this policy brief we outline challenges parents face; the legal and policy framework that mandates interventions to support parents and to sustain the children when we see there are problems; present findings of research that shows the link between parenting and childrens behaviour; and recommend a way forward. Putting in place good, strong interventions based on the best available evidence is vital to national growth and development. This is because children who grow up in warm and attentive families have a much better chance of completing school and developing the required working skills thereafter. An investment in supporting parents may take time to show returns, but the cost benefits as far as health and criminal justice are concerned make this a wise, long-term investment. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2015. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 77: Accessed May 4, 2015 at: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/PolBrief77.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa URL: http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/PolBrief77.pdf Shelf Number: 135496 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChildren and Violence Crime Prevention Delinquency Prevention Evidence-Based Programs Parenting Programs Violence Prevention |
Author: Mathews, Ben Title: Mandatory reporting laws for child sexual abuse in Australia: A legislative history Summary: 1.1 Scope and purpose of this report 1. History of Australian mandatory reporting legislation for child sexual abuse The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is required to inquire into, among other things, 'what institutions and governments should do to achieve best practice in encouraging the reporting of, and responding to reports or information about, allegations, incidents or risks of child sexual abuse and related matters in institutional contexts'. An aspect of the nature of allegations of child sexual abuse occurring within institutional contexts is that they often relate to events that took place years and sometimes decades before the allegations are brought to light. This report is intended to assist in understanding the development of mandatory reporting laws and to establish a means of determining the existence and scope of mandatory reporting laws in any jurisdiction at a given point in time. To assist the Royal Commission in addressing our terms of reference, the major focus of this report is to review and explain the legislative principles for mandatory reporting to child welfare agencies of child sexual abuse in each state and territory of Australia, and to trace changes in the development of the laws since their inception to the present day. In doing so, the report identifies differences within and between state and territory laws over a period of 44 years, from 1969 to 2013. The report does not discuss obligations to report criminal conduct to law enforcement agencies in detail (see Part 2.6). It is not the purpose of this report to make recommendations for reform of law, policy or practice. Nevertheless, the outcomes of the legal analyses indicate areas for possible reform, enhancement and research. The law and historical developments in each state and territory are detailed in Part 3 of this Report. A timeline is also provided for each jurisdiction showing the major developments in graphic form. Nine tables in the Executive summary of this report display the most essential information in summary form. 2. Precursors to and reasons for the introduction of the laws in each jurisdiction, and for substantial amendments to the laws A second purpose of this report is to identify why the legislation changed in each jurisdiction. This task involved research into publicly available records in each state and Letters Patent for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, S No 12 of 2013, 11 January 2013, territory, focusing on significant government inquiries and law reform reports, and parliamentary debates. Findings regarding the precursors to legal developments are integrated within the treatment of the historical legal developments in Part 3 of this report. Discussion of these precursors is presented in shaded boxes. In addition, Table 9 in the Executive summary of this report highlights the major influential factors. 3. Overseas learnings A third, minor aspect of the report is to summarise other jurisdictions' reporting laws and developments over time, to identify issues of interest. For feasibility, this is limited to selected jurisdictions having the most detailed experience of mandatory reporting laws and the most detailed data about child protection. Details: Sydney: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, 2014. 149p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2015 at: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/documents/royal-commission-report-ben-mathews-for-rc-publica.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/documents/royal-commission-report-ben-mathews-for-rc-publica.pdf Shelf Number: 135548 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationChild Welfare |
Author: Galm, Beate Title: Combating Child Abuse and Neglect: Child Protection in Germany Summary: The Federal Republic of Germany is a federal state with 16 partially sovereign constituent Lander (Federal States). The authorities of the Lander extend to legislation. The distribution of legislative and other competences between the federal government and the Lander is governed by the German Constitution, which is binding for all. The constitution stipulates the basic rights of its 82 million citizens. To promote and protect the child's rights, the constitution stipulates the distribution of responsibilities between parents and government as follows: Childcare and the education of children are the right and duty of the parents. The national community monitors their activities. Only if the parents fail to fulfill their care and educational duties sufficiently, then state is not only entitled to intervene but also mandated. This happens in child endangerment cases, which the parents themselves cannot or do not want to avert. Moreover the state has the general duty to support families in their task of care and education. So far, there is no significant information available in Germany about how often cases become known in the children and youth protection system, where violence against children transgresses the threshold of child endangerment. In fact, there is a nationwide unified official child and youth welfare statistic; however, it focuses on actions and not on cases or case situations. Currently, a Federal Child Protection Act (Bundeskinderschutz-gesetz) is under way which is likely to come into force in 2012. It provides for expanding the child and youth welfare statistic with the objective of collecting the number of cases of child endangerment known in the area of child and youth welfare. In general, only limited assertions can be made concerning the extent of various types of violence against children in Germany. These are based on few studies with a representative selection of the population, on methodologically insufficient estimates (overview in Pothmann, 2006), and on smaller samples in the area of healthcare and Children and Youth Services. Moreover, various statistics (e.g. child and youth statistic, the crime statistic of the police, the statistic of the cause of death) provide information about various partial quantities, e.g. cases of abuse, which are criminally prosecuted or cases, in which children are removed from the family for a short or long-term. In light of the widespread child neglect and psychological child abuse there is a recent representative study (Hauser et al., 2011). Lesser intensity of neglect included, almost 50% of the respondents (juveniles and adults were surveyed, n = 2504) report physical neglect and nearly 50% report emotional neglect in their childhood and adolescence. Serious physical neglect was experienced by 10.8%, serious emotional neglect by 6.6%. The proportion auf psychological abuse reported is 15%, if moderate intensity is included and 1.6% for serious psychological abuse. Non-representative data suggest that child neglect is by far the most common form of endangerment known in the area of child and youth welfare. This assertion is strengthened by the tendency that the situation is similar in all countries, which so far have examined the frequency of various forms of child endangerment (Galm et al., 2010, p. 38-40). In the case of Germany, this was confirmed by a study based on cases over which the family court had to decide about an intervention concerning the parental care (Munder et al., 2000, n = 318). In nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of the cases, the presence of child neglect was affirmed by the social workers. In every second case (50 percent), it was seen as the main cause for endangerment. The same study described psychological child abuse as the second most frequent form of endangerment after child neglect and before physical abuse and sexual abuse of children. Moreover, there is a high rate of overlapping between various forms of child endangerment. These findings are reflected internationally as well (e.g. Jonson-Reid et al., 2003). The few representative study results suggest, that the majority of parents in Germany - even with a decreasing trend - still use at least some minor forms of corporal punishment against their child such as a light slap in the face or a spanking (Bussmann, 2004, 2005, 2008, Wetzels, 1997, Pfeiffer et al., 1997, 1999, Baier et al., 2009). In this connection, Germany is in a middle position in a European comparative study about corporal punishment (Bussmann, 2008). This study also shows that most parents - in Germany about 90% - are aiming to raise their children free of violence. In a summary of German study results, Engfer (2005) concludes that 10% to 15% of parents use more severe and more frequent corporal punishments. In the survey of Hauser et al. (2011) 12% of the respondents re-port physical and 2.8% serious physical violence. In three representative surveys, women, men (Wetzels & Pfeiffer, 1995, Wetzels, 1997, Bienek et al., 2011, Hauser, 2011), juvenile girls, and boys (repeat survey of BZgA, 2010) are asked among others about sexual violence during their childhood and youth. The results show that based on a wider definition of sexual violence up to 19% of women and 8% of men were affected by sexual violence during childhood in Germany. The follow up survey (n = 11,428) by Bienek et al. (2011) is interesting: The results show a significant reduction of sexual violence in the last 20 years. Depending on the definition, in international studies the figures fluctuate between 7% and 36% in affected women and between 3% and 19% in affected men concerning the extent of sexual violence (Finkelhor, 2005). Since the end of the last century the awareness of the negative effects of partnership violence on children has increased in Germany (Kavemann, 2006) According to international studies, partnership violence, which has a special potential for injury and which is embedded in forms of control and debasement is mainly initiated by men toward their partners (research over-views e.g. in Johnson, 2001, Saunders, 2002). In Germany, these findings are confirmed by a representative study (a representative community sample of 10,000 women from all over Germany) concerning living situations, security, and health of women commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Families, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (Muller et al., 2004). This study concludes that at least every fourth woman (25 %) between the ages of 16 and 85 years, who has lived in a partnership, has experienced one or several times physical (23 %) or - in part additionally - sexual (7 %) violence by their partner (Muller et al., 2004, p. 8). Compared to the prevailing data from other European studies (overview in Hagemann-White 2001), these results are in the medium to upper level, whereby the methods and instruments of the survey, the topic and content of focus as well as the included age and examination samples vary greatly and make a comparison the more difficult. In this survey 60% of the women, who had experienced a violent relationship were living with children at the time (N=485). Asked about how they thought this affected their children 57% of these women reported that the children had overheard violent situations, 50% that children had seen these situations and 25% stated that children had tried to defend them against their violent partner. 23% of the women believed that the children had not noticed the partnership violence at all. (Muller et al., 2004, pp. 276-277) In surveys of unreported incidents with juveniles (Enzmann & Wetzels, 2001), approx. 7 % of the ones surveyed stated that they experienced frequent violence of the (social) father against the mother or of both parents against one another during the year prior to the survey. Details: Munich: Deutsches Jugendinstitut e.V., 2011. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 4, 2015 at: http://www.youthpolicy.nl/yp/downloadsyp/Daphne-report-Germany.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Germany URL: http://www.youthpolicy.nl/yp/downloadsyp/Daphne-report-Germany.pdf Shelf Number: 135901 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild WelfareCorporal Punishment |
Author: Narhi, Marianna Title: The Future of Child Labour: Study of the worst forms of child labour in Bangladesh, Bolivia, India, Kenya, Peru, Tanzania and Uganda Summary: This report is based on fieldwork carried out in three of the regions where Terre des Hommes Netherlands is active. The purpose of the research was to collect information on the worst forms of child labour by talking to stakeholders on different levels; from children, parents and employers to NGO's, police and the government. What kind of work do children do, why are they doing it, and why is it harmful to them? What is being done to eliminate child labour, what has been achieved and why does child labour prevail? What are recent shifts in child labour in these countries, and how are global trends affecting this? Running up to The Hague Global Child Labour Conference being hosted by the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, in close collaboration with the ILO in May 2010, Terre des Hommes is presenting some of the current statistics, trends, opinions and recommendations presiding amongst those involved with child labour in Bangladesh, Bolivia, India, Kenya, Peru, Tanzania and Uganda. Compiling this into one report makes it possible to draw parallels between regions and countries. The prevalence of child domestic labour, and the abusive and slave-like conditions under which much of it takes place, was apparent in all research areas. The connections between domestic labour and unconditional worst forms of child labour such as trafficking and prostitution are unavoidable, and add to the urgency of developing appropriate response s to the exploitation faced by millions of children in this most common of employment sectors. The commercial sexual exploitation of children remains widespread, and the role of boys is often not well understood. Urbanisation and large-scale rural to urban migration are leading to growing slums and increasing populations of invisible, unsupervised, vulnerable children. HIV/AIDS, climate change, and the global economic crisis are pushing more and more children into exploitative situations. Children often do not receive sufficient protection from their families, their communities and state protection mechanisms. Although school enrolment rates are increasing across the researched regions, many children remain without viable alternatives to working. Different cultural perspectives on child labour, and discrepancies in the approaches taken by various local, national and international actors, affect the responses to child labour and the impact these have. This report aims to contribute to the on-going discussion about how best to protect children from exploitation by collating information and viewpoints from various sources. Details: The Hague: Terre des Hommes Netherlands, 2010. 119p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2015 at: http://www.terredeshommesnl.org/download/64 Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.terredeshommesnl.org/download/64 Shelf Number: 129783 Keywords: Child LaborChild Maltreatment |
Author: Buchanan, Emily Title: 'Child Neglect is Everyone's Business': Achieving a Greater Sense of Shared Responsibility for Tackling Neglect: Findings from LARC6 Summary: In essence, neglect is a failure to meet children's basic needs, to provide them with the support and care they need to thrive. Child neglect has profound negative consequences for children and young people, and even low-level neglect is harmful to children's health and development. There are thresholds against which organisations can assess the level of neglect occurring and, for cases of higher need that meet these thresholds, formal support will be put in place for a family. However, the ways in which low-level or early indicators of neglect are identified and addressed are less formalised. Local authorities have no statutory duty to address low-level neglect themselves, although the majority offer or are developing 'early help' services and signposting support. This research examined the role of families and the wider community by addressing the question: 'How can we (local authorities) work differently to identify child neglect at an early stage and encourage effective, low-cost solutions drawing particularly on the strengths of the family network and the wider community?' The research involved interviews with 271 participants, including parents1, young people, community representatives and practitioners from a range of services (such as education, health and social care services). It was carried out by nine local authorities with support from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) and Research in Practice (RiP). The research found that parents and community representatives have some idea of how to identify a neglected child and most think they have a role to play in identifying and helping to address neglect, although there were mixed views about whether everyone in the wider community sees it as their role. Most of the parents who had had concerns about a child in the past had acted by speaking to the families themselves, or seeking advice from a professional. But some community members and young people said they would not know how to identify neglect or where to turn for advice if they suspected a child was suffering from neglect. Details: Slough, UK: National Foundation for Educational Research, 2015. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 5, 2015 at: https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/LRCN01/LRCN01.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/LRCN01/LRCN01.pdf Shelf Number: 136700 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Lerpiniere, Jennifer Title: Overseen but often overlooked: Children and Young People 'Looked After at Home' in Scotland. Report 2: Identifying needs and outcomes Summary: More than 5,000 children and young people are looked after at home in Scotland; this represents around a third of all looked after children. Children and young people looked after at home are subject to a compulsory supervision order, but without a requirement to be placed in a particular setting (such as kinship care, foster care, residential care, etc). This type of legal supervision order is unique to the Scottish system of child legislation, children who are supervised in this way are "looked after" by a local authority whilst still living at home with a parent or relevant person. Home supervision has been used since the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, a period of more than forty years. Despite this long history and extensive use, little is known about home supervision or the experiences of the children who are subject to this intervention. This study seeks to begin to remedy this situation. The study covers considerable ground, and so, a decision was taken to report the findings in three separate reports: - Report 1 in this series reports the findings of a literature review undertaken to identify what research has been conducted into the unique needs, outcomes and experiences of children and young people looked after at home. - This document is Report 2; it focuses on what we learned about the needs and outcomes of children and young people on home supervision and compares this to what was found in the literature review. This report also provides the background to the study and describes the methods used in the primary research. Details: Glasgow: Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland (CELCIS), 2015. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2015 at: http://www.celcis.org/media/resources/publications/Overseen_but_often_overlooked-Report-2-needs_outcomes.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.celcis.org/media/resources/publications/Overseen_but_often_overlooked-Report-2-needs_outcomes.pdf Shelf Number: 137001 Keywords: At-Risk YouthChild Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild WelfareFamiliesHome Supervision |
Author: Welch, Vicki Title: Overseen but often overlooked: Children and Young People 'Looked After at Home' in Scotland. Report 1: Reviewing the literature Summary: This document is the first report from a study commissioned by Barnardo's Scotland. The study explores experiences, needs and outcomes for children and young people in Scotland who are (or have been) looked after at home (ie subject to a home supervision requirement or order). The research aims to do several things: determine in what ways outcomes for this group differ from their peers, address factors which are unique to this group and which may contribute to any differences in outcomes, and investigate emerging models of practice to support young people who are, or have been, looked after at home. The study seeks to capture and summarise what is currently known, identify what the needs of this group are likely to be and recommend future actions related to services, policies and research. This first report details the findings of a comprehensive review of literature sources to identify, analyse and synthesise existing knowledge. The review was systematic inasmuch as the methods are made explicit. However, literature directly focused on home supervision is rare so we have used a two-tiered approach to identify wider material which is likely to throw light on the situation of this group of children and young people. The review process was influenced by a five-stage approach originally developed for scoping studies (Arksey & O'Malley, 2005). Identification of sources was based on a number of searches and personal requests for recommendations by those with knowledge of the field. The review was not restricted to peer-reviewed sources and other good quality sources were considered where they were sufficiently pertinent. Documents were screened according to a number of inclusion and exclusion criteria and if selected they were included in the appropriate section of the review: Section A, concerning research which specifically identifies needs, outcomes or characteristics of children and young people looked after at home, or Section B, concerning other research likely to be relevant to the needs, outcomes or characteristics of children and young people on home supervision. Details: Glasgow: Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland (CELCIS),2014. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2015 at: http://www.celcis.org/media/resources/publications/Overseen_but_often_overlooked-Report-1-literature.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.celcis.org/media/resources/publications/Overseen_but_often_overlooked-Report-1-literature.pdf Shelf Number: 137022 Keywords: At-Risk Youth Child Abuse and Neglect Child Maltreatment Child Protection Child Welfare FamiliesHome Supervision |
Author: Young, Emma Title: Overseen but often overlooked: Children and Young People 'Looked After at Home' in Scotland. Report 3: Exploring service provision Summary: This report is part of a series of documents outlining the findings of a study funded by Barnardo's Scotland and conducted by researchers from the Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland. This document is Report 3; it explores what we learned in this study in relation to provision of services for children and young people currently or previously on home supervision. In this document we include findings from different strands of the study including the survey, interviews and service case studies where relevant. We cover the types of services responding to the survey along with the numbers and groups of children served (including age ranges). Results include the proportion of children on home supervision or previously looked after at home who use the services, the types of outcomes that services address in their work with children and young people, and current plans to make service changes. This report is accompanied by a separate document (Annex 3a) which contains more detailed descriptions of five services which provide examples of a range of supports for children and young people on or formerly on home supervision. These small case studies are important; they provide valuable real-life context, illustrate some of the challenges faced by children and provide examples of how providers are responding to these. Details: Glasgow: Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland (CELCIS), 2015. 39p., app. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2015 at: http://www.celcis.org/media/resources/publications/Overseen_but_often_overlooked_Report-3-Service-provision.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.celcis.org/media/resources/publications/Overseen_but_often_overlooked_Report-3-Service-provision.pdf Shelf Number: 137023 Keywords: At-Risk Youth Child Abuse and Neglect Child Maltreatment Child Protection Child Welfare FamiliesHome Supervision |
Author: United Nations Children's Fund - UNICEF Title: Violence Against Children in Kenya: Findings from a 2010 National Survey Summary: The 2010 Kenya Violence against Children Study (VACs) is the first national survey of violence against both female and male children in Kenya. The survey is the most up to date National assessment of households covering 1,306 females and 1,622 males aged between 13 to 24 years. The Kenya VACs was designed to yield lifetime and current experiences of emotional , physical and sexual violations for female and male children from the following age groups: - 18 to 24 year olds who experienced acts of violence prior to age 18 (lifetime events). - 13 to 17 year olds who experienced acts of violence during the 12 months prior to the survey (current events). The 2010 Kenya VACs was guided by a Technical Working Group (TWG). The group was assembled in view of their expertise in issues of children in Kenya and the mandates of their organizations. The findings from the survey indicate that violence against children is a serious problem in Kenya. Levels of violence prior to age 18 as reported by 18 to 24 year olds (lifetime experiences) indicate that during childhood, 32% of females and 18% of males experience sexual violence . 66% of females and 73% of males experienced physical violence and 26% of females and 32% of males experience any violence as a child. 13% of females and 9% of males experienced all three types of violence during childhood. The most common perpetrators of sexual violence for females and males were found to be boyfriends/girlfriends/romantic partners comprising 47% and 43% respectively followed by neighbors, 27% and 21% respectively. Mothers and fathers were the most common perpetrator of physical violence by family members. For males, teachers followed by Police were the most common perpetrators of physical violence by an authority figure. Emotional violence for both females and males was most often inflicted by parents. Regardless of the type of violence, less than one out of every females or males who experienced sexual, physical, or emotional violence as a child knew of a place to go to seed professional help. Most importantly, less than 10% of females and males who experienced sexual, physical or emotional violence as a child actually received some form of professional help. Females aged 18 to 24 who reported experiencing sexual violence in childhood were significantly more likely to report feelings of anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts and fair/poor health than those females who did not experience sexual violence. Three out of every ten females 30% aged 18 to 24 who reported experiencing unwanted completed intercourse before the age of 18 (i.e., sex that was physically forced or pressured ) became pregnant as a result. About 90% of females and males who experienced sexual violence as a child reported of a place to go for HIV testing. Among females aged 18 to 24 who experienced sexual violence as a child, about 7% had received money for sex compared to 2% of those who did not experience violence prior to age 18. Females and males age 18 to 24 who experienced sexual violence prior to age 18 (7% versus 2% for females; 53% versus 35% for males). Over half females and males age 18 to 24, regardless of whether they experienced violence prior to 18, believe that it is acceptable for a husband to beat his wife. Furthermore, 40% of females and 50% of males believed that a woman should tolerate spousal violence in order to keep her family together. Details: Nairobi: UNICEF - Kenya Office, 2012. 178p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2015 at: https://srsg.violenceagainstchildren.org/sites/default/files/documents/docs/VAC_in_Kenya.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Kenya URL: https://srsg.violenceagainstchildren.org/sites/default/files/documents/docs/VAC_in_Kenya.pdf Shelf Number: 137028 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentEmotional AbuseFamily ViolenceRapeSex OffensesSexual ViolenceViolence Against Children |
Author: African Child Policy Forum Title: The African Report on Violence against Children Summary: This report, The African Report on Violence against Children, the first comprehensive analysis of violence against children in Africa, comes at an opportune moment in the history of child rights in Africa and the world. It comes at a time when the child rights community is taking stock of the progress made in advancing child rights 25 years since the adoption of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and the un Convention on the Rights of the Child. The report makes an in-depth exposition of the magnitude as well as the causes and consequences of violence against children and analyses the various vulnerability factors that underlie or aggravate violence such as, gender, social practices, homelessness and disability. The report looks into the multifarious community and family cosmos within which the African child grows. It analyses how a complex web of community values and socio-cultural factors bear upon the child's upbringing and protection, and how some of these factors may occasionally expose the child to violence. The report seeks to find answers for why the problem of violence still persists despite the proliferation of child protection programmes and services by critically examining both the achievements and the gaps cutting across the legislative and programmatic realms. Building upon existing efforts and persisting gaps the report lays down the priorities for action at various levels and the interface that is required amongst the various actors for better protection of children. The report calls for a shift towards a systems approach to child protection that emphasises prevention and collaborative responses at multiple levels, including at the family and community levels. The report echoes what others have reiterated in the past that violence, in whatever form, is unacceptable and cannot be justified on cultural or religious grounds whatsoever. Details: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: African Child Policy Forum, 2014. 134p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2015 at: https://app.box.com/s/iclv9c70sigmceyl30ym Year: 2014 Country: Africa URL: https://app.box.com/s/iclv9c70sigmceyl30ym Shelf Number: 137032 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild WelfareViolence Against Children |
Author: Munro, Eileen Title: Hear no evil, see no evil: Understanding failure to identify and report child sexual abuse in institutional contexts Summary: The Royal Commission has developed a comprehensive research program to support its work and to inform its findings and recommendations. The program focuses on eight themes: 1. Why does child sexual abuse occur in institutions? 2. How can child sexual abuse in institutions be prevented? 3. How can child sexual abuse be better identified? 4. How should institutions respond where child sexual abuse has occurred? 5. How should government and statutory authorities respond? 6. What are the treatment and support needs of victims/survivors and their families? 7. What is the history of particular institutions of interest? 8. How do we ensure the Royal Commission has a positive impact? This research report falls within theme three. The case studies examined in this report explore many of the organisational factors that influence how well children are protected: the recruitment process, training in recognising and responding to indications of abuse, and formal policies about what people should do both to prevent and react to abuse. Our study highlighted less tangible but equally influential aspects of organisations that were also evident in the case studies, including: Local rationality: People do what they think is right or sensible at a given time, and inquiries such as this need to find out what local rationalities may have influenced their actions. Organisational culture: This is partly created by the explicit strategies and messages of senior managers but is also strongly influenced by covert messages that are transmitted throughout organisations, influencing individual behaviour. These can significantly affect the rigour with which policies and procedures are implemented. Balancing risks: Policies and actions that protect children can also create dangers. Workers who are fearful of being wrongly suspected of abuse may keep their distance from children and not provide the nurturing, healthy relationships that children need to have with adults. Organisations have to reach some conclusion as to what level of concern should be reported. Making it compulsory to report even a low level of concern will identify more cases of abuse but at the cost of including numerous non-abusive cases. Efforts therefore need to be made to create a culture that understands the ambiguity of the behaviour so that innocent people's reputations are not tainted by false reports. Details: Sydney: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, 2015. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2015 at: https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/620678bb-6c9d-45da-94c3-63c4b40e648f/Hear-no-evil,-see-no-evil Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/620678bb-6c9d-45da-94c3-63c4b40e648f/Hear-no-evil,-see-no-evil Shelf Number: 137192 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseCorrections-Based Sexual AbuseInstitutional CareSex Offenders |
Author: Volmert, Andrew Title: "It's Hard to Wrap Your Head Around": Mapping the Gaps Between Expert and Public Understandings of Child Maltreatment and Child Sexual Abuse in Alberta Summary: This research, conducted by the FrameWorks Institute in partnership with the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative and sponsored by the Norlien Foundation, analyzes and compares expert and public views of child maltreatment, with a particular focus on child sexual abuse. In "mapping the gaps" between expert and public perspectives, the report lays out the key communication challenges for strategic reframing efforts. Future communications research will address these challenges by developing and testing framing strategies to enhance public understanding and boost support for effective ways of addressing child maltreatment generally, and child sexual abuse specifically Details: Washington, DC: Frame Works Institute, 2015. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 5, 2015 at: http://www.frameworksinstitute.org/assets/files/canada/albertamtgchildmaltreatmentabusereport.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Canada URL: http://www.frameworksinstitute.org/assets/files/canada/albertamtgchildmaltreatmentabusereport.pdf Shelf Number: 137199 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual Abuse |
Author: Macvean, Michelle Title: The PATRICIA project: PAThways in research In collaborative inter-agency working Summary: This paper details a review conducted by the Parenting Research Centre (PRC) and the University of Melbourne at the request of Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS). It forms part of a broader project - PAThways and Research In Collaborative Inter-Agency working, or the PATRICIA project - led by the University of Melbourne with partners from five universities, three government departments and eight community sector organisations which specialise in domestic and family violence (DFV). The PATRICIA project focuses on the relationship between statutory child protection, family law, and community-based services which seek to support women and children exposed to domestic violence. This review aims to address the following research question: What processes or practices do child protection services and specialist domestic violence services or family law engage in so that they can work better together to improve service responses for women and children living with and separating from family violence? Details: Melbourne: Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS), 2015. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 28, 2015 at: http://apo.org.au/files/Resource/14_4.5_landscapes_patricia_f.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://apo.org.au/files/Resource/14_4.5_landscapes_patricia_f.pdf Shelf Number: 137353 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionCollaborationCommunity-Based ServicesDomestic ViolenceFamily ViolenceGender-Related ViolencePartnerships |
Author: Heilman, Anja Title: Equally Protected? A review of the evidence on the physical punishment of children Summary: The physical punishment of children is still a common parenting practice in Scotland and the rest of the UK. Although legal reform to protect children from all physical punishment in all settings is now regarded as an obligation under international human rights law, its use is lawful in the home and in private foster care1 in all four UK jurisdictions. This means that children do not have the same level of legal protection from violence as adults. The use of physical punishment, however, is becoming more and more controversial. There is increasing recognition that physical punishment constitutes a violation of children's human rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and research evidence on its detrimental effects on children's health and development is fast accumulating. The last decade has seen a surge in the number of research articles on the outcomes of physical punishment for children, as well as in the rate at which states across the world have legislated to prohibit all forms of physical punishment and give children equal protection. Over the same period, child policy in Scotland has increasingly been developed with reference to a children's rights framework. The Scottish Government's overarching approach to child wellbeing ('Getting it Right for Every Child') is based on the twin principles of prevention and early intervention, and clearly articulates the right of all children to be nurtured, kept safe and have the best start in life. This research project was commissioned by NSPCC Scotland, Children 1st, Barnardo's Scotland and the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland, with the aim of updating the findings of a previous review on physical punishment published in Northern Ireland in 2008 ('NI Review'). The current review summarises the evidence that has become available in the years since the NI Review, focusing on the following three research questions: 1. What are the prevalence of / attitudes towards different types of parental physical punishment in the UK and other OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries? In particular, a. What are the trends over time? b. What evidence is there of changes in prevalence / attitudes in countries which have made physical punishment illegal? 2. What are the outcomes of physical punishment for child health and development, and later-life health and wellbeing? 3. Is parental use of physical punishment related to an increased risk of child maltreatment? Details: London: NSPCC, 2015. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 28, 2015 at: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/equally-protected.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/equally-protected.pdf Shelf Number: 137356 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionCorporal PunishmentParenting |
Author: Bywaters, Paul Title: The relationship between poverty, child abuse and neglect: an evidence review Summary: This report identifies and discusses evidence about two key aspects of the relationship between poverty and child abuse and neglect: the impact of poverty on a child's chance of being abused or neglected and the impact on adult poverty of abuse or neglect in childhood. It explores the economic costs of child abuse and neglect and outlines broad policy implications, with a particular focus on the UK. Although the evidence is limited in a number of important respects, it is clear that there is a strong association between family poverty and a child's chance of suffering child abuse or neglect. Adverse events in childhood, including abuse and neglect, are associated with a negative effect on adult economic circumstances. However, these associations have been an insufficient focus of official data-gathering, research or policy-making. This report outlines: - strengths and weaknesses in the evidence base; - UK and international evidence about the association between family poverty and child abuse and neglect; - UK and international evidence about the impact of childhood abuse or neglect on poverty in adulthood; - evidence about the costs of child abuse and neglect; - implications for policy-making. Details: York, UK: Joseph Rowntree Foundations, 2016. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 4, 2016 at: https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/relationship-between-poverty-child-abuse-and-neglect-evidence-review#jl_downloads_0 Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/relationship-between-poverty-child-abuse-and-neglect-evidence-review#jl_downloads_0 Shelf Number: 138043 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentPoverty |
Author: Williams, Mike Title: Evidence Based Decisions in child neglect: evaluation of an exploratory approach to assessment using the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale Summary: The Evidence Based Decisions (EBD) service aims to support social workers to make the right decision at the right time when working with families where there are concerns about child neglect. NSPCC practitioners worked in partnership with local authority social workers using the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale (NCFAS-G) to focus on improving evidence, understanding and decision-making. This report describes the different ways the EBD review was used and looks at how and why it differs from everyday practice, Key Findings: Social workers felt the review helped them make the right decisions for families: with 94% of the surveys returned, the professional felt that the review had influenced decisions. Professionals found the following features of the EBD helpful: requirement to be evidence-based - the EBD review required a score in each area of family-functioning and an explanation for how the data fit the scoring criteria professional challenge - the social worker and NSPCC practitioner were able to question and challenge each other about data underpinning their scores for family functioning more time given to the family - time dedicated to the review gave social workers more time to observe parent-child interactions in the home focus on parenting strengths as well as weaknesses. Some social workers said NCFAS-G provided more concrete evidence than assessments they commonly used, such as the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) triangle, and led to a more accurate assessment. Joint working helped improve the quality of evidence and understanding. Whilst one practitioner talked to the parents, the other practitioner was able to focus on listening. Sometimes issues such as workload or a lack of focus on identifying the key concerns relevant to neglect influenced social workers' ability to get the most out of the review. Some social workers felt that having the support of the NSPCC on a way forward gave them confidence to argue for a decision. The usefulness of the EBD review was sometimes limited if social workers already had evidence and a good understanding of what was happening with a family. Details: London: NSPCC, 2015. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 12, 2016 at: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/evidence-based-decisions-evaluation-report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/evidence-based-decisions-evaluation-report.pdf Shelf Number: 138189 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Welfare Agencies |
Author: Churchill, Gill Title: SafeCare: Evidence from a Home Based Parenting Programme for Neglect Summary: SafeCare is a preventative programme working with parents of children under 6 years old who are at risk of experiencing significant harm through neglect. The programme is delivered in the home by trained practitioners, over 18 to 20 sessions and focuses on 3 key areas: parent-infant/child interaction; home safety and child health. SafeCare originated at the National SafeCare Training and Research Centre at Georgia State University and has been evaluated by the NSPCC in six sites across England. The evaluation has incorporated quantitative and qualitative methods, and considered evidence from a number of perspectives (referral agency, practitioner, parent). This report presents the analysis of outcome data to consider the extent to which SafeCare's intended outcomes for parents have been achieved. In addition, the results of a survey of referrers is presented and analysis of programme attrition. The key findings from the analysis presented in the report are: - Outcome data taken from inbuilt programme assessments, practitioner assessments and parent self-ratings suggest the programme has been effective in improving parenting skills and reducing neglectful behaviours. Before receiving SafeCare, 32 families were assessed by practitioners to be presenting difficulties significant enough to warrant a statutory intervention for neglect. By the end of the programme, 21 (66%) of those families had improved to a point where statutory intervention was no longer considered necessary. - All referrers responding to the survey had seen positive changes in the families they had referred, particularly in the areas of home safety, parent child interaction and health. 91% of referrers said they would refer similar families to SafeCare in the future. Some referrers would have liked more feedback about progress so they could more effectively co-ordinate the provision of services for the family. - Families referred to SafeCare (in common with many other social care programmes) exhibited high rates of programme attrition, with only 27% of parents completing it in full. Although attrition is commonly associated with negative connotations, practitioners recorded a range of positive outcomes that were achieved by families who exited the programme prior to completion. - The average case length for families who completed the programme was 42 weeks, which is significantly longer than the 18-20 weeks delivery period anticipated when the programme was implemented. It is important that future studies of SafeCare consider the reasons for extended periods of delivery as well as the implications, both for the families receiving the service and for the organisations implementing the programme. In the absence of a comparison group, it is not possible to attribute the changes reported directly to the SafeCare Programme. However, SafeCare has been the subject of various studies examining its efficacy and effectiveness in the US, including impact studies using randomised controlled trials (e.g. Chaffin et al., 2012). The NSPCC evaluation supports the existing body of evidence that SafeCare can be an effective way of promoting positive parenting knowledge and behaviours and reducing child neglect. Based on the analysis presented here, there do not appear to be any significant barriers to SafeCare having an impact within a UK context for parents who engage with the programme. Details: London: NSPCC, 2015. 100p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 12, 2016 at: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/safecare-evidence-evaluation-report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/safecare-evidence-evaluation-report.pdf Shelf Number: 138193 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Child Maltreatment Child Protection Parenting Programs |
Author: Dobson, Rebecca Title: From a Whisper to a Shout: A Call to End Violence Against Children in Alternative Care Summary: The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) recognises children as the subjects of rights, as well as their vulnerability and need for "special safeguards and care". Marking its 25th anniversary this year, the UNCRC is notably one of the most ratified UN conventions in history and has done much to progress the rights of children globally. And yet, in our global society with international conventions endorsing the "rights" of all, some of our most vulnerable children continue to suffer from extreme forms of violence and abuse. This report demonstrates that even when children are presumed to be in the care of society itself they are vulnerable to and at risk of violence. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has identified "children not living with their biological parents, but in various forms of alternative care" as one of the groups of children who are "likely to be exposed to violence". Without the fundamental protection of a caring family, these children are vulnerable to abuse and neglect. Without "suitable" quality care, they risk violence at the hands of their caregivers, families, peers and the wider community. In 2009, the UN endorsed the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children (the Guidelines). These set out "desirable orientations for policy and practice" to "enhance" the implementation of the UNCRC for children in alternative care. The Guidelines reiterate the right of "Every child and young person [to] live in a supportive, protective and caring environment that promotes his/her full potential". This report draws on evidence from an extensive global literature review, and assessments of the implementation of the Guidelines in 21 countries around the world. It makes bold claims about high levels of vulnerability and risk of violence facing children in alternative care, but concludes that violence is not inevitable, and with an emphasis on providing quality care it is possible to mitigate the risks of harm for all children. Details: Innsbruck,Austria: SOS Children's Villages International; Luton, UK: University of Bedfordshire, 2014. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 13, 2016 at: http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/getmedia/345ec018-7dd1-4ad1-a387-48fdabfb7297/From-a-whisper-to-a-shout-A4-EN-WEB-final.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/getmedia/345ec018-7dd1-4ad1-a387-48fdabfb7297/From-a-whisper-to-a-shout-A4-EN-WEB-final.pdf Shelf Number: 138643 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionViolence Against Children |
Author: Fortson, Beverly L. Title: Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: A Technical Package for Policy, Norm, and Programmatic Activities Summary: This technical package represents a select group of strategies based on the best available evidence to help prevent child abuse and neglect. These strategies include strengthening economic supports to families; changing social norms to support parents and positive parenting; providing quality care and education early in life; enhancing parenting skills to promote healthy child development; and intervening to lessen harms and prevent future risk. The strategies represented in this package include those with a focus on preventing child abuse and neglect from happening in the first place as well as approaches to lessen the immediate and long-term harms of child abuse and neglect. These strategies range from a focus on individuals, families, and relationships to broader community and societal change. This range of strategies is needed to better address the interplay between individual-family behavior and broader neighborhood, community, and cultural contexts. This package supports CDC's Essentials for Childhood framework for preventing child abuse and neglect. In particular, it articulates a select set of strategies and specific approaches that can create the context for healthy children and families and prevent child abuse and neglect (Goals 3 and 4 of the framework) Commitment, cooperation, and leadership from numerous sectors, including public health, education, justice, health care, social services, business/labor, and government can bring about successful implementation of this package. Details: Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 5, 2016 at: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/can-prevention-technical-package.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/can-prevention-technical-package.pdf Shelf Number: 138994 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Baker, Linda Title: The Link between Boys' Victimization and Adult Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence: Opportunities for prevention across the life course Summary: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as violence committed by married, separated, divorced, common-law, dating, or other intimate partners (Statistics Canada, 2015). IPV can involve a range of abusive behaviours, including but not limited to physical, sexual, and psychological harm. It is distinguished from other forms of violence in the nature of the relationship between victims and abusers, which is generally ongoing, with potential emotional attachment and economic dependence (Statistics Canada, 2012). In addition, there tend to be multiple incidents of violence over time rather than single or isolated events. The impact of violence in the context of IPV can extend beyond the direct victim to children who are exposed to the violence (Statistics Canada, 2012). Exposure to IPV, for the purposes of this paper, is included in the term child maltreatment along with neglect, emotional/psychological abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. These various forms of maltreatment are defined in Table 1 and are in accordance with the Canadian Incidence Study (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2010). Typically, children are considered those individuals under 18 years of age (Murray & Graves, 2013). While the majority of individuals who experience maltreatment in childhood do not engage in IPV, a large portion of men who perpetrate violence against their female partners were abused or exposed to family violence as a child (Baker & Stith, 2008; Holt, Buckley & Whelan, 2008; Vezina & Hebert, 2007). Furthermore, just as child maltreatment is a risk factor for future IPV perpetration, the presence of IPV is a risk factor for child maltreatment (Alhusen et al., 2014; Public Health Agency of Canada, 2010). In fact, the cooccurrence of child maltreatment and IPV within families is well-documented in the literature, with prevalence estimates ranging from 30 to 60% (Edleson, 1999; Jouriles et al., 2008; Hamby et al., 2010). Not surprisingly, there are many common risk factors between IPV perpetration and child maltreatment perpetration, which exist at the individual, relationship, community, and societal level (bolded in Table 2; see also: Appendix A). The identified factors tend to be shared by abusers; however, it is also important to acknowledge diversity among men (see "Abusive Men" in Part II for more information). Understanding men's pathways to IPV perpetration, then, involves further exploration of the maltreatment they may have experienced as boys, and preventing child maltreatment also involves working with perpetrators of IPV. Details: London, ON: Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children, 2016. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 13, 2016 at: http://www.vawlearningnetwork.ca/sites/vawlearningnetwork.ca/files/PHAC_Boys_report_S_0.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Canada URL: http://www.vawlearningnetwork.ca/sites/vawlearningnetwork.ca/files/PHAC_Boys_report_S_0.pdf Shelf Number: 139012 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentCycle of ViolenceIntimate Partner AbuseMale Victims |
Author: Katz, Ilan Title: Modernising Child Protection in New Zealand: Learning from system reforms in other jurisdictions Summary: Child maltreatment and the provision of effective child care and protection services are a topical issue worldwide. Child care and protection services are focused on responding to increasing demand and pressure on the system, and improving the outcomes of children in care. To address these issues, child care and protection services have undergone recent reforms that have changed their focus, function and delivery. This report was prepared by the University of New South Wales Social Policy Research Centre and has been written specifically for the Modernising Child, Youth and Family Expert Panel. The Panel is reviewing the focus and operations of Child, Youth and Family (CYF) to achieve better outcomes for vulnerable children, young people and families. The report captures a snapshot of child care and protection services in other jurisdictions and highlights their challenges and actions taken. Other jurisdictions included in the report are Australia (New South Wales), England, the United States, Canada (Ontario) and Norway. These jurisdictions were selected as being similar to New Zealand in their basic approach to child protection. The report also includes one jurisdiction (Norway) which offers a contrasting approach. This report is based on a search of peer-reviewed and 'grey' literature. Details: Wellington: Social Policy Evaluation and Research Unit, 2016. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 31, 2016 at: http://www.superu.govt.nz/sites/default/files/Modernising%20Child%20Protection%20report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: http://www.superu.govt.nz/sites/default/files/Modernising%20Child%20Protection%20report.pdf Shelf Number: 139243 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Morales, Alvaro Title: "Face the Bullet, Spare the Rod?": Evidence from the Aftermath of the Shining Path Insurgency Summary: We investigate whether violence occurring outside the confines of a home can alter intra- household violence inter-generationally. This paper is the first to explore whether exposure to violence from an armed conflict affects the later use of physical punishment as a child discipline method. Our identification strategy relies on the spatial and temporal variation of the Peruvian civil conflict that occurred between 1980 and 2000. We find that a mother exposed to an additional one hundred violent conflict-related events in her district is 3.4-3.8 percentage points less likely to physically punish her children. This effect is equivalent in magnitude to an additional 10 years of education. We find suggestive evidence that the conflict could have increased parenting knowledge and support. Communities that experienced higher levels of conflict violence saw greater increases in social spending and had more health resources in the post-conflict period. Additionally, we find women's conflict exposure is associated with a higher likelihood of accessing these resources. Details: Bonn: Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), 2016. 67p. Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Paper No. 10093: Accessed August 3, 2016 at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp10093.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Peru URL: http://ftp.iza.org/dp10093.pdf Shelf Number: 139963 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentConflict ViolenceDomestic Violence |
Author: Sethi, Dinesh Title: European report on preventing child maltreatment Summary: Child maltreatment is a leading cause of health inequality, with the socioeconomically disadvantaged more at risk. It worsens inequity and perpetuates social injustice because of its far-reaching health and development consequences. In spite of child maltreatment being a priority in most countries in the WHO European Region, few have devoted adequate resources and attention to its prevention. this report outlines the high burden of child maltreatment, its causes and consequences and the cost−effectiveness of prevention programmes. It makes compelling arguments for increased investment in prevention and for mainstreaming prevention objectives into other areas of health and social policy, reflecting the whole-of-society approach promoted by Health 2020 and the need for increased intersectoral working and coordination. the report offers policy-makers a preventive approach based on strong evidence and shared experience to support them in responding to increased demands from the public to tackle child maltreatment. Prevention programmes that stop maltreatment from occurring in the first place and reduce children's exposure to adversity have wide-ranging public health and societal benefits. Details: Copenhagen: World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, 2013. 130p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 4, 2016 at: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/217018/European-Report-on-Preventing-Child-Maltreatment.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/217018/European-Report-on-Preventing-Child-Maltreatment.pdf Shelf Number: 130005 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild protection |
Author: World Health Organization Title: INSPIRE: Seven Strategies for Ending Violence Against Children Summary: Globally, hundreds of millions of children - up to one billion - have experienced physical, sexual or psychological violence in the past year. INSPIRE: seven strategies for ending violence against children identifies a select group of strategies that have shown success in reducing violence against children. They are: implementation and enforcement of laws; norms and values; safe environments; parent and caregiver support; income and economic strengthening; response and support services; and education and life skills. INSPIRE is WHO's main contribution to the newly established Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children. Details: Geneva, SWIT: WHO, 2016. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 6, 2016 at: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/207717/1/9789241565356-eng.pdf?ua=1 Year: 2016 Country: International URL: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/207717/1/9789241565356-eng.pdf?ua=1 Shelf Number: 140021 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentViolence Against ChildrenViolence Prevention |
Author: Hillis, Susan D. Title: THRIVES: A Global Technical Package to Prevention Violence Against Children Summary: THRIVES, developed by the Centers for Disease Control, is a collection of select strategies that have been graded to various critieria, showing that they are both effective/promising and include prudent practice. These strategies have been found to reflect the best available evidence to help countries sharpen their focus on priorities with the greatest potential to reduce violence against children. THRIVES includes the following strategies: T - Training in parenting H - Household economic strengthening R - Reduced violence through legal protection I - Improved services V - Values and norms that protect children E - Education and life skills S - Surveillance and evaluation Details: Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control, 2015. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 27, 2016 at: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/31482 Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/31482 Shelf Number: 140058 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionViolence Against ChildrenViolence Prevention |
Author: Sidebotham, Peter Title: Pathways to harm, pathways to protection: a triennial analysis of serious case reviews 2011 to 2014 Final report Summary: A serious case review (SCR) is a local enquiry carried out where a child has died or been seriously harmed and abuse or neglect are known or suspected, and there is cause for concern about professional working together - This study is the fifth consecutive analysis of serious case reviews in England undertaken by the same research team dating back to reviews from 2003- 2005. The study considers a total of 293 SCRs relating to incidents which occurred in the period 1 April 2011- 31 March 2014. These most recent reviews are also analysed in the context of learning from SCRs over the ten years since 2003-2005. The aim of the study is to provide evidence of key issues and challenges for agencies working singly and together in these cases. It is also to provide the government with evidence of what is changing as a result of their reforms, and to identify areas where further change may be required to support organisations to learn from serious case reviews and to keep children safe. Key Findings : What do SCRs tell us about the child protection system? The pattern of serious case reviews over time shows that once a child is known to be in need of protection, for example with a child protection plan in place, the system is working well. There has been an increase in the number of serious case reviews carried out since 2012, but this has been against a backdrop of a steady year -on- year increase in child protection activity. There has been no change in the number of child deaths linked directly to maltreatment and, if anything, a reduction in the fatality rates for all but the older adolescent age group. Furthermore, only a small minority of children at the centre of a serious case review (12%) had a current child protection plan at the time of their death or serious harm - This is at a time when nationally numbers of children with a child protection plan have been rising dramatically - There are still, however, pressure points at the boundaries into and out of the child protection system, where cases are 'stepped up' from universal and targeted services and 'stepped down' from child protection and children in need. While fewer than half of SCRs revealed current involvement with children's social care, almost two thirds of the children had at some point been involved with children's social care at least to the level of child in need. With hindsight, it is apparent that m any of these children's cases had either been closed too soon or lacked the ongoing support services and monitoring that the children and families needed. This highlights the need for long- term planning and support where children have known risks or vulnerabilities and especially where they have already suffered maltreatment. Details: London: U.K. Department of Education, 2016. 277p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 6, 2016 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/533826/Triennial_Analysis_of_SCRs_2011-2014_-__Pathways_to_harm_and_protection.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/533826/Triennial_Analysis_of_SCRs_2011-2014_-__Pathways_to_harm_and_protection.pdf Shelf Number: 147877 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionSerious Case Review |
Author: Cashmore, Judy Title: The Impact of Delayed Reporting on the Prosecution and Outcomes of Child Sexual Abuse Cases Summary: This report examines how the criminal justice systems in New South Wales and South Australia deal with complaints of child sexual abuse reported to the police in childhood compared with those in which the report is delayed until adulthood, which is often referred to as historical child sexual abuse. The research investigates the trends in delayed disclosure and reporting of child sexual abuse, and maps the prosecution process and outcomes associated with varying degrees of delay in reporting to the police, together with other case characteristics such as the age of the complainant victim, and the relationship between the complainant and the alleged offender. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The research focuses on the following questions: 1. What are the trends in recorded reports to police of historical child sexual abuse over a recent 20-year period compared with reports made during childhood in two Australian states - New South Wales and South Australia? 2. What are the trends in the number of prosecutions of cases of historical child sexual abuse over a recent 20-year period compared with child sexual abuse reported during childhood in two Australian states? 3. What factors - including characteristics of the complainant, the type of offence, the relationship between the complainant and the alleged offender, and the delay in reporting to police - are associated with the matter proceeding from a report to the police to prosecution? 4. What is the likelihood of cases reported in childhood and in adulthood resulting in conviction? 5. What factors (as above) are associated with the matter resulting in a conviction or not, and a custodial or other type of sentence? 6. Is there any difference in the rate of appeals, the grounds of appeals, and the outcome of appeals in cases in New South Wales: o where there are delayed complaints compared with cases reported in childhood? o that involved 'institutional' child sexual abuse compared with intra-familial cases of abuse and other extra-familial cases? Details: Sydney: University of Sydney Law School; Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, 2016. 311p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2016 at: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/e3312f1c-d58f-490d-a467-221684c050c9/The-impact-of-delayed-reporting-on-the-prosecution Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/e3312f1c-d58f-490d-a467-221684c050c9/The-impact-of-delayed-reporting-on-the-prosecution Shelf Number: 147893 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseProsecutionSex Offenders |
Author: Bentley, Holly Title: How Safe are Our Children? The Most Comprehensive Overview of Child Protection in the UK: 2016 Summary: Ask people what childhood should be like, and they'll say it's about playing with friends and exploring new worlds. We want our children to have a childhood full of fun and learning and love. Contrast this with the fact that, in the last year, there were more than 23,000 ChildLine counselling sessions with children about their experiences of abuse and neglect, and a rise in the number of counselling sessions with young people about suicidal feelings. This is not what we want childhood to be like. It's time to fight for the childhoods we want our children to have. That fight starts with adults knowing how to spot the signs of abuse and being prepared to take action to keep children safe. The good news is that more and more adults appear to be ready to take on this responsibility. Over the past five years we've seen increasing numbers of reports of abuse and neglect to social services, the police and the NSPCC. For example, there was a 29 per cent rise in the number of contacts to the NSPCC helpline about abuse and neglect between 2011/12 and 2015/16. Details: London: NSPCC, 2016. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2016 at: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/how-safe-children-2016-report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/how-safe-children-2016-report.pdf Shelf Number: 140277 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild HomicidesChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionSuicide |
Author: Moore, Tim Title: Our Safety Counts: Children and Young People's Perceptions of Safety and Institutional Responses to their Safety Concerns Summary: This report has been published by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. It attempts to better understand children and young people's perceptions of safety within institutions, and their views on how adults and institutions are responding to their safety needs. It is not a prevalence study and does not attempt to quantify the extent to which children and young people have encountered abuse. Instead, it asks them to consider how they, adults and institutions currently demonstrate that they are safe; and the ways they believe adults and institutions act and would act to keep them safe if they were in a situation where their safety was compromised. Details: Melbourne: Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, 2016. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 15, 2016 at: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/614b6cc6-ab14-495b-8ce0-ce2e1d3a8c19/Our-safety-counts Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/614b6cc6-ab14-495b-8ce0-ce2e1d3a8c19/Our-safety-counts Shelf Number: 140299 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual Abuse |
Author: Lynch, Margaret A. Title: National Study on Violence against Children in Georgia: 2007-2008 Summary: The Global Report on the United Nations Secretary-General's Study on Violence against Children brought to the attention of the whole world the high scale of all forms of violence against children. It encouraged and recommended countries to undertake further research and analysis on the magnitude of violence against children. The Study on Violence against Children in Georgia commissioned by UNICEF in collaboration with local governmental and non-governmental sectors and the International Society for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) is therefore the result of these recommendations. The National Study on Violence against Children describes the scale of child abuse and neglect in families, schools, residential settings for children deprived of parental care, and collective centres for internally displaced persons throughout Georgia. It illustrates the experience of Georgian children living through violence and it provides directions for preventing violence and protecting children from its consequences. The Study reveals that the incidence of violence against children in Georgia is as high as all studied settings in Europe and in other countries where the same tool has been used. Overall, in the year 2007 approximately 80% of boys and girls in Georgia suffered from some form of physical and psychological violence (79.8% and 82.3% for physical and psychological violence). While the most common forms of reported physical punishments may not be considered severe (smacking on the bottom with a hand, pulling hair and twisting ears), there are instances of more severe forms. The most common psychological punishments are yelling, calling derisory names and cursing the child. There are also instances noted of positive discipline approaches, which need to be built upon and strengthened. Both Global and National studies published in Georgian and English, provide a strong basis for the development of policies aimed to protect children from violence and to prevent all forms of violence against children, raise public awareness, and train professionals working with children to take appropriate action. Both studies will guide the State and other entities to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Details: Tbilisi: Public Health Foundation of Georgia (PHF), 2008. 156p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 15, 2016 at: http://phmdf.ge/22eng/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Violence_Study_ENG.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Georgia URL: http://phmdf.ge/22eng/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Violence_Study_ENG.pdf Shelf Number: 140310 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionViolence Against Children |
Author: Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention Title: The Optimus Study on Child Abuse, Violence and Neglect in South Africa Summary: The Optimus Study provides the first-ever representative data in South Africa on child maltreatment and exposure to other forms of violence. This research bulletin addresses the lifetime prevalence of violence against children, as reported by 15-17 year old South Africans. These issues were explored both in a household survey and a school survey: in each setting, young people were interviewed about their experiences by trained enumerators, and were also given the opportunity to respond to a small set of questions on a more confidential questionnaire which they completed themselves. The highest reporting rates were obtained from these self-administered questionnaires, particularly in schools. Since violence and abuse are stigmatising and are typically under-reported, it seems that this was the situation in which young people felt most comfortable disclosing their experiences and these rates, therefore, may be the most trustworthy. The study explored several forms of maltreatment (abuse and neglect), and exposure to violence, and most of the figures below are based on the findings from the self-administered questionnaires completed in schools. Details: Rondebosch, South Africa: The Centre, 2015. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Bulletin: Accessed October 19, 2016 at: http://www.cjcp.org.za/uploads/2/7/8/4/27845461/cjcp_ubs_web.pdf Year: 2015 Country: South Africa URL: http://www.cjcp.org.za/uploads/2/7/8/4/27845461/cjcp_ubs_web.pdf Shelf Number: 140791 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChildren and ViolenceFamily Violence |
Author: Mathews, Ben Title: Scoping study for research into the prevalence of child abuse in Australia Summary: The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (the Royal Commission) is inquiring into how institutions have engaged with and responded to allegations and instances of institutional child sexual abuse. Key to this inquiry is the need to generate an understanding of the extent of child sexual abuse in Australia. Determining the prevalence of child sexual abuse, and institutional child sexual abuse in particular, provides valuable contextual information to inform the work of the Royal Commission. While thousands of people have come forward to testify in private and public sessions, it is not known whether these victims/survivors are representative of the population of victims of child abuse, how the prevalence and type of abuse has changed over the decades, or what effect past policies have had in addressing these issues. In response to this gap in the knowledge base, the Royal Commission appointed a team of researchers to scope the research design, methodology, cost and governance structure of two studies investigating the prevalence of child maltreatment in Australia, including the prevalence of institutional child sexual abuse. The first study would estimate the prevalence of child maltreatment in a representative sample of Australian adults, while the second study would estimate the prevalence among Australian young people. The Royal Commission specified research questions to guide the study's scope (definitions of abuse, institution, age group), design of the study instrument (use of existing surveys, considering the context of maltreatment and prior victimisation), study methodology (sampling, sub-populations, recruitment, ethics), analysis (sample size, sample size of sub-populations, ethics), governance and costs. In commissioning this research, the Royal Commission provided four research options for each of the two studies (see Appendix A). These can be considered on a continuum of specificity: Option 1 – to estimate the prevalence of child sexual abuse in institutional and all contexts, and to explore the nature and context of child sexual abuse. Option 2 – identical to Option 1, with the addition of estimating the prevalence of physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and exposure to family violence (but without exploring the nature and context of any of these, or health outcomes) Option 3 – identical to Option 2, with the addition of exploring the nature and context of these other forms of maltreatment, although this is limited to situations in which the additional maltreatment is accompanied by institutional sexual abuse. Option 4 – to estimate the prevalence of all five forms of child maltreatment (child sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and exposure to family violence), including their prevalence within institutional contexts, the nature and context of each form of maltreatment, and the impacts of child sexual abuse such as their effect on mental and physical health. Details: Sydney: Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales Australia, 2016. 262p. Source: Internet Resource: Prepared for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse : Accessed November 3, 2016 at: https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/b9494a15-80b0-4af4-b496-2eb7ef9929af/Scoping-study-for-research-into-prevalence-of-chil Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/b9494a15-80b0-4af4-b496-2eb7ef9929af/Scoping-study-for-research-into-prevalence-of-chil Shelf Number: 145316 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Sexual Abuse |
Author: Hanson, Elly Title: Exploring the relationship between neglect and child sexual exploitation: Evidence Scope 1 Summary: Although any young person could become a victim of sexual exploitation, some young people may be more vulnerable to the risk of CSE in part as a result of their current or earlier adverse life experiences (Berelowitz et al, 2012; Pittenger, Huit and Hansen, 2016). This scope focuses on the ways in which experience of neglect may heighten vulnerability to CSE. Why explore the role of neglect in particular? Firstly, it is found to be the most prevalent form of child maltreatment (Radford et al, 2011), so there is a particular urgency in understanding its repercussions and potential impact on later victimisation – understanding and tackling any vulnerability neglect may create has the potential to exert a large impact across society. Secondly, attention has traditionally been focused on the link between child sexual abuse and later sexual exploitation (see for example, Pittenger, Huit and Hansen, 2016), meaning that the relationships between other forms of child maltreatment and CSE have been less widely understood. Despite it being the most prevalent form of child maltreatment, the study of neglect has itself been neglected (eg, Stoltenborgh, Bakermans-Kranenburg and van IJzendoorn, 2013). There are a variety of plausible ways in which neglect might interact with and contribute to vulnerability to CSE and, so far, these have not received adequate attention, despite their potentially significant implications for preventing the occurrence and impact of child maltreatment. This scope is therefore intended to stimulate research and reflective practice, and so help shift this state of play. This scope has sought to avoid presenting a picture that contributes to mother or family-blaming for CSE, which is a danger when focusing on neglect in childhood and its potential relationship with subsequent CSE. Other risks of focusing on this area include deflecting attention away from much-needed action around perpetrator behaviour, and the inappropriate generalisation of interventions (for example, where treatments aim to tackle vulnerabilities which are only relevant to some young people). Focusing on neglect and how it might affect vulnerability to CSE is not to downplay the other significant factors at play, such as the behaviour of perpetrators (with whom the responsibility clearly lies), and wide systemic factors such as cultural values and poverty. Rather, this scope focuses on this potential relationship as it is here that practitioners and services in the children’s sector can exert most influence. Of course, efforts at preventing and tackling sexual exploitation must clearly involve a focus on perpetrators; it is perpetrators who take advantage of the vulnerabilities in order to abuse. However, a better understanding of what might exacerbate vulnerability in young people is crucial for informing prevention and early intervention efforts. Such an understanding might highlight particular groups of children in need of support who might not otherwise qualify for help. There may also be factors that not only increase the risk, and vulnerability to CSE, but also the risk of a young person becoming entrenched within it or experiencing worse impact – such an understanding will inform both efforts at prevention and interventions that seek to address the impact of CSE. The scope’s areas of focus and structure This scope is one of three linked evidence scopes commissioned by Action for Children and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) with Research in Practice. Scope 2 considers the potential relationship between neglect and intra-familial child sexual abuse (IFCSA) (Allnock, 2016); Scope 3 considers the potential relationship between neglect and children and young people developing harmful sexual behaviours (HSB) (Hackett, 2016). This scope explores the following questions: > Does neglect (in infancy, adolescence, or throughout childhood) contribute to a vulnerability to subsequent CSE? > Does neglect in adolescence create or contribute to a vulnerability to concurrent CSE? And does experience of CSE itself contribute to vulnerability to neglect? > If neglect does contribute to a vulnerability to CSE, which factors (psychological, social, behavioural, material, systemic) might explain this relationship? In other words, what might be the underlying reasons for any relationship between neglect and CSE (including, potentially, the actions of statutory systems). > Are there factors that increase or reduce the strength of any relationship between neglect and CSE? (this brings into discussion issues of resilience). > What are the implications for practice, policy and further research? This scope does not explore how childhood neglect could contribute to becoming a perpetrator of CSE, although some of the findings discussed may be of relevance to considering such a relationship. Scope 3 also offers some relevant messages in this respect. In answering these questions, the scope explores both areas of relative consensus and ideas that are more speculative – there are some questions that can be relatively conclusively answered on the basis of current research, and many others which cannot be, but for which the research provides clues and invites hypotheses to guide future research and practice. Details: Totnes, Devon, UK: Research in Practice, 2016. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 7, 2016 at: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/neglect-child-sexual-exploitation-evidence-scope-1.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/neglect-child-sexual-exploitation-evidence-scope-1.pdf Shelf Number: 147938 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual Exploitation |
Author: Allnock, Debra Title: Exploring the relationship between neglect and adult-perpetrated intrafamilial child sexual abuse: Evidence Scope 2 Summary: This scope aims to explore the relationship between neglect and intra-familial child sexual abuse (IFCSA). Current approaches to the study of child abuse and neglect increasingly highlight the weaknesses in solely focusing on single forms of harm in understanding prevention, identification, impact and overcoming maltreatment and victimisation. While not all children experience multiple forms of harm, the recent literature clustered under areas of study such as ‘poly-victimisation’ (Finkelhor, Ormrod and Turner, 2007), multiple adversities (Davidson, Bunting and Webb, 2012), adverse childhood experiences , multitype maltreatment (Higgins and McCabe, 2001) and revictimisation (Classen, Palesh and Aggarwal, 2005) draw attention to the cumulative nature of harm for a significant group of other children and young people. Researchers in these areas assert the importance of understanding the full victimisation profiles of children and young people in order to address the cumulative impacts of harm comprehensively. This literature has importantly highlighted the complexity of children's victimisation but is in the early phases of describing the factors that may explain these complex experiences. Neglect is one of the most common forms of child maltreatment. In England 43% of child protection plans are initiated in response to identified neglect (Department for Education, 2015a) and in other UK nations neglect is the most common reason for children being on the child protection register (Jütte et al, 2015)2 . Cases recorded in child protection systems are likely to be merely the tip of the iceberg, however; many more cases fall below the threshold for criminal intervention (Dickens, 2007) and Radford et al's general population study (2011) found neglect was the most common form of maltreatment reported within the family. The most recent triennial review of serious case reviews (SCRs)3 found that, of the 175 SCRs reviewed in detail, neglect was a factor in 62% of all cases of non-fatal harm and in 52% of cases where a child had died (Sidebotham et al, 2016). Despite its significance, neglect is one of the least researched areas of maltreatment (see Allnock, forthcoming; Stoltenborgh, BakermansKranenburg and van IJzendoorn, 2013; Stoltenborgh et al, 2015). Oral evidence submitted to the Children's Commissioner’s Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in the Family Environment suggests there may be considerable numbers of children who are identified as experiencing neglect where there are additional concerns around sexual abuse in the family environment (Children’s Commissioner, 2015). It is imperative, then, to think critically about the overlap between neglect and IFCSA and to ask questions of our practice and policy in this regard. Although the evidence is complex, and in some cases lacking altogether, it is important to understand co-occurrence and to think about ways of supporting families to ensure that perpetrators find fewer opportunities to target and abuse children. The scope’s areas of focus and structure This scope is the second of three linked evidence scopes commissioned by Action for Children and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) with Research in Practice. Scope 1 considers the potential relationship between neglect and child sexual exploitation (CSE) (Hanson, 2016); Scope 3 considers the potential relationship between neglect and harmful sexual behaviours (Hackett, 2016). This scope explores three key questions: 1) Do neglect and intra-familial child sexual abuse cooccur? And if so, to what extent? 2) How might features, types and impacts of neglect increase the vulnerability of children and young people to perpetrator methods of targeting, grooming, abusing and silencing children in the family environment? 3) How might IFCSA contribute to neglect? The focus on neglect and IFCSA in this scope does not seek to locate blame for IFCSA within individual parents (and in particular mothers, which is too often the case in the discourse about neglect) and within parenting styles/behaviours (particularly mothers' parenting styles/ behaviours). Such an approach would deflect responsibility away from the perpetrator, without whom there would be no abuse in the first place. Moreover, focusing on individual parents (mothers) would be at the expense of recognising the wider social determinants of neglect, including the ‘wide range of adverse experiences’ associated with what Hooper et al (2006) call 'societal neglect'. These points will be returned to in more detail later in the scope. Additional points to note in relation to this scope include: > The focus of this scope is on concurrent experiences of neglect and IFCSA. (Scope 1 focuses on the relationship with neglect and additional separate forms of victimisation through CSE.) > The focus of this scope is on adult-perpetrated IFCSA. (Scope 3 focuses on the relationship between neglect and harmful sexual behaviours in children and young people, touching briefly on sibling-abuse.) > There is particular emphasis on the specific emotional harm associated with betrayal by a parent, guardian or other family member. This is why the focus of this scope is on the relationship with the perpetrator, rather than the setting in which abuse takes place. > The scope focuses on concurrent experiences of neglect and IFCSA across childhood to adolescence, recognising that neither IFCSA nor neglect is confined to early childhood. > This scope is not intended to be an exhaustive review of the literature; rather it is intended to begin to interrogate these associations and raise questions where relevant about the nature of these forms of harm. Constraints of the current evidence base Very few (almost no) studies were identified that specifically considered neglect and IFCSA. There are also other important limitations to the research evidence considered for this scope (these are described more fully in Appendix A). First, there are very few prospective longitudinal studies on child maltreatment, either in the UK or abroad, and it is these that would provide the best evidence for a link between neglect and IFCSA. Second, despite neglect being the most commonly reported form of maltreatment, research on CSA is far more prevalent than on neglect. Third, research studies have historically focused on one form of abuse only; while studies acknowledging overlapping forms of abuse and adversity are now emerging, this remains an early field of study. Finally, studies on neglect and CSA use varying definitions and measurements of neglect, which makes it difficult to draw comparisons, and studies commonly do not distinguish between IFCSA and other forms of CSA. Despite these limitations, however, there is enough information in the separate literature bases (on neglect and CSA) to begin some commentary on possible ways in which neglect may increase a child’s vulnerability to IFCSA, and how IFCSA might contribute to increased risk of neglect. Details: Totnes, Devon, UK: Research in Practice, 2016. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 7, 2016 at: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/neglect-intrafamilial-child-sexual-abuse-evidence-scope-2.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/neglect-intrafamilial-child-sexual-abuse-evidence-scope-2.pdf Shelf Number: 147939 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationFamily Violence |
Author: Morales, Alvaro Title: The Effect of Civil Conflict on Child Abuse: Evidence from Peru Summary: In this paper, we investigate whether violence occurring outside the confines of a home can alter intra-household violence. Using the Peruvian civil conflict that occurred between 1980 and 2000, this paper is the first to explore whether exposure to violence from an armed conflict affects the later use of physical punishment as a child discipline method. This paper's identification strategy relies on the spatial and temporal variation of Peru's internal civil conflict. A mother exposed to an additional one hundred violent conflict-related events in her district during her lifetime is 3.4-3.8 percentage points less likely to abuse her children. This effect is equivalent in magnitude to an additional 10 years of education. We find suggestive evidence that conflict could have increased parenting knowledge and support. Communities that experienced higher levels of conflict violence saw greater increases in social spending and had more health resources in the post-conflict period, and women’s conflict exposure is associated with a higher likelihood of accessing these resources. Details: Brighton, UK: Households in Conflict Network, Institute of Development Studies, 2014. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: HiCN Working Paper 187: Accessed December 8, 2016 at: http://www.hicn.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/HiCN-WP-187.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Peru URL: http://www.hicn.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/HiCN-WP-187.pdf Shelf Number: 140363 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Child MaltreatmentDomestic Violence Family Violence |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: Marry Before Your House Is Swept Away: Child Marriage in Bangladesh Summary: Bangladesh has the highest rate in the world of child marriage of girls under the age of 15 and the fourth-highest overall rate in the world. In the period 2005 to 2013, 65 percent of girls in Bangladesh married before age 18. Marry Before Your House is Swept Away, is based on over a hundred interviews, most of them with married girls as young as age 10, and documents factors driving child marriage in Bangladesh, including poverty exacerbated by natural disasters, lack of access to education, social pressure, harassment, and dowry. The report also describes failure by the Bangladesh government to take adequate steps to prevent child marriage. In 2014, Bangladesh's prime ministervowed to end child marriage. Awareness is growing among the population that marriage of girls under age 18 is illegal under Bangladeshi law. But this awareness is undermined by widespread complicity by local government officials in facilitating child marriages. Married girls are deprived of education, face serious health risks due to early pregnancy, and are at heightened risk for violence and abuse in the home compared to those who marry later as adults. Bangladesh's vulnerability to natural disasters adds additional hardship that increases the risk of child marriage for many girls. The report calls on the Bangladesh government to step up efforts to prevent child marriage by reforming the Child Marriage Restraint Act, investigating and prosecuting crimes under the act, and ensuring and holding to account officials who fail to enforce the ban on child marriage. International donors should integrate strategies to prevent child marriage into assistance programs. Details: New York: HRW, 2015. 140p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 16, 2016 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/bangladesh0615_web.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/bangladesh0615_web.pdf Shelf Number: 146129 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild MarriageChild Protection |
Author: International NGO Council on Violence Against Children Title: 10 Years On: Global Progress & Delay in Ending Violence Against Children - The Rhetoric & the Reality Summary: The International NGO Council on Violence Against Children formed in 2007, to support strong and effective follow-up to the UN Study on Violence against Children. Now, as the Sustainable Development Goals adopt the call to end all violence against children and the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children take up the mantle of pursuing this goal, the NGO Council publishes its fourth and final report: a warts and all account of the progress made and the work that lies ahead to end violence against children. In the ten years since the Study was published, we have made great strides in learning about the violence that affects children around the world and we have seen great advances in combating some of those forms of violence. Yet for many children, violence is an ever present fact of life. Where progress has been made, it remains tainted by its limitations: the rates at which children are subjected to female genital mutilation are falling rapidly, but because of population increases, the number of women and girls who have experienced this form of violence are actually increasing. The number of countries that have legally prohibited all forms of corporal punishment of children has tripled since the Study was published, yet an estimated one billion children still experience physical violence in the home on a regular basis. Children in detention are among the most vulnerable to violence, and while detention rates in many of the world's juvenile justice systems have fallen sharply over the last decade, we are seeing the detention of children in immigration systems increasing and taking on new forms. Perhaps worse still, many of the most severe forms of violence children experience remain legal, whether in the 14 States that still allow the death penalty for children, the 22 countries that still legally permit certain forms of female genital mutilation, or the 93 that allow girls to marry before the age of 18. The Violence Study set 2009 as a deadline to legally prohibit all of these practices, but we are still far from this goal. The persistence of violence against children is a challenge to us all: why have we not been able to achieve change quickly enough? The contributions from key global experts on violence against children point to some hard truths about our failings, but also to the way ahead. We have failed to effectively challenge the social acceptance of so many forms of violence and struggled to achieve the legal prohibition of all forms of violence that is a necessary basis for eliminating these practices. If we are to realise goal 16.2 of the SDGs to end all forms of violence against children by 2030, we must learn these lessons of our efforts so far. Details: s.l.: The Council, 2016. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 22, 2016 at: http://www.wvi.org/sites/default/files/Int_NGO_Council_VAC_Report2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: http://www.wvi.org/sites/default/files/Int_NGO_Council_VAC_Report2016.pdf Shelf Number: 147788 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Child MaltreatmentChild Protection Female Genital MutilationViolence Against ChildrenViolence Prevention |
Author: Harwin, Judith Title: After FDAC: Outcomes 5 Years Later Summary: This report presents the findings from a continuation study of outcomes of cases heard in the first Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) in England. It builds on earlier findings reported in 20142 . It provides information on child and maternal outcomes at the end of the care proceedings using a larger number of FDAC cases than before. It also has a longer followup period, reporting on outcomes up to five years after the end of proceedings. This is the first report in which the longer term outcomes of non-reunified FDAC mothers and their children five years on are also presented. The FDAC evaluation team has been following up the same cohort of cases that entered the London FDAC between 2008 and 2012 and similar cases entering ordinary care proceedings in the same court over the same period (140 FDAC and 100 comparison). It provides a unique opportunity to track cases with the aim of finding out whether the FDAC approach achieved better substance misuse and family reunification outcomes than ordinary court and service delivery. Details: Bailrigg, Lancaster, UK: Lancaster University, 2016. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 25, 2017 at: http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/cfj-fdac/files/2016/12/FDAC_FINAL_REPORT_2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/cfj-fdac/files/2016/12/FDAC_FINAL_REPORT_2016.pdf Shelf Number: 145423 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Child Maltreatment Child Protection Drug Abuse and Addiction Family Courts Problem-Solving Courts Substance Abuse |
Author: Reichert, Jessica Title: Evaluation of the 2014 Community Violence Prevention Program's Parent Program Summary: State and local child protective services receive 3.5 million reports of child maltreatment for 6.4 million children per year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). The estimated economic burden resulting from maltreatment of children in the U.S. is $124 billion (Fang, Brown, Florencea, & Mercy, 2012). Child maltreatment is the most common harmful childhood experience causing victims significant and sustained losses to subsequent health-related quality of life including depression, substance abuse, and perpetrating violence (Corso, Edwards, Fang, & Mercy, 2008; Sacks, Murphey, & Moor, 2014). The child victims are more likely to be delinquent and arrested in adulthood than those not experiencing maltreatment (Children's Defense Fund, 2005). Child maltreatment risk factors are prior abuse of the perpetrator, lack of familial support, parental alcohol abuse, living in impoverished communities, parental stress or mental disorders, parental aggression, use of corporal punishment, and child behavioral problems (Black, Heyman, & Slep, 2001). Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (Authority) researchers conducted an evaluation of the Community Violence Prevention Program's (CVPP) Parent Program. The program, which ended August 2014, sought to increase protective factors to reduce child maltreatment by employing and training nearly 1,000 Chicago-area parents to lead service projects to help other parents in 20 communities. The Center for the Study of Social Policy stated that effective parenting programs to prevent child maltreatment attempt to improve parent understanding of child development and teach child management (2003). In addition, those that are parent-led promote parental resilience and inter-parent connections. Authority researchers analyzed multiple surveys of more than 3,500 staff and participants, as well as administrative data to obtain feedback on training and general program operations. Key findings Change in participant protective factors to reduce child maltreatment Authority researchers measured four protective factors to reduce child maltreatment created by the Center for the Study of Social Policy. Factors are: 1) family functioning and resiliency, 2) social and concrete support, 3) nurturing and attachment, and 4) child development and knowledge of parenting. Authority researchers administered pre- and post-tests to program participants to measure changes on scores on the protective factors before and after the program. Based on pre- and post-test scores of 300 program participants, all four protective factors had a small increase in average scores. However, two protective had very small changes in the mean scores (social and concrete support; child development and knowledge of parenting); therefore, improvement could be made in those areas of program instruction, particularly as it relates to addressing the protective factors. Parent Cafes All community programs were required to offer parent-led Parent Cafes, a parent engagement strategy that uses small group conversations to facilitate self-reflection, peer-to-peer learning, support, and education on protective factors to reduce child maltreatment. Surveys showed that the parent experiences of Parent Cafes were positive. Almost all participants found information provided to be helpful. The most commonly requested improvement to Parent Cafes was expanding them to more locations in the community and an increase in length and frequency. Incorporating technology and social networking education was also requested, but specifically by parents who are not experienced with the technology their children use frequently. Parent feedback Most parents who participated had learned about the program from a friend, relative, or community agency. Participants rated highly program materials, resources, training, and support from their administrative teams. Almost all respondents rated the program successful and said that they used what they learned in the program in their daily lives. Most said their service projects improved the community and 80 percent thought the service projects increased protective factors of child maltreatment. Some participants suggested expanding the program and making it a year-around program. Staff feedback Program staff, including Program Coordinators and Program Managers rated the program positively; sharing that the training was well-designed, trainers were knowledgeable, and protective factors were covered. Many indicated that the training programs offered opportunity for personal improvement and that there was an excitement to train and share their knowledge and experiences with parent participants. Training feedback Parent Program participants and staff highly rated the content of their training. Most program participants enjoyed sharing, communicating, and interacting with others. Many gained knowledge about parenting. Many staff reported personal improvement with the training and that they were inspired to share their experiences during the training of parent participants. Implications for policy and practice The Parent Program ended in August 2014. However, similar programs created in the future should work to reduce child maltreatment by increasing parents' protective factor of social and concrete support by offering more information on resources for tangible goods and services to help families cope with stress. In addition, programs should improve the protective factor of child development and knowledge of parenting by further promoting the understanding of child development and reasonable expectations for children. An increase the number of Parent Cafes was also recommended to create space for more community discussions on these and other protective factors. The program should target those most at-risk for maltreating children by targeting younger parents and primary caregivers. In addition, programs should work toward more father participation. Finally, the program should collect additional data in order to have a greater understanding of who participated in the program and their program activities. Data include age of participants and their children, as well as data on community service projects and to what extent they fit into the overall program goal of violence prevention by reducing child maltreatment and promoting healthy families. Details: Chicago: Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, 2015. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 20, 2017 at: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/assets/pdf/ResearchReports/CVPP_Parent_Program_080215.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/assets/pdf/ResearchReports/CVPP_Parent_Program_080215.pdf Shelf Number: 146687 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionParenting Programs |
Author: Herrenkohl, Todd I. Title: Effects of Child Maltreatment, Cumulative Victimization Experiences, and Proximal Life Stress on Adult Crime and Antisocial Behavior Summary: This study sought to replicate and extend research findings on subtypes of child maltreatment, childhood exposure to domestic violence, subsequent forms of victimization, and stress in relation to antisocial behavior, crime, and adulthood IPV perpetration and victimization. The study also investigated protective factors for maltreated children and predictors of self-reported crime desistence among maltreated and multiply victimized children. Data are from the Lehigh Longitudinal Study, an ongoing prospective investigation of children and families that began in the 1970s. The original sample was comprised of 457 children. Over 80% of the children, now adults, were assessed in 2008-2010 at an average of 36 years. Data on child maltreatment and related risk and protective factors were collected much earlier, beginning when participants were preschoolers, 18 months to 6 years of age. Findings of seven publications, the products of this secondary data analysis project, provide further evidence of the relationship between child maltreatment and adult antisocial behavior and crime. They also point to instances in which this relationship is influenced by other variables, including those pertaining to the socialization of peers and partners. Findings raise the possibility that physical, emotional, and sexual abuse relate differently to self-reported crime and that predictors and pathways differ at times on the basis of gender. Further, several analyses highlight the risk-lowering effects of education variables (e.g., educational engagement, academic achievement, high school graduation), suggesting that attention should be given to incorporating perspectives on schooling and education in prevention and criminal justice policy. Details: Report to the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2017. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 21, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250506.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250506.pdf Shelf Number: 146648 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild Exposure to ViolenceChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChildren, Crimes Against |
Author: Pankhurst, Alula Title: Understanding Children’s Experiences of Violence in Ethiopia: Evidence from Young Lives Summary: This research report explores children's accounts of everyday violence in Ethiopia, and the ways in which factors at individual, family, community, institutional and society levels affect children’s experiences of violence. The report primarily draws on analysis of four rounds of longitudinal qualitative data gathered over seven years, complemented with analysis of cross-sectional survey data from Young Lives. Findings show that violence affecting children – mostly physical punishment and emotional abuse – is widespread, accepted, and normalized. Differing economic activities affect family dynamics and the likelihood of children experiencing violence, which is often linked to the challenges of poverty and the expectation that children will contribute to the household economy. Details: Florence, Italy: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Office of Research, (Innocenti) 2016. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Innocenti Working Papers, IWP_2016_25: Accessed February 23, 2017 at: https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/IWP_2016_25.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Ethiopia URL: https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/IWP_2016_25.pdf Shelf Number: 141193 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChildren and ViolenceViolence Against Children |
Author: Huong, Vu Thi Thanh Title: Understanding Children's Experiences of Violence in Viet Nam: Evidence from Young Lives Summary: This paper explores children’s accounts of violence at home in Viet Nam, and the ways in which factors at the individual, family, community and society levels affect their experiences of violence. The paper analyses cross-sectional survey data and qualitative data gathered from Young Lives; it explores what children know about violence, how they experience it, what they think drives violence at home, what they perceive the consequences to be, and finally, the support they find effective in addressing violence. High proportions of children experience violence (mostly physical punishment and emotional abuse). The paper contributes to knowledge about the nature and experience of violence affecting children in resource-poor settings, and concludes with some suggestions for policy, programming and practice. Details: Florence, Italy: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Office of Research, (Innocenti) 2016. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Innocenti Working Papers, IWP_2016_26: Accessed February 23, 2017 at: https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/IWP_2016_26.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Vietnam URL: https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/IWP_2016_26.pdf Shelf Number: 146786 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChildren and ViolenceViolence Against Children |
Author: Morrow, Virginia Title: Understanding Children’s Experiences of Violence in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India: Evidence from Young Lives Summary: This paper explores children's accounts of violence in Andhra Pradesh, India, and the ways in which factors at the individual, family, community, institutional and society levels affect children’s experiences of violence. The paper analyses cross-sectional survey data and case studies from longitudinal qualitative data gathered over a seven-year period, from Young Lives. The paper is divided into four sections – a brief background section, study design and methods, findings from the survey, and findings from case studies. Large proportions of children experience violence (mostly physical punishment and emotional abuse) within their families, at school and, to some extent, within their communities. The findings demonstrate how children's experiences of violence change with age and that gender differences within this dynamic process are very distinct. The paper reveals that a child's disapproval of violence does not necessarily influence behaviour in later life, confirming the need for interventions to prevent and tackle violence as children grow up. Details: Florence, Italy: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Office of Research, (Innocenti) 2016. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: Innocenti Working Papers, IWP_2016_19: Accessed February 23, 2017 at: https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/IWP_2016_19.pdf Year: 2016 Country: India URL: https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/IWP_2016_19.pdf Shelf Number: 141195 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChildren and ViolenceViolence Against Children |
Author: Mathews, Ben Title: Oversight and regulatory mechanisms aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse: Understanding current evidence of efficacy Summary: The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (the Royal Commission) is required to inquire into, among other things, 'what institutions and governments should do to achieve best practice in encouraging the reporting of, and responding to reports or information about, allegations, incidents or risks of child sexual abuse and related matters in institutional contexts'. Across Australia, oversight bodies enable monitoring of aspects of child welfare, particularly for children in the care and protection system. For this report, the Royal Commission examined oversight bodies including ombudsmen offices (including children's ombudsmen); reportable conduct schemes; children's commissions; community visitors schemes; child advocates and children's guardians; and crime and misconduct commissions. In some instances, these agencies facilitate oversight and responses to child sexual abuse; in other instances, this facility is an implicit or consequential aspect of their authority. These bodies differ across jurisdictions in their form, scope and power. In addition, various regulatory mechanisms exist in Australia. For this report, the Royal Commission has examined regulatory bodies including non-government schools' accreditation boards; early childhood and care regulators; and medical sector regulators. In some instances, agencies' express purpose is to prevent or minimise the likelihood of child sexual abuse; in other instances, this function is an implicit or consequential aspect of their authority. These bodies also have different features across jurisdictions. To assist the Royal Commission in addressing its terms of reference, the report initially focuses on understanding the nature of these oversight and regulatory bodies. This is presented in Part 2. The report then assesses the efficacy of these bodies in protecting children from sexual abuse, focusing on institutional contexts. To fulfil the aims of the study as stated by the Royal Commission, this report covers narrow efficacy and broad efficacy. The report has been informed by regulatory theory, and has used legal analysis, policy analysis and public health research methods, to review and analyse literature for its evaluative purpose. Appendix 2 explains in more detail the concepts of narrow efficacy and broad efficacy, and how they are measured. In sum, the evaluation of narrow efficacy explores the presence and nature of key requirements enabling the protection of children from child sexual abuse in institutional contexts; it does so through synthesis and doctrinal analysis. Broad efficacy is conceptualised as the effect in practice of the oversight or regulatory mechanism in protecting children from sexual abuse in institutional contexts. The evaluation of broad efficacy asks whether the oversight or regulatory body achieves the policy goal of improving protection of children from sexual abuse in institutional contexts. Accordingly, the report first analyses narrow efficacy using selected significant features and parameters of the relevant legislative and regulatory frameworks. This analysis is presented in Part 2, alongside the synthesis of the nature of these bodies. The report then analyses broad efficacy using a systematic review of literature, according to the normal conventions of social science and public health scholarship. This is presented in Part 3. A third, less central, aspect of the report is a summary of evidence about the efficacy of other innovative regulatory models for protecting children from sexual abuse in institutional contexts. This is presented in Part 4. A fourth, again less central, aspect of the report is a summary of models of regulation from other fields or industries that may be applicable or adaptable for protecting children from sexual abuse in institutional contexts. This is also presented in Part 4. Two additional substantial components of the project were added after parts 1-4 were completed. To assist the Royal Commission in addressing its terms of reference, Part 5 explores how components, structures and mechanisms from occupational health and safety regulatory models in Australia could be used to inform a regulatory approach to protecting children from sexual abuse in institutional contexts. Accordingly, Part 5 presents a synthesis of these occupational health and safety regulatory models. It also analyses whether and how their central concepts and mechanisms may inform a regulatory approach to protecting children from sexual abuse in institutional contexts. Finally, to assist the Royal Commission in addressing its terms of reference, and with special reference to different kinds of organisations that serve children and youths, Part 6 explores the regulatory models and approaches that could be used to ensure that smaller organisations with limited resources (namely, sporting, cultural and arts, and recreational groups) are not overburdened with regulation, while still keeping children safe from sexual abuse. As with Part 5, the completion of Part 6 involved research, synthesis and analysis, and the development of reform proposals informed by the relevant principles, theory and evidence. Details: Sydney: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, 2017. 258p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 11, 2017 at: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/f6d43e2a-48b2-4999-9867-3938dcbcdf7e/Oversight-and-regulatory-mechanisms-aimed-at-prote Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/f6d43e2a-48b2-4999-9867-3938dcbcdf7e/Oversight-and-regulatory-mechanisms-aimed-at-prote Shelf Number: 144782 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Child Institutional AbuseChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual Abuse Child Welfare |
Author: Barter, Ken Title: The Hidden Hurt Project: Final report. Summary: This document is intended to provide a substantive reporting of the activities, successes, and challenges experienced by the Research team of the Hidden Hurt Project over the course of phases I, II, and III from August 2002 through December 2004. The Canadian Red Cross RespectED Program and the three partnering schools of social work at Canadian universities (Dalhousie University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and University of Calgary), with the support and funding of the National Crime Prevention Strategy, aim to prevent the abuse of children and youth by increasing awareness and understanding of the nature and extent of child abuse in Canadian society. This awareness and understanding has been and will continue to be incorporated into and applied to the abuse prevention programming of the RespectED program. The RespectED Program of the Canadian Red Cross has been delivering two primary prevention programs, "Its Not Your Fault"(child/youth maltreatment prevention) and "What's Love Got to Do with It?" (relationship violence prevention) for over twenty (20) years. These two presentations have reached thousands of Canadian children age 12 and over. An integral dimension to the delivery of these two presentations is the voluntary completion of anonymous evaluation forms by the youth who participate in these programs. These forms contain no identifying information pertaining to the youth, however most of the completed forms contain information on gender, age, province, and the date of completion. Responses by program participants documented on these forms contain disclosures of abuse and neglect experiences of youth age 12 and over. Many youth related the information disseminated during the presentations to their own life experiences or the experiences of others known to them. The content of the presentations raised questions based on their own life experiences as well as provided them with information on how and where to seek help for themselves and others. Until this project, this data had not been analysed in any form. Yet the data contains 'hidden pain' for many youth who have found writing down their story after being exposed to information as a way to validate their feelings. These personal stories were going untold. So too was the collective national story of the extent of abuse, neglect, and relationship violence which is occurring outside the awareness of the service system which is mandated to respond to the needs of these youth. The purpose of this project is to tell these stories. The stories will provide insight into the extent of abuse and neglect that many youth are experiencing in their families, schools, and communities. These stories are not disclosed for purposes of intervention (although intervention may accompany disclosure where and when mandated or appropriate.) This is critical information for further insight into the extent and nature of abuse and neglect among youth age 12 and over. This data provides real life examples to heighten awareness and inform education programs. The Hidden Hurt project was designed around three phases of research: Phase I: Identification and Analysis of the Hidden Hurt; Phase II: Development and Implementation of New Prevention Education Programming; and, Phase III: Evaluation of the New Programming and Dissemination of Findings. Details: Memorial University, School of Social Work, St. John's, NL. 2005. 150p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 12, 2017 at: http://www.croixrouge.ca/cmslib/general/hidden_hurt_finalreport.pdf Year: 2005 Country: Canada URL: http://www.croixrouge.ca/cmslib/general/hidden_hurt_finalreport.pdf Shelf Number: 144894 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Marcus, Rachel Title: Poverty and violations of children's right to protection in low- and middle-income countries: A review of the evidence Summary: Why do up to 1.5 billion children suffer physical violence every year? Why do up to 2251 million children suffer sexual violence every year? Why are 14.2 million girls every year married off to start adult lives in adolescence or before?2 Why are considerable numbers of young children left alone for long hours without competent adult supervision? Historically, in studies of violence against children in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, explanations emphasised the role of individual psychological factors. The pendulum swung in the 1960s to highlight structural forces contributing to the abuse and neglect of children, in particular poverty and unemployment. In more recent years, understanding of the factors underlying violations of children's right to protection has drawn on an ecological model that emphasises factors at several levels: individual, family, household, community and broader society (Frederick and Goddard, 2007). The international child protection community generally sees three broad sets of factors as underlying many child protection violations: sociocultural norms, weak protective structures and poverty or deprivation. However, within this community there are divergences of opinion concerning the extent to which poverty is a significant underlying or risk factor. Interviews with child protection and poverty specialists and an electronic survey conducted for this research programme revealed a notable split. The majority considered poverty an important and often-neglected factor underpinning many child protection violations, but a significant number of respondents highlighted the fact that abuse, exploitation and neglect of children occurs across all socioeconomic groups, and thus felt economic deprivation played a more minor role. Perspectives varied considerably across different types of violation, with most respondents feeling that economic deprivation was a critical factor in early marriage, inadequate care and sexual exploitation, but relatively fewer convinced it was an important factor underpinning corporal punishment or sexual abuse. The electronic survey, like the majority of the literature examined for this review, focuses on children's vulnerability to protection violations, not whether poverty increases the risk of perpetrating abuse. Broadly, these perspectives concur with insights from the literature examined for this study. Despite increased recognition of the importance of effective joined-up child protection systems (e.g. World Vision, 2011; Wulcyzn et al., 2010), state agencies charged with child protection in most low- and middle-income countries are severely underfunded (Everychild, 2010b; Holmes and Jones, 2009). At the same time, there is a global move towards strengthening social protection - much of which has a partial focus on children in poverty, and thus is directing resources towards realising children's survival and development rights. In this context, there is growing interest in exploring the potential and limitations of social protection, human development and other anti-poverty programmes to reduce violations of children's protection rights - and of action to protect children's rights to promote better anti-poverty and human development outcomes. As a contribution to emerging practice and debate in this area, the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the Oak Foundation are undertaking a two-year programme of work to explore the potential for greater linkages between child protection and anti-poverty work in low- and middle-income countries. This report - the first output of the programme - has two main objectives: 1. To examine how far and in what ways poverty contributes to violations of children's rights to protection in four key areas - child marriage, sexual and physical violence against children and inadequate care of children - and thus to clarify the significance of poverty as an underlying or risk factor for these different violations of children's protection rights; and 2. To assess the strength of evidence concerning the relationship between poverty and child marriage, sexual and physical violence against children and inadequate care of children, and thus to identify knowledge gaps. It reviews evidence from low- and middle-income countries on the linkages between poverty and child marriage, sexual and physical violence against children and inadequate care of children. It also draws selectively on evidence from OECD countries in areas where the low- and middle-income country literature is sparse, or to highlight differences related to income and institutional capacity. It is intended as a detailed resource on the issues explored. Key findings are summarised in a short background note (Marcus, 2013). Other components of this programme include an adapted systematic review of the extent to which child protection policies and programmes involve attention to anti-poverty issues, and the contribution of antipoverty components to effective action on specific child protection issues (Marcus and Page, 2013); an electronic survey of practitioners and key informant interviews; and fieldwork exploring the relationship between poverty and violation of children's protection rights in Ethiopia, Uganda, and Vietnam. The programme is also exploring the potential for and different ways of promoting greater synergies between analysts and practitioners with anti-poverty and child protection foci. Details: London: Overseas Development Institute, 2014. 97p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 1, 2017 at: https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/9309.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/9309.pdf Shelf Number: 145223 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild MarriageChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseChild WelfarePoverty and CrimeSocioeconomic Conditions and CrimeViolence Against Children |
Author: Cuartas, Jorge Title: Parenting, Scarcity and Violence: Theory and Evidence for Colombia Summary: During early childhood, children develop cognitive and socioemotional skills that predict success in multiple socioeconomic dimensions. A large part of the development of these skills depends on the child's context during the first years of life and, in particular, on the quality of parental care. Grounded on recent literature in psychology and behavioral economics, we discuss a theoretical framework for understanding why some children receive adequate care, while others do not. Within this framework, we identify a determinant of the quality of parenting that has not yet been explored in-depth: the availability of parents' mental resources, which are depleted by the subjective feeling of scarcity and the stress generated by adversities. Using cross-sectional data from a household survey in Colombia and administrative data on crime and violence, we find that a greater subjective feeling of scarcity (β=0.45, IC95%:[0.082, 0.979]) and greater exposure to violence (β =0.09, IC90%:[0.004, 0.182]) are associated with a lower likelihood that parents engage in stimulating activities with their children. At the same time, the results show that receiving information on childrearing is correlated with better parental practices (β =-0.48, IC95%:[-0.822, -0.136]). Details: Bogota; Universidad de los Andes Facultad de Economa, 2016. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Documento CEDE No.38 2016: Accessed May 10, 2017 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2912482). Year: 2016 Country: Colombia URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2912482 Shelf Number: 145401 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentParentingSocioeconomic Conditions and CrimeViolence |
Author: Easton, Claire Title: 'We Should Have Been Helped from Day One': a unique perspective from children, families and practitioners Summary: This summary presents the findings from the fifth round of LARC (Local Authorities Research Consortium), a project led by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) and Research in Practice (RiP). Our report will be of use to anyone with an interest in early intervention; children experiencing neglect; and in improving the ways local authorities and their partners work together to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. The report offers a unique insight into the views of children and parents For this round of LARC, nine local authorities who have been supported by early intervention services, and others, due to issues of (low level to moderate) child neglect. How do we effectively support families with different levels of need across the early intervention spectrum to engage with services within an overall framework of neglect? investigated: The local authorities chose this research topic and carried out their own research, supported by LARC researchers. The research focused on children experiencing the following levels of neglect Level two, related to families where the parent/s mostly met the child's needs. - Level three, where children had some unmet needs; lived in a family home that lacked routines; had parents with poor awareness of safety issues; and the child received limited interaction and affection. - Level four, these were families in which adults' needs were put before the child's, and where the child had low nutrition and scarce stimulation. We did not consider cases where children were at significant risk of harm and should be being supported by statutory services. The data was collected from over 105 practitioners (from education, health, early years settings and authority services) and 40 parents, children and young people. Details: Slough, UK: National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), 2013. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 17, 2017 at: https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/LRCF01/LRCF01.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/LRCF01/LRCF01.pdf Shelf Number: 131250 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionEarly InterventionFamily Intervention |
Author: UNICEF Title: A Child is a child: Protecting children on the move from violence, abuse and exploitation Summary: Millions of children are on the move across international borders - fleeing violence and conflict, disaster or poverty, in pursuit of a better life. Hundreds of thousands move on their own. When they encounter few opportunities to move legally, children resort to dangerous routes and engage smugglers to help them cross borders. Serious gaps in the laws, policies and services meant to protect children on the move further leave them bereft of protection and care. Deprived, unprotected, and often alone, children on the move can become easy prey for traffickers and others who abuse and exploit them. Alarming numbers of children are moving alone Many children move alone and face particularly grave risks. In parts of the world, the number of children moving on their own has skyrocketed. On the dangerous Central Mediterranean Sea passage from North Africa to Europe, 92 per cent of children who arrived in Italy in 2016 and the first two months of 2017 were unaccompanied, up from 75 per cent in 2015. At least 300,000 unaccompanied and separated children moving across borders were registered in 80 countries in 2015-2016 0- a near five-fold increase from 66,000 in 2010-2011. The total number of unaccompanied and separated children on the move worldwide is likely much higher. Specific reasons motivate children to undertake journeys alone. Many seek to reunite with family members already abroad. Others pursue their families' aspirations for this generation to have a better life. Perceptions of the potential benefits of children moving, especially to certain destinations, filter through social networks. Other factors include family breakdown, domestic violence, child marriage and forced conscription. Without safe and legal pathways, children's journeys are rife with risk and exploitation Whatever their motivation, children often find few opportunities to move legally. Family reunification, humanitarian visas, refugee resettlement spots, and work or study visas are out of reach for most. But barriers to legal migration do not stop people from moving, they only push them underground. Wherever families and children desperate to move encounter barriers, smuggling in human beings thrives. Smugglers range from people helping others in need for a fee to organized criminal networks that deliver children into hazardous and exploitative situations. Once children and families place their fates in the hands of smugglers, the transaction can readily take a turn towards abuse or exploitation - especially when children and families incur debts to pay smugglers' fees. Europol estimates that 20 per cent of suspected smugglers on their radar have ties to human trafficking - they help children cross borders, only to sell them into exploitation, sometimes akin to contemporary forms of slavery. Some routes are particularly rife with risks. In a recent International Organization for Migration survey, over three-quarters of 1,600 children aged 14-17 who arrived in Italy via the Central Mediterranean route reported experiences such as being held against their will or being forced to work without pay at some point during their journeys - indications that they may have been trafficked or otherwise exploited. Traffickers and other exploiters thrive especially where state institutions are weak, where organized crime abounds, and also where migrants become stuck and desperate. Details: New York: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2017. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 7, 2017 at: https://www.unicef.org/publications/files/UNICEF_A_child_is_a_child_May_2017_EN.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: https://www.unicef.org/publications/files/UNICEF_A_child_is_a_child_May_2017_EN.pdf Shelf Number: 145948 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual ExploitationChildren Exposed to ViolenceHuman SmugglingHuman TraffickingMigrant ChildrenOrganized CrimeUnaccompanied Children |
Author: Conti, Gabriella Title: The Economic Costs of Child Maltreatment in the UK: A preliminary study Summary: This research examines the evidence for the economic costs of child maltreatment. This study is the first UK-based study that estimates the lifetime costs of child maltreatment. It uses existing UK longitudinal datasets. The estimates reflect the financial costs of child maltreatment in terms of its impact on health care, social care, education, the criminal justice system and also the costs to the wider economy in terms of lost productivity. Very importantly, this study does not capture significant intangible costs such as the emotional suffering borne by victims. The analysis shows that the discounted average lifetime incidence cost of non-fatal child maltreatment by a primary care-giver to be L89,390 (with a 95% certainty that the costs fall between L44,896 and L145,5081). The largest contributors to these costs were social care costs, short-term health-related costs, and the costs resulting from a lower probability of employment. The NSPCC and the researchers from University College London who undertook this research consider that this study presents a conservative estimate of the economic costs of child maltreatment. The estimate was limited by the range of child maltreatment and outcome measures in the data. For example, studies identified in the literature review for this report found important costs that could not be quantified as there were no relevant variables in the longitudinal datasets (e.g. days off work, premature mortality and drug use). Further, the literature review suggested a number of outcomes were related to child maltreatment (such as obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, raised cholesterol and cancer) but no effect on these was identified in the longitudinal datasets and they were therefore not included in the cost analysis. These factors mean that this study gives us a conservative estimate of the economic costs of child maltreatment in the UK. The estimates are useful for the economic evaluation of child maltreatment interventions and prevention services and can also be useful when there is a need to prepare a business case to make the case for a service or intervention where there may not have been one to date. This study represents a baseline on which future, more comprehensive, studies might be built when better data are available. Details: London: NSPCC, 2017. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 22, 2017 at: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/economic-cost-child-maltreatment-united-kingdom-preliminary-study.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/economic-cost-child-maltreatment-united-kingdom-preliminary-study.pdf Shelf Number: 146345 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.K.)Child MaltreatmentCosts of Crime |
Author: Marsh, Kimberley Anne Title: To What Extent Do Different Types of Care Environments Have the Propensity to be Criminogenic? Summary: his thesis provides an exploration into the extent to which different types of care environment are criminogenic. It investigates: kinship; foster; and residential care, from the perspectives of care leavers, members of the Leaving Care Team [LCT] and carers. The research looks at experiences: before; during; and after care, with quantitative risk assessment and semi structured interviews. The overall aim of this thesis is to evaluate the extent to which different types of care environments have the propensity to be criminogenic and highlight what can be changed to improve life chances of looked after children, free from offending.In order to do so, the following research questions were central: are care environments criminogenic?; to what extent does the Risk and Protective Factors Paradigm [RPFP] successfully measure this?;to what extent does attachment to significant others help answer this question?; and what, if anything, can be done to reduce criminogenic risk in care?The main findings within the risk assessments showed residential placements to be the most criminogenic, with the highest increase of risk 'during care' and reduction after care. Foster placements had constant risk levels, showing concerns with the ability of foster care to reduce risk. With kinship placements being seen as the least criminogenic. All participant groups, showed Living arrangements, Emotional/Mental Health and Family /Personal Relationships to be the biggest influence to offending. The central findings from the semi structured interviews were as follows: attachment underpins the experience of risk; Clear differences within institutional versus family settings, with long term foster care offering same outcomes as kinship; having 'no one to let down' was the most cited reason for offending.The recommendations were as follows: Recommendations for research: urgent prospective longitudinal studies focused on attachment in care and its consequences on risk and offending.Recommendations for practitioners: focus on attachment; listen to the cared-for and carers more closely and consistently. Recommendations for policy makers: invest in and plan for high quality care for all placements; transform residential care, moving away from authoritarian parenting practices; have a 'care-revolution' in terms of attachment-focussed training, monitoring and practice; mainstream family preservation/early intervention programmes (alternatives to care) and massively recruit foster- and kin-carers. Details: Manchester, UK: University of Manchester, Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice, 2016. 469p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed August 23, 2017 at: https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/to-what-extent-do-different-types-of-care-environments-have-the-propensity-to-be-criminogenic(a587616e-bb68-42ff-b5c0-9f3de5bdff5b).html Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/to-what-extent-do-different-types-of-care-environments-have-the-propensity-to-be-criminogenic(a587616e-bb68-42ff-b5c0-9f3de5bdff5b).html Shelf Number: 146884 Keywords: Caretakers Child Abuse and Neglect Child MaltreatmentChild Protection Foster Care Residential Care |
Author: Fry, Deborah Title: Bringing the global to the local: review of global trends in the prevalence and services for child maltreatment in order to inform research, policy and practice in England Summary: This paper compiles, for the first time, available global statistics according to the 16 NSPCC indicators collected annually for the UK. Child deaths are declining over time in the UK. Comparative data shows that child homicide and suicide rates have been showing a steady decline over the past several decades in high-income countries globally. Child death rates in the UK are among the lowest in Europe. There is a lack of comparative trend data related to prevalence of child maltreatment. Where we do have data, we know that self-reported prevalence of child maltreatment and harm is lower than the US. When prevalence of various forms of child maltreatment - including physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect - are self-reported in household surveys, the UK shows a lower overall prevalence of child maltreatment than the US when using similar instruments albeit different methods of data collection (e.g. household interviewer administered questionnaires in the UK and telephone surveys in the US). However, the self-reported prevalence of children experiencing physical abuse is similar between the UK and the US and is the most commonly reported form of abuse in both nations. The increasing importance of the Internet in children's lives also increases the risk of experiencing online harm. While children in the UK are generally less likely to report experiencing online harm compared to other EU countries and Australia, the prevalence of cyberbullying is increasing both in the UK and several other EU countries. The prevalence of crime victimisation among adolescents in England is low, around 5%, though children in England are more likely to report being the victim of assault or a hate crime in the past year than children in other European countries such as Denmark, Ukraine and Italy. Children in the UK are more likely to contact the NSPCC Childline about concerns related to abuse or violence compared to child helplines in other high human development index countries. Research has shown that helplines are important avenues for helpseeking for children, especially for forms of violence such as sexual abuse. Comparative data shows that, over time, the UK has seen a pronounced increase in rates of sexual offenses reported to the police, more so than most other high-income countries, but underreporting of sexual abuse to the police is still an issue. England has a higher rate of children referred to social welfare services compared to Australia and this shows an upward trend. The rate of children referred is higher in England than in Australia, even though Australia has mandatory reporting whereas England does not, with an overall increase from 2010 to 2015. Professionals account for over 70% of referrals in England and Australia, but referrals made by parents, relatives and other individuals are more common in Australia and the US compared to England. The composition of child protection plans between countries differs with England having more referrals related to neglect compared to Australia and Canada but far fewer than the US. Of all types of abuse, child sexual abuse was the least common type of abuse subject to a child protection plan across all countries except the US. Overall, children in England spend less time on child protection plans compared to Australia, and the time on plans in England is decreasing over time. The number of looked after children is increasing in England but the number of placements a child has is declining. The number of looked after children is higher in England than Canada, but the number of placements that looked after children have is declining in England, showing trends towards more stability in placements. The UK is a destination country for child trafficking and internal trafficking is an issue, especially for girls. The number of trafficked children identified in the UK is higher than in some European countries such as France but lower than Germany and other countries. In the UK, trafficking of children happens within the country - with increasing reports of girls trafficked internally for sexual exploitation - and children are also trafficked to the UK from other countries with the UK being recognised as one of the top destination countries globally Details: London: NSPCC, 2017. 57p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2017 at: http://www.eif.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/improving-child-protection_strand5_NSPCC-global_June2017.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.eif.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/improving-child-protection_strand5_NSPCC-global_June2017.pdf Shelf Number: 147256 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Raff, Annie Title: Trends in Child Protection: England Summary: Each year since 2013, the NSPCC publishes the report 'How safe are our children' which is intended to help us understand the extent of abuse and neglect in the UK. Child abuse and neglect is complex and often hidden and there is not one single source of data that allows us to track or measure all child abuse and neglect. What we do have is multiple sources of data, each with its own merits and weaknesses. This report draws on the methodology used by the NSPCC in compiling the 'How safe are our children' reports, but using data specific to England where possible. For each indicator, we have set out the strengths and limitations of the data. The indicators we have used We have compiled 22 different indicators in an effort to understand the extent of abuse and neglect in England. The indicators relate both to deaths due to child maltreatment and the incidence of abuse and neglect. In each case there are multiple ways to measure the extent of child maltreatment. Since there is a wide range of relevant information, we have had to be selective in the measures presented. Our aim has been to provide the most robust and comprehensive picture possible, so we have chosen indicators that: - provide different insights on the extent of child abuse and neglect; - use robust data, where possible based on a large sample and standardised measures. Where there are weaknesses in the data we state these; and - wherever possible, use data that can be tracked over time and is included in the NSPCC How Safe series. What we have not been able to include We have not been able to include data on all forms of child abuse in this report, largely due to the paucity of data available. Often data may be available, yet it will not be broken down by age allowing children to be identified. We have not been able to provide a complete picture of administrative data or self-report data related to all forms of abuse in this report. This is largely due to the paucity of data available or the incomplete nature of the recorded data. Some examples include: - data on assaults in England is recorded by the police and published, but is not broken down by the age of the victims. The police do record this information but it is not currently collected and/or published centrally - there is insufficient data on children's own views about how safe they feel from abuse and neglect - the only large scale dataset that looks at the prevalence of abuse and neglect is the NSPCC study conducted in 2009. There is a need for a new prevalence study to be conducted by the government that looks at all forms of abuse and neglect. For more information or comparisons with other nations in the UK, please see the NSPCC How Safe reports available at https://www.nspcc.org.uk/services-andresources/research-and-resources/2016/how-safeare-our-children-2016/. Details: London: NSPCC, 2017. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2017 at: http://www.eif.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/improving-child-protection_strand4_NSPCC-England_June2017.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.eif.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/improving-child-protection_strand4_NSPCC-England_June2017.pdf Shelf Number: 147664 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Protection |
Author: Know Violence in Childhood Title: Ending Violence in Childhood. Global Report 2017 Summary: For a large proportion of the world's population, life is better than it was 30 years ago. Incomes have risen significantly. Life expectancy has increased. Fewer people are living in extreme poverty. Fewer mothers die in childbirth. The global community has also moved in many directions to make the world a more peaceful place for all. And yet, at least three out of every four of the world's children - 1.7 billion - had experienced some form of inter-personal violence, cruelty or abuse in their daily lives in a previous year, regardless of whether they lived in rich countries or poor, in the global North or the global South. It is unfortunate that a culture of silence surrounds violence. As a result, violence against children is still largely invisible in the development discourse. Violence violates the dignity and rights of children, and robs them of the joys of childhood. Childhood violence also disrupts the formation of capabilities, and imposes huge financial and human costs on individuals and societies. The tide is however turning. The 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by all but one of the UN member states, has been the inspiration for national governments and others to end violence against children. With ending violence being a clearly articulated priority of the Sustainable Development Goals, we have a unique opportunity to break the cycle of violence, especially for children and women who bear the brunt of it. This Report has marshalled global evidence to show how collaboration and learning across geographies, disciplines and sectors can unite academics, policy makers and practitioners to end childhood violence. The Report finds large gaps in global knowledge and evidence related to different dimensions of childhood violence. It therefore calls for much greater investment in data, research and evaluation to break the silence around violence and to promote public action across the world. Defining and measuring childhood violence is not easy. The Report makes a beginning by using estimated prevalence rates to develop a global picture of violence in childhood. It calls for States to invest in strengthening data systems to report on all forms of violence experienced by children across ages and settings. This Report also calls for global and local actions to promote child rights and prevent violence. It advocates a shift away from seeing violence as a series of discrete episodes towards recognizing that it is a thread running through the everyday lives of children everywhere. Details: New Delhi: Know Violence in Childhood, 2017. 158p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2017 at: http://globalreport.knowviolenceinchildhood.org/ Year: 2017 Country: International URL: http://globalreport.knowviolenceinchildhood.org/ Shelf Number: 148271 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChildren and ViolenceFamily ViolenceInterpersonal Violence |
Author: University of Edinburgh Title: A Secondary Analysis of Data from Childline Zimbabwe. Summary: KEY FINDINGS - In 2014, Childline received a total of 15,446 reports; half were received by the helpline and the other half came in through one of its 31 drop-in centres located across the country. - Fifty-four per cent of all reports received in 2014 were about abuse, at a rate of 123.9 reports per 100,000 children; the remaining 46 per cent were reports of "children in need", at a rate of 106.9 per 100,000 children. - Slightly more than one in three (39 per cent) reports of abuse received in 2014 were about sexual abuse, followed by neglect (25 per cent), physical abuse (22 per cent), emotional abuse (12 per cent) and bullying (2 per cent). - Among all reports of abuse in 2014, around two in three (70 per cent) were reports about girls compared to one in three about boys (30 per cent). - Among girls reported to have experienced some form of abuse in 2014, the majority were reported as having experienced sexual abuse while the largest proportion of reports received about boys were for reasons of neglect. - Of all reports of abuse received by the helpline for both sexes in 2014, around one in three were reports about children between the ages of 13 and 15 years. - Fifty-five per cent of abuse reports about girls received by the helpline in 2014 were about those aged 13-17 years compared to 36 per cent of abuse reports made about boys for this age group. - Reports of sexual abuse received by the helpline in 2014 were more common among older age groups than younger ones, while neglect and physical abuse became less commonly reported. - Across all age groups of boys, the most commonly reported forms of abuse received by the helpline in 2014 were physical abuse and neglect; reports related to sexual abuse against girls increased with age. - At most drop-in centres in 2014, reports of abuse about girls were more likely than those about boys. - There was a 21 per cent increase in the number of reports received by Childline between 2011 and 2014. - Between 2011 and 2014, there was a 163 per cent increase in reports received by the helpline while there was a 20 per cent decrease in reports received by drop-in centres over this same time period. - Reports about sexual abuse received by Childline (through both the helpline and drop-in centres) showed a 100 per cent increase during the four-year period from 2011 to 2014. - Reports of abuse received about girls remained consistently higher than those received about boys between 2011 and 2014. - Childline has seen a 70 and 80 per cent increase in the number of reports of physical abuse against boys and girls, respectively, between 2011 and 2014; there has also been a 109 per cent increase in the number of reports of sexual abuse against girls during this time period. Details: Harare, UNICEF, 2016. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 6, 2017 at: https://www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/161020_Unicef_UZ_01_Final_Secondary_analysis.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Zimbabwe URL: https://www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/161020_Unicef_UZ_01_Final_Secondary_analysis.pdf Shelf Number: 148747 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Sexual AbuseViolence Against Children |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: A Bitter Harvest: Child Labor and Human Rights Abuses on Tobacco Farms in Zimbabwe Summary: Zimbabwe is the world's sixth-largest tobacco producer, and the crop is the country's most valuable export commodity, generating US$933 million in 2016. Human RightsWatch found child labor and human rights abuses on tobacco farms in Zimbabwe risk undermining the sector's contributions to economic growth and improved livelihoods. A Bitter Harvest-based on interviews with 125 people working in tobacco farming-documents how children work in hazardous conditions on tobacco farms in Zimbabwe, often performing tasks that threaten their health and safety or interfere with their education. Child workers are exposed to nicotine and toxic pesticides, and many suffer symptoms consistent with nicotine poisoning from handling tobacco leaves. Adults working on tobacco farms in Zimbabwe also face serious health risks and labor exploitation. The government and companies have not provided small-scale farmers and hired workers with enough information, training, and equipment to protect themselves from nicotine poisoning and pesticide exposure. Employers on some large-scale farms push hired workers to work excessive hours without overtime compensation, and deny or delay their wages, forcing workers to go weeks or months without pay. Tobacco grown in Zimbabwe is purchased by some of the largest multinational tobacco companies in the world. Human Rights Watch urges Zimbabwean authorities and tobacco companies to take urgent steps to end child labor and address the human rights abuses faced by small-scale farmers and hired workers sustaining the tobacco industry Details: New York: HRW, 2018. 113p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 30, 2018 at: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/zimbabwe0418_web_2.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Zimbabwe URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/zimbabwe0418_web_2.pdf Shelf Number: 150385 Keywords: Child LaborChild MaltreatmentHuman Rights AbusesTobacco Industry |
Author: Herbert, James Title: National comparison of cross-agency practice in investigating and responding to severe child abuse Summary: The response to severe child abuse (namely abuse requiring police investigation) requires many different workers across agencies and disciplinary backgrounds to work together effectively. This paper reports on the arrangements in place in each state/territory to support a cross-agency response based on characteristics associated with effective cross-agency responses identified in the research literature. This paper was prepared to provide practitioners and policy makers with a national view on cross-agency policies to encourage cross-jurisdictional learning and sharing of approaches. The authors also hope that this paper will lead to a national discussion around effective policies and practices in cross-agency responses. Each state/territory was compared on the characteristics of their response to severe child abuse, arrangements for joint planning, interviewing and investigation, the degree of integration of therapeutic and supportive services, and governance arrangements. Details: Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2017. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: CFCA PAPER NO. 47: Accessed August 30, 2018 at: https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/sites/default/files/publication-documents/47_national_comparison_of_cross-agency_practice_in_investigating_and_responding_to_severe_child_abuse.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/sites/default/files/publication-documents/47_national_comparison_of_cross-agency_practice_in_investigating_and_responding_to_severe_child_abuse.pdf Shelf Number: 151314 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionCriminal InvestigationPolice Investigation |
Author: Maternowska, M. Catherine Title: Research that Drives Change: Conceptualizing and Conducting Nationally Led Violence Prevention Research. Synthesis Report of the "Multi-Country Study on the Drivers of Violence Affecting Children" in Italy, Peru, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe Summary: Globally, studies have demonstrated that children in every society are affected by physical, sexual and emotional violence. The drive to both quantify and qualify violence through data and research has been powerful: discourse among policy makers is shifting from "this does not happen here" to "what is driving this?" and "how can we address it?" To help answer these questions, the MultiCountry Study on the Drivers of Violence Affecting Children - conducted in Italy, Viet Nam, Peru and Zimbabwe - sought to disentangle the complex and often interrelated underlying causes of violence affecting children (VAC) in these four countries. Led by the UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti with its academic partner, the University of Edinburgh, the Study was conducted by national research teams comprised of government, practitioners and academic researchers in each of the four countries. Drawing on human-centred principles, the Study used an iterative approach which put national ownership and co-creation at its core. Government partners were actively engaged as co-researchers and all data analysis was conducted in-country by government statisticians. Facilitating and prioritizing national meaning-making through dialogue and joint analysis and synthesis of findings was also a key part of the Study design. Each national team used a common process involving three separate components, all of which build on existing data and research: a systematic literature review of academic and 'grey' literature (such as research reports) including both quality quantitative and qualitative research, secondary analyses of nationally representative data sets and an initial mapping of the interventions landscape. Analysed together, these sources of information helped build initial hypotheses around what drives violence in each country. Two key frameworks were applied to the analysis in this Study: 1) a version of the socio-ecological model, which helps to understand the dynamic relationships between factors at the micro-, meso-and macro-levels, and 2) an age and gender framework, which recognizes that a child's vulnerability and ability to protect herself from violence changes over time with her evolving capacities. Through these lenses, common themes emerged across contexts. Guided by findings from the four countries highlighting the dynamic and constantly changing and/or overlapping domains that shape violence in children's lives, this Study moved beyond understanding the risk and protective factors for violence affecting children, which are often measured at the individual, interpersonal and community level. In doing so, it demonstrated how patterns of interpersonal violence are intimately connected to larger structural and institutional factors-or the drivers of violence. The structural drivers of violence identified across the four country sites, representing high (Italy), upper middle (Peru), lower middle (Viet Nam) and low income (Zimbabwe) settings, include: rapid socio-economic transformations accompanied by economic growth but also instability; poverty; migration; and gender inequality. The institutional drivers of violence, such as legal structures, ineffective child protection systems, weak school governance and harmful social and cultural norms, often serve to reinforce children's vulnerabilities. Drivers are rarely isolated factors and tend to work in potent combination with other factors within a single level as well as between levels of the social ecology that shapes children's lives. While some drivers can lead to positive change for children, in this study, these factors or combinations of factors are most often invisible forms of harm in and of themselves While VAC is present in every country, the analyses also show how violence conspires unevenly to create and maintain inequalities between and within countries. The institutions and communities upon which children and their families depend are changing social entities with many interdependent parts. The type of violence in any one or multiple settings may vary depending on a variety of risk or protective factors and/or by age and gender. One of the most important findings is that violence is a fluid and shifting phenomenon in children's lives as they move between the places where they live, play, sleep and learn. Identifying and addressing unequal power dynamics - wherever they may occur in the home, school or community - is of central importance to effective violence prevention. The research also shows how behaviours around violence are passed through generations, suggesting that the social tolerance of these behaviours is learned in childhood. Data across countries also shows how violence is intimately connected to how relationships are structured and defined by power dynamics within and among families, peers and communities. These findings, along with learning from the study process, led to the development of a new child-centred and integrated framework, which proposes a process by which interdisciplinary coalitions of researchers, practitioners and policymakers can understand violence affecting children and what can be done to prevent it. Using data to drive change, our proposed Child-Centred and Integrated Framework for Violence Prevention serves to situate national findings according to a child's social ecology, making clear how institutional and structural drivers and risk/protective factors together shape the many risks and opportunities of childhood around the world. KEY POINTS: - Unpacking the drivers of violence at the structural and institutional levels, and analysing how these interact with risk and protective factors at the community, interpersonal and individual levels is critical to understanding how violence affects children. It is this interaction between drivers and risk/protective factors that delineates how, where, when and why violence occurs in children's lives. - Focusing solely on the types of violence and the places where it occurs - as is commonly done in large-scale surveys and some qualitative studies - will only provide part of the picture of a child's risk of violence. - The role of age and gender as childhood unfolds over time is also essential to understanding violence. - Qualitative inquiry and analysis should be further promoted within the field of violence prevention - on its own or as part of a mixed-methods approach - to ensure meaningful data interpretation of the social world, including the webs of interactions and the concepts and behaviours of people within it. - Research that engages and empowers stakeholders can contribute to a common strategy for building and sustaining political will to end violence affecting children. - The way the study was conducted - led by national teams and using existing literature and data - provided a relatively low-cost and human-centred alternative model to costly surveys that assess the scope of violence without examining the drivers that determine it. - Moving forward, violence prevention research should continuously and critically examine the ways in which we count and construct the complex social phenomenon of violence affecting children: placing recognition of process and power at the heart of our research endeavours. Details: Florence, Italy: UNICEF, Innocenti Office of Research, 2018. 91p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 28, 2018 at: https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/Drivers-of-Violence_Study.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/Drivers-of-Violence_Study.pdf Shelf Number: 153883 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Child Maltreatment Child Sexual Violence Children and Violence Crime PreventionViolenceViolence Against ChildrenViolence PreventionViolent Crime |
Author: Human Rights Watch Title: "I Don't Want my Child to be Beaten": Corporal Punishment in Lebanon's Schools Summary: Lebanon's Education Ministry has banned corporal punishment in schools since the 1970s, and the penal code allows no defense for the crime of assault by school staff against students. Yet because of a lack of accountability, the ban on violent discipline is often disregarded. Based on the cases of 51 children, and interviews with NGO staff, teachers, and government officials, "I Dont Want My Child to Be Beaten": Corporal Punishment in Lebanon's Schools finds that students at both public and private schools suffer humiliating insults, hair-pulling, and beatings with rulers and other objects. Parents said that their complaints about violent abuse were rebuffed or that they received little or no information as to how they were handled. Syrian refugee children may be particularly vulnerable to abuse and afraid to complain, as the majority lack legal residency in Lebanon. The report urges the Education Ministry, which launched a comprehensive child protection policy in 2018, to take concrete steps to enforce the ban on corporal punishment and ensure all teachers are trained in positive discipline. Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2019. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 4, 2019 at: https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/05/13/i-dont-want-my-child-be-beaten/corporal-punishment-lebanons-schools Year: 2019 Country: Lebanon URL: https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/lebanon0519_web2.pdf Shelf Number: 156161 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChildren and ViolenceCorporal PunishmentSchool DisciplineViolence Against ChildrenViolence in Schools |