CHILD ABUSE

Child Abuse

Child Abuse

Introduction

There is international recognition that child abuse is prevalent in all societies, driven by both socio-economic (macro) and psycho-biosocial (individual) factors. Yet in spite of significant public concern, professional efforts and financial expenditure over the past three decades, there has been a perceived lack of progress in reducing the incidence of child abuse both within the United Kingdom1 and elsewhere. Whilst Pritchard and Sharples (2008) argue that violent deaths of children have decreased in the United Kingdom and most other developed nations since the 1970s, and Finkelho;r and Jones (2004) argue that child sexual abuse is in decline, there continue to be significant numbers of children referred to state social work agencies and subject to child protection procedures. For example, in England between 2003-2007 there have been in excess of 500,000 referrals each year to social services with on average on any one day 28,000 children subject to a child protection plan (Department of Children, Schools and Families, 2007). Whilst there are competing discourses about the main causes for the abuse and neglect of children (Beckett, 2007) there remains disquiet in various countries, including the United States of America and the United Kingdom, about the ability of the current configuration of services to respond sufficiently to reduce both the incidence and prevalence of child abuse and neglect within society and to ameliorate the long term social and psychological consequences (Spratt & Devaney, 2008).

The system of child protection

Our collective knowledge with regard to the phenomenon of child abuse has expanded rapidly in the last forty years, challenging practitioners and policy makers to develop responses that are effective and balance the need to keep children safe, whilst also respecting the autonomy of parents to rear their children without undue interference. In the United Kingdom the child protection system is a collective term to describe the organisational and procedural arrangements that facilitate individual professionals and their employing agencies to work together to protect children who are believed to be at risk of, and who are experiencing, significant harm. The overarching policy directive is contained within central Government guidance (Department of Children, Schools and Families, 2006) and the arrangements for co-ordinating the strategic direction of services is delegated to Local Safeguarding Children's Boards (LSCB). These are interagency fora established by statute that comprise key stakeholders from social services, health, education, police and other agencies with a child welfare remit. These arrangements are tasked with ensuring that a comprehensive system is in place to identify, intervene, support and protect those children most at risk of significant harm, whilst simultaneously striving to ensure that all children are supported to reach their potential through a range of preventative and supportive services.

The child protection system in the United Kingdom as developed in the early 1970s and refined since, has, according to Devaney (2009: 24-25), centred on five interlocking objectives:

• reducing the prevalence and incidence of child abuse and neglect through preventative approaches.

• reducing the child mortality rate as a consequence of having a system ...