bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unfounded assumptions and the abandonment of ‘at risk’ youth
Authors: Ainsworth Frank
Published: March 2016

At a recent New South Wales forum about the future of residential care, various speakers cited what they thought were the key themes that should guide thinking about the development of future residential programs for ‘at risk’ youth. The themes were that these programs must be small, local and, somewhat less confidently, that they should only be used as a ‘last resort’ when all other ways of addressing the care and treatment needs of these young people have been tried. It was also noted that funding for programs should reflect the level of staff expertise required when programs are treatment rather than accommodation focussed, although what this might mean in practice was not explored. These are all themes that are part of any discussion about the future of the residential component of the out-of-home care system.

The contention of this paper is that these themes are based on unfounded assumptions. When used in service planning to guide future services these assumptions contribute to the abandonment of ‘at risk’ youth to either no service or services that are less than adequate. The themes are explored by applying them to services in other sectors that also deal with ‘at risk’ youth, namely, health, education and criminal justice. The conclusion is that these themes should be replaced with others that will enable community service organisations to develop more appropriate services for ‘at risk’ youth.
Practice-based stories: Tools for teaching and learning
Authors: Lehmann Jennifer
Published: March 2016

The use of practice-based short stories as a teaching and learning tool in the education of human service professionals, particularly in social work, is the focus of this article. Based on teaching practice experiences, the use of written narratives is explored in relation to developing both content knowledge and reflective learning capacity. This edition ofChildren Australiaalso includes one of the stories used by Social Work students in their second year at La Trobe University as a basis for tutorial and seminar discussion, together with one of the essays received from students in response to the assessment task. Given the encouraging responses of students to the use of practice-based stories as a learning tool for human service professionals, professionals in the field and teaching staff are invited to consider the further development of storying techniques.
The national out-of-home care data collection: Where to from here?
Authors: Johnstone Helen
Published: March 2016

This paper outlines the parameters of the national out-of-home care data collection managed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. The paper discusses the need for national data, what is included in the national data collection and the current data collection process. In addition possible developments to the national collection are outlined, in particular the proposal to collect the data electronically in unit record format. The benefits of this would include greater flexibility of the data and the ability to analyse how children move through the child protection and out-of-home care systems.
The inside journey through care: A phenomenology of attachment and its loss in fostered children
Authors: McIntosh Jennifer
Published: March 2016

This paper combines clinical and research insights to systematically explore the experiences of infants and children through the course of repeated attachment disruptions and loss. It sets out core findings from a phenomenological study of the experience of multiply placed foster children, focussing on the experience of self that children accumulate in their journeys through long term care, as they lose, find and re-form their primary attachments. Findings point to what constitutes ‘good enough’ foster parenting for children with histories of traumatic attachment and loss.
A scaffold for participation in agency work
Authors: Reimer Elizabeth C.
Published: March 2016

The following summary of a literature review on children and young people's participation in the welfare sector was written in response to a need to understand this concept within the context of human services work in New South Wales. This need became apparent through work being done at UnitingCare Burnside around children and young people's participation. Examination of the literature on participation revealed an increase in discussion around the issues. While this has included exploration of definitions, history, practice, models and factors enhancing effective participative practice, there has been a dearth of writing linking these. The literature review attempted to provide a scaffold that could be used to support agency workers as they attempt to build meaningful, effective, strong and reciprocal partnerships with children and young people. This concise summary of the literature review has sought to highlight the major supports found to provide a scaffold for participative agency practice with children and young people.
Speech and language impairment: A neglected issue for abused and neglected children
Authors: Grant Kellie , Gravestock Fred
Published: March 2016

Speech and language impairment in the context of children who have experienced abuse and neglect is not well documented, with only a handful of controlled studies and research reviews on the relationships between maltreatment and children's communication development. More prevalent in the literature are reports on the deleterious effects of child abuse and neglect on overall childhood development, purporting effects on cognitive, affective, social and neurological development. However, the growth of communication skills is integral to a child's early development and is closely related to cognitive and social-emotional development. The experience of abuse and/or neglect has profound implications for a child's developing communication, supporting the inclusion of speech pathology in approaches to working with children and families in abusive and neglectful environments. This article reviews the literature on the relationship between communication development and childhood abuse and neglect. Data collected during the course of speech pathology intervention for abused and neglected children attending the Abused Child Trust's (Queensland) counselling service is also presented in order to highlight the need for the inclusion of this therapeutic modality in managing the developmental needs of this population of children.
Measuring knowledge of child development: Differences between parents according to gender, generation and education
Authors: Campbell Jennifer , Gilmore Linda
Published: March 2016

A sample of 2,330 parents were surveyed regarding their knowledge of child development in the first three years of life, using a simple, easy to read questionnaire. Items tapped knowledge that would contribute to an authoritative parenting style, which combines warmth and firmness, and is associated with the most favourable child development outcomes. The sample included mothers and fathers of dependant children living at home, as well as grandmothers and grandfathers. While the majority of parents demonstrated good, basic knowledge of child development, there were also relative differences between parent groups, such that knowledge increased consistently with parents' level of educational achievement, and was greater in mothers than fathers. There were also generational differences, with grandfathers being less knowledgeable than present day fathers, and grandmothers less knowledgeable than present day mothers. The questionnaire has potential value for practitioners, as the survey results provide data from a large Australian sample which could support the use of the instrument with at-risk groups, or in parent intervention programs.
Why don't fathers attend parent education programs?
Authors: Paull Thelma M.
Published: March 2016

This article discusses the lack of attendance of fathers at parent education programs from both gender and personality perspectives. Some suggestions are made that may guide decisions so that father participation rates can be increased.
Professional credibility and public trust in those working with young people
Authors: Bessant Judith
Published: March 2016

As the embarrassment and shame around the ‘resignation’ of our last Governor-General indicates, the abuse of children and young people has become a major public issue. An increasing body of Australian research reveals a history of violence against young people while media reports reveal a history of serious physical and sexual abuse and exploitation of young people by professionals responsible for their care and protection.

Moreover much of this systemic abuse took place in educational and welfare sectors that were and are relatively unregulated in respect to the professionalisation of workers. While there are now formal professional registration processes affecting teachers and psychologists, there is no equivalent for youth workers, social workers or community development workers.

The disclosures of abuse and neglect revealed the suffering and harm experienced by young people, and in turn seriously damaged the professional standing of those working with young people, as well as the public trust traditionally conferred on professions and institutions.

I argue that restoring public trust in the institutions and services where abuse took place, and indeed may still be happening, is an issue of considerable importance.

I critically review the conditions necessary for restoring public trust. Those conditions include improved governance and systematic improvements in the intellectual and professional education of youth workers to ensure that they have the requisite capabilities such as critical insight, advocacy skills and political resolve. The value of establishing a code of professional practice ethics is also considered.

Finally it is argued that advocating for young people's rights is another means of securing their well-being and workers' professional standing. I point out, however, that the rights option is somewhat limited because, although it obligates, it does not specify who owes the obligation, and for this reason rights talk too often remains ineffectual because it's abstracted. I suggest that the identification of obligations is also necessary for securing public trust and young people's well-being because, unlike rights, they specify who is bound and to whom the obligation is owed.
The place of social justice in strengths-based social welfare work
Authors: Reimer Elizabeth C. , Nixon Dianne
Published: March 2016

This paper attempts to unpack strengths-based practice in social welfare in order to reveal the location of social justice within such an approach. Firstly, this paper will briefly explore the origins of a strengths approach, including historical development of the approach, mentioning some specific practice theories. The paper will then investigate the concepts, using Jim Ife's (1998) model of a social justice perspective in community development to achieve this.

The two approaches will then be discussed in terms of how they should be used together to support not only positive casework, but effective social action, using the work of UnitingCare Burnside as examples.
Moving out from the state parental home: A comparison of leaving care policies in Victoria and New South Wales
Authors: Mendes Philip , Moslehuddin Badal
Published: March 2016

Young people leaving care are arguably one of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in society. Compared to most young people, they face numerous barriers to accessing educational, employment and other developmental and transitional opportunities.

Using information from interviews and a range of documents, this study compares the leaving care supports currently available in two Australian states, Victoria and New South Wales. Attention is drawn to the history of the leaving care debate in both states, the nature of the existing legislative and program supports for care leavers in each state, the key political and policy actors that have either helped or hindered the development of leaving care policies and services in each state, and the principal unmet needs of care leavers in each state.

The findings suggest that NSW leads the way in terms of providing effective legislative and program supports to care leavers. The differences between Victoria and NSW are attributed to a number of factors including particularly the different relationships between the respective government bureaucracies and non-government child welfare sectors.
Learning together about the needs of parents with a mental illness and their children: The implementation of the Mums' and Dads' Practice Research Project
Authors: Alakus Carmel
Published: March 2016

The busy clinical practitioner, while being encouraged to innovate and formally evaluate his or her work, has less time than ever before to do either.

The Mums' and Dads' Project represented a modest attempt to implement a short-term parent education project in adult mental health and review it in the style of practice-research. A number of qualitative methods were employed to research the Project conducted in the Mid West Area Mental Health Service exploring consumer satisfaction and parents' perspectives of their children's needs.

Consumers attended the sessions readily, demonstrating knowledge of child development and a willingness to confront the difficult issue of informing children about mental illness. They reiterated how much they appreciated meeting other parents with a mental illness.

Service delivery to parents with a mental illness and their children deserves dedicated funding if their needs are to be addressed and programs carefully evaluated.
Drug use by parents: The challenge for child protection and drug and alcohol services
Authors: Ainsworth Frank
Published: March 2016

This article focuses on parental drug use and the impact on child welfare. The gravity of this issue is well documented in a number of reports from government and in annual reports from relevant state and territory departments. Yet, there has been little attention to this issue in Australian journals in spite of the fact that this is probably the most critical issue child protection services have had to face for two decades or more. Parental drug use is almost certainly responsible for the rise in the number of children, especially young children, entering out-of-home care. Drug use also creates issues in relation to family reunification. The final part of the article proposes an enhanced three stage model of family reunification that addresses these issues. This model is based on greater collaboration between child protection services, drug treatment agencies, and the legal system.
SPLAT: A model of young people's participation that moves beyond the rhetoric to empowerment
Authors: Daly Wayne , McPherson Colin , Reck Lucinda
Published: March 2016

Paying attention to under-represented voices is considered by some researchers to be one of the current critical issues in child welfare (Kufeldt & McKenzie 2003; Mason & Gibson 2004). Children and young people in care have often been the targets of public policy, the subjects of research projects and the focus of practice that is aimed at protecting them, but not necessarily involving them. Is there really a preparedness to invite children and young people to have a say? Do adults and professionals rather presume to know what is best? Children and young people have much to offer researchers and policy makers by giving their opinions and expressing their views about a range of matters that concern them. This paper will discuss a Department of Families' initiative in the Mackay Whitsunday Region that invites children and young people to be part of the community of practice. It will showcase the successful positioning of eight to ten young people within the research, practice and policy agenda, and outline a vision to champion children and young people's participation at a community practice level throughout Australia. It will explore the journey of placing the voice of children and young people at the centre of the child protection system.
Working together works well: A longitudinal evaluation of a family-based placement program for children with a disability and very high support needs
Authors: Hind Julie , Woodland Judith
Published: March 2016

This paper is based on a three-year longitudinal evaluation of a family-based placement and support program for children with disabilities and high support needs. Particular lessons emerged about the importance of partnerships: between caseworker and alternative family; the alternative family and the birth family; and the caseworker and the birth family.

The evaluation used case studies, following ten children through the life of the study. A qualitative approach drew on people's experiences to understand individual perspectives and to identify patterns and themes to gain insight into the factors contributing to success.

The study was informed by international literature, including: Maluccio et al (1983, 1986) and Smith (1995) in relation to permanency planning; Thoburn (1986, 1990, 1994) and Wedge (1986) in relation to hard-to-place children; and Argent and Kerrane (1997) who demonstrate that continuing contact between birth and alternative families can work well with support from workers.

This article focuses on one part of the evaluation - the development of relationships. The relationship between the caseworker and the alternative family is a key to the success of the placement. In the best examples of good practice, the relationship is one of partnership, with both partners having the interests of the child as their central focus.

The partnership is not evident in dealing with birth families. We note the strongest relationships are where birth families have an ongoing role in caring for their child. In some cases, the alternative family takes on a role of supporting the birth family's ongoing involvement with their child. The paper explores the different relationships and points to further possible areas of future research.
Where the action is …: … in this edition, the Queensland Police Service: Preventing shaking injuries in infants: A brief communication
Authors: Biron Dean
Published: March 2016

Fifty-two (52) cases of infant abusive head trauma (IAHT), investigated by the Queensland Police Service over a ten-year period, were examined for information on victim and offender demographics. The study revealed a mean age of 2.6 months for victims of assaults categorised as involving a shaking-type mechanism, indicating that the youngest infants are particularly susceptible to that form of injury. It was further demonstrated that abusive injuries are most likely to be caused by a primary caregiver, such as a biological or step-parent. It is thus hypothesised that to assist in prevention, some form of written caution on the dangers of infant shaking should be provided to all parents immediately prior to their child's departure from the maternity ward.
And finally …: Keeping children's care in perspective
Authors: Lehmann Caitlyn
Published: March 2016

When looking back through history, it is often the care of the needy and disadvantaged that is taken as the measure of our society's past decency and worth. How our ancestors dealt with the distribution of wealth, what attention they gave to issues of justice and equality, and how much concern they showed for those suffering poverty or distress are questions used to judge the value of social developments. People who work with children often keep ideas and images of children's past welfare in mind as a guide for their work today. In the process of considering the care of children historically, and particularly that of orphaned or unwanted children, one is often struck either by the lack of change in the ways by which people care for children; or by the undue praise awarded to ‘progressive’ or ‘scientific’ understandings of children's needs. The view taken does, of course, depend largely upon which era is chosen for comparison with the present.
Discrepancy and Loss in Parenting: A comparative study of mothers and fathers of children with and without intellectual disability
Authors: Bruce Elizabeth J. , Schultz Cynthia L. , Smyrnios Kosmas X. , Schultz Noel C.
Published: March 2016

An assumption commonly found in the literature on parents of children with disabilities is that discrepancies between their perceptions of their children and their ‘ideal’ children are greater than those of parents whose children are nondisabled. Another assumption relates to their parenting experiences, which have been regarded as being different to that reported by parents of children without disabilities. Given that there is little empirical evidence to support these assumptions, a comparison of 58 mother-father dyads of children with intellectual disabilities and 24 mother-father dyads of children who did not have disabilities was undertaken. The findings of the present study revealed that parents of children with disabilities (a) perceived significantly greater discrepancies between their children and their ideal children, (b) perceived significantly greater limitations on their family, (c) reported significantly more worries concerning their children's development, (d) reported significantly more frequent disappointment in relation to their children's development, and (e) reported significantly greater impairment in emotional and physical well-being. In contrast, there were no significant differences in levels of reported happiness in parenting their children during the previous year. Furthermore, there were nonsignificant differences in the perceptions held by mothers and fathers. The findings have relevance to both counselling and service provision.
Danger - Economists at Work: The joke that can damage your children's welfare
Authors: Goddard Chris
Published: March 2016

I must admit at the outset that I only studied economics for a year. At the end of the undergraduate year, I sat an exam on the subject and passed. It was, as I recall it, a close-run thing however.

A number of us had already provoked the exam adjudicators by turning up late. Students were allowed into the exam hall up to twenty minutes after the exams had started, and this being the late 1960s, it was very cool to affect nonchalance by entering ten minutes or so late after everyone else had settled down. Such a late arrival not only gave the required appearance of casual unconcern, but also caused considerable disruption, especially if the latecomer was seated in the middle of a row of scibblers. Working one's way down the line of desks, loudly muttering ‘Excuse me’, ‘So sorry’, ‘Excuse me’, and so on was guaranteed to arouse the ire of diligent student and conscientious adjudicator alike.
Moderating the consequences of child sexual abuse: The role of the family, the legal system and other support structures
Authors: Eastwood Christine , Patton Wendy
Published: March 2016

This paper addresses the question: Are the consequences of child sexual abuse moderated or exacerbated by the family, the legal system and other support structures which are involved following disclosure? To answer this question, the present study employs a methodology which enables the young women to discuss their experiences and feelings in each of these areas. Through a four stage interview process, in- depth data was gathered from five young women whose cases had been dealt with through the legal system, and from their mothers.

Given that little research has been undertaken in this area, particularly in Australia, the current work focuses on the ability of these groups to provide acceptance and validation subsequent to disclosure, and the resulting responses of the young women. The study concludes with a discussion on the effects of the response of the family, the legal system and other support on the young women, and raises some issues crucial to addressing societal response to child sexual abuse. Suggestions for further research are also offered.
‘Bored witless’/Born to fail: Children at risk for severe learning difficulties
Authors: Rees Roger , Young Bill
Published: March 2016

The article is one of a number of articles stemming from a Ph.D research project researching learning and emotional difficulties amongst year eight students at a State High School in Adelaide. Twenty students identified as having learning and behaviour difficulties are participating in an alternative program for two days a week. The program involves camping, outdoor education and a good deal of intensive ‘direct instruction’ in basic literacy and numeracy. It is anticipated that this program will serve as a model for other state schools developing alternative programs for disaffected adolescent students.
Words, words, words: Even the parliamentarians are the very models of post-modernists
Authors: Goddard Chris
Published: March 2016

Words not only describe and define events, but also describe and define those who use them. Recent media coverage of the rescue of an American Air Force Captain from Serb-held Northern Bosnia, and the slaughter of a family in Melbourne by a severely disturbed man used the term ‘Rambo’ for both stories. In the same newspaper, the activities of child molesters in Asia were described under the heading ‘Child love’. The importance of the words used to describe assaults on children was recognised in a recent Victorian Crime Prevention committee report.
Working with sibling incest: maintaining the balance
Authors: Flanagan Karen , Patterson Janet
Published: March 2016

This article presents the work of the Child Sexual Abuse Treatment Program and Adolescent Sex Offender Treatment Program, auspiced by the Children's Protection Society. The focus is upon their experiences in working with families in which sibling incest has occurred. It outlines the philosophy, principles and model of the program, gives an overview of the demographic data and client profiles, and finally reflects on practice observations relating to issues which have emerged in their work.
Continuity of care for children in the ‘too hard’ basket: a literature review of care needs in the health system
Authors: O'Neill Cas , Contole Julie , Schwarz Robyne , Bryan Doug , Minogue Christine
Published: March 2016

The following review of literature arose from Project Partnership, an initiative of the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, which was set up to identify systemic and organisational changes which could improve continuity and quality of care for children with long-term and complex health care needs. This article examines research findings and other literature relevant to the experience of families whose children have complex health care needs; the experience of hospital based, health care professionals who care for this group of children; and the complexities of undertaking collaborative research in a large health bureaucracy.
Valuing young families: child protection and family support strategies with adolescent mothers
Authors: Healy Karen ,   Young Mothers for Young Women
Published: March 2016

This article is based on a study about young mothers' experiences of parenting and their suggestions for child protection and family support strategies. This paper disputes the notion that young mothers are deficient parents, and instead highlights the social stressors faced by many young families. It is argued that, rather than focussing on the individual family or young mother, family work could be better oriented toward resourcing and supporting adolescent families to care for their members.
Conservative criticism of child protection: the case of the Australian Family Association
Authors: Mendes Philip
Published: March 2016

Criticism of child protection practice in Victoria has emerged not only from the political Left, but also from conservative groups such as the Australian Family Association. The AFA does not deny the existence of child abuse, but argues that it can be primarily attributed to social changes such as the breakdown of the traditional nuclear family. The AFA believes that the strengthening and support of the traditional family is the best means of protecting children from harm. Critics of the AFA argue, however, that the implementation of the AFA's agenda would place the preservation of families ahead of the right of children to be protected from abuse or harm.
The child welfare system in Victoria: Changing context and perspectives 1945-1995
Authors: Markiewicz Anne
Published: March 2016

This paper traces the history of child welfare in Victoria, from the formation of the Children's Welfare Department to the present time. It draws principally upon the Annual Reports of the responsible state government department, to illustrate trends in out-of-home placement for children and young people admitted to care. It describes substantial shifts in direction to the institutions in the 1960s, deinstitutionalisation of the 1980s, and the re-emergence of home-based care as a favoured, economical option.

The paper traces the ebbs and flows in numbers, periods of overcrowding and the current reduced number of children and young people in care. It notes events impacting on evolving child welfare history in Victoria, the child migration program, building projects, the establishment of family group homes, regionalisation, external review, the Children and Young Persons Act (1989), and mandatory reporting legislation. Themes emerging include: early child welfare as a period of rescue and reform; the monitoring of standards and re-entry of the department to residential care; the building of institutions and rising numbers in care; redevelopment and the emergence of a community focus; the expansion of child protection; and the phasing out of old models and the search for cost efficient alternatives.

A challenge for the 1990s is the need for deliberate and planned monitoring and evaluation as institutional and residential care give way to home-based care, and numbers of admissions decrease. The paper aims to provide useful, historical material for readers with an interest in child welfare work which would benefit from a descriptive review of the past.
Family resource programs: Strengthening families and communities
Authors: Gledhill Marion
Published: March 2016

This paper argues the need for comprehensive provision of family resource programs. All Australia's families should be able to access the support, information, skills and resources that are necessary for optimal child development and for prevention of child abuse and neglect. The paper argues that there is a significant gap in the general availability of primary prevention family services in Australia. Family resource programs are discussed in terms of their goals, guiding principles, and service models. Examples of these programs both overseas and in NSW are described.
Confirming common sense: How relief daycare assists parents of preschool children
Authors: Yandell Margaret , Hewitt Lesley
Published: March 2016

A small project explored how occasional daycare assisted families perceived by referring agents as needing relief from the pressures of constant child care. The results suggested that ‘common sense’ was confirmed and the underlying practice wisdom behind referrals for relief daycare was validated. Respite daycare does assist families with preschool children by acting as a ‘circuit-breaker’, reducing tension and giving breathing space for both parents and children.
The pre-hearing convenor: A skilled practitioner chairing conferences in the Children's Court of Victoria
Authors: Markiewicz Anne
Published: March 2016

An evaluation of pre-hearing conferences in the Children's Court of Victoria was carried out during 1994 by five members of staff from the School of Social Work at the University of Melbourne. An interesting theme which emerged from this evaluation is the role of the convenor as pivotal to the process of the pre-hearing conference. The convenor has emerged as a critical figure in the success of the mediation process, and the knowledge, skills, and values they are equipped with are seen as essential to their effective operation. This article describes the role of convenors and the many responsibilities they must juggle in fulfilling their role, and the characteristics which make for an effective and successful conference. As conferences become a more frequent method of resolving conflict between individuals, families and society, it is hoped that the principles which emerge from this article will be applied to other conference proceedings. It is clear that we are moving away from conventional adversarial methods, to mediative and conciliative modes, and in doing so we need to become clear about the characteristics which are required for such processes. This is one exploratory study of a pilot project in Victoria which should be of interest to other conferencing and mediation mechanisms.
The silent consensus: Linking citizenship and young people
Authors: Bessant Judith
Published: March 2016

In the current debates about citizenship, children and young people are profoundly affected by the exclusionary criteria that determine who is and who is not a citizen. This article asks how young people are currently treated as citizens. The Victorian Crimes Amendment Act (1994) provides a case study illustrating some of the ways young people's rights are denied in Australia. The article also asks how prevalent are certain assumptions that preclude young people from the category of citizenship. In a post-industrial context characterised by rapid transformation of traditional institutions critical to most young people, ie, ‘the family’ and full-time labour market, the importance of the inclusion of young people into the category of citizen becomes apparent.
New directions for trust funding: Strengthening families and communities
Authors: Scott Dorothy
Published: March 2016

Some leading philanthropic trusts and foundations in Australia, like those in North America, are increasingly interested in moving away from a reactive funding model in which they merely respond to requests for funding to a more proactive model in which they develop, in collaboration with those in the field, the broad parameters of innovative programs they wish to support, and then invite agencies to make expressions of interest in relation to these program dimensions.

Selected programs need to be committed to evaluation and prepared to help disseminate their innovations and experiences to the field. It is this last step, from innovation to dissemination, which has often not been taken in the past, resulting in lost opportunities for valuable and cutting edge pilot projects to make an impact on practice and policy.
Child’s Play: Rebuilding attachment between mothers and children following domestic violence
Authors: Worth Natalie , Mertin Peter
Published: March 2016

Domestic violence is a serious problem in our community. The effects on women victims can be severe, producing both physical and emotional health problems. Children too can be similarly affected, as witnesses to parental violence and as the focus of parental abuse. For both there can be the further difficulty of a breakdown in their interactions which can lead to damaged attachment. While recovery from violence depends ultimately upon guaranteed safety for the victims, the process can be enhanced by repairing the bonds of attachment between mother and child. A program has been developed to rebuild damaged attachment which addresses issues in a child-focussed manner using movement, games and play.
Children on the move: The social and educational effects of family mobility
Authors: Fields Barry A.
Published: March 2016

Compared with other Western countries Australia stands out as having one of the most highly mobile populations. Despite this, there is very little recognition of this phenomenon and its social and educational effects. School personnel are particularly culpable in this regard, maintaining an image of schooling as a system focussed on relatively stable class groups. The available data, however, paint a very different picture, and one which compels the attention of not only educators but also a variety of individuals from the helping professions and welfare agencies. This article explores the nature of student mobility, its effects on children, and their adjustment to school.
Child abuse and mandatory reporting: A review in progress
Authors: Holland Grant
Published: March 2016

In Victoria, and to some extent Australia, the last two decades have seen some clarification in the classification of the various forms of child maltreatment and abuse. Currently, the major recognised forms of child abuse are acknowledged as being:

• physical abuse or non-accidental physical injury;

• sexual abuse and exploitation;

• emotional/psychological abuse; and

• neglect.
Should parents shiver?
Authors: Goddard Chris
Published: March 2016

According to at least one author, our lives are increasingly dominated by a ‘culture of fear’, in which possible adverse outcomes dominate our world views. Throughout the Western world, awareness of child sexual abuse has led to action by members of the public to draw attention to horrific crimes against children. This article reviews some of the media reports and seeks to explain why so many are concerned by those that prey on children.
Good enough parenting
Authors: Tregeagle Sue , Cox Amanda , Voigt Louise
Published: March 2016

The concept of Good Enough Parenting, introduced by Winnicott in 1965, has been useful to distinguish between care of children which is not ideal, and care which warrants removal of children from a family. There have been various attempts to turn the concept into practice guidelines, most notably by the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering (Adcock & White 1985). However there is a dearth of Australian material and little which is concise.

Barnardos Australia believed that it was necessary to produce a short practice paper to address this critical issue in child protection practice. This paper was developed through a series of workshops with Barnardos workers which focused on their practice needs. It was designed to assist in decisions about parenting standards which are difficult, not the most obvious situations of neglect or abuse. The paper suggests ways of thinking about good enough parenting and practical questions to bear in mind in family assessment.
Mental health issues in child protection cases: A study of protective cases in the Family Division of the Children’s Court, Victoria
Authors: Sheehan Rosemary
Published: March 2016

This article discusses the problems which confronted the Family Division of the Children’s Court, Victoria, in the management of cases in which there were mental health issues. Mental health issues were one of the major reasons for protective concerns in one in four cases presented to the Court during this study. They were cases which were often difficult to decide both because magistrates did not have knowledge about mental health problems and because there was a lack of expert information to assist them. Contributions by specialist mental health practitioners to the assessment of child protection applications were negligible and this meant the mental health problems were not identified for the Court. A more cooperative system which allows mental health professionals to work closely with the child protection service would be of greater assistance to the Court.
Early intervention home visiting: A preventative model to strengthen isolated families
Authors: Drielsma Paul
Published: March 2016

Burnside is an agency of the Uniting Church and has a role to facilitate the development of children and families most in need through quality services, research and advocacy. This article describes a home visiting model which was developed and approved for implementation as a three year pilot by Burnside on the Central Coast in NSW, beginning in 1997. The model is described and presented as a format that may be useful to stimulate similar program proposals elsewhere. The model uses paid professionals within the context of a ‘Family Centre’ with a volunteer network to offer ongoing home visiting support to first-time parents facing social and geographical isolation and who have few supports and resources to meet their needs. Importantly, the model relies on close collaboration with Child Health services and a partnership with other community agencies and the local community itself. The model accommodates current debate about the need to break cycles of abuse through positive preventative family support to strengthen families and communities.
Nearly the end of the beginning of a never-ending story
Authors: Goddard Chris
Published: March 2016

The abuse of children in residential care has been one of the major scandals of the 1990s. This paper examines the largest child abuse inquiry ever held in Britain, the public inquiry into abuse of children in Children’s Homes in North Wales. The story, it is suggested, is almost too large to comprehend and too scandalous to absorb. One major lesson to be considered is that hundreds of victims each had his or her own story to tell but few people were prepared to listen.
Yesterday’s dreams, today’s realities: Keynote address at the 6th Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect
Authors: Scott Dorothy
Published: March 2016

This is an edited version of the keynote address given by Dr Dorothy Scott at the 6th Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect – Dialogue, Dreaming, Decisions – which was held in Adelaide on 20–23 October 1997.
A kiss is not just a kiss: The isolation of the adult victim of child abuse
Authors: Goddard Chris
Published: March 2016

Translating great novels to the small or large screen inevitably involves the loss of some of the insights gained from the written word and the creation of a new world. Some novels appear to be written with screen translations in mind. Others appear to be impossible to translate. In this article The Kiss, by Kathryn Harrison, is reviewed. The book provides beautifully written insights into the painful world of emotional and psychological child abuse, anorexia and bulimia. There are other important messages in the work, not the least being those that we can learn about the isolation that an abused child can suffer. Such abuse can prepare (or groom) children for later abuse as an adult.
‘It must be because…’: Non-biological care and mental health Part I. Setting the context
Authors: O’Neill Cas , Absler Deborah
Published: March 2016

This article (the first of a series of three) reviews the research and literature on the connections between non-biological care (adoption, permanent care, foster care and residential care) and mental health and relates this to the policy context in Victoria.

The implications of the over-representation of children who have experienced non-biological care in a mental health setting are explored.
The long term care of children with disabilities: Is family the only way?
Authors: Bain Kevin
Published: March 2016

Some families need to place their disabled child in long term out of home care, due to a high care burden. Foster family care is increasingly the only option available. While published research is sparse, there is evidence that rostered staff models of care are more appropriate for some children, and the potential gains from family care are overstated. Questions are raised about foster care successes overseas and locally, particularly as care options are restricted to in home support or alternative family models. Rostered staff models can promote a child’s involvement with the birth family, and should be developed further. Planners need to foster diversity, which allows flexibility and promises new knowledge.
What adolescents say about conflict in secondary schools
Authors: Bagshaw Dale
Published: March 2016

During 1997 researchers at the University of South Australia conducted qualitative and quantitative research with 663 students from a diverse range of secondary schools in the Adelaide metropolitan area. The research focussed on how 13 to 15 year old adolescents view and handle conflict with their peers and conflict with adults at school, such as teachers and counsellors. This paper reports on Phase 1 of the research, and on comments gathered from adolescents in Focus Groups about their experiences of conflict. Comments about the high level of aggression and violence in some secondary schools would indicate that broader, community-centred approaches may be needed before conflict management strategies, such as peer mediation, can work.
The stretch limos are longer and cheaper but those in poverty are still with us
Authors: Goddard Chris
Published: March 2016

Social workers and other welfare workers daily work with many people who live in poverty. Sadly, little of what they see and hear reaches the broader population. A recent book, by Nick Davies, extends the tradition of what we now call investigative journalism. Davies meets some children who are selling their bodies on the streets of Nottingham, listens to their stories, and embarks on a journey of exploration into a world of child prostitution, drugs and housing estates full of despair. The early stages of the current election campaign in Australia suggest that there is little cause for optimism for the most disadvantaged.
Multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of child abuse and neglect
Authors: Gravestock Fred
Published: March 2016

Child abuse and neglect is a complex problem that requires a sophisticated treatment response. Utilising comprehensive research literature, the Abused Child Trust has developed a model for intervening with families in which maltreatment is a major concern. The intervention program operates on a multidisciplinary model, and incorporates counselling, specialised educational support, and health care. The service at Contact House is presented in detail, to serve as a stimulus for discussion as to the appropriate level of service required by at-risk families.
A search for the Parieto Factors in child sexual abuse intervention
Authors: Ilett Merrick
Published: March 2016

This article attempts to identify and discuss the most crucial factors in child sexual abuse intervention. Parieto’s 80/20 rule is used to identify the two individual and two family factors which have the greatest potential to effect significant change when issues around father/daughter sexual abuse are being addressed.
Who owns the past?
Authors: Robinson Lorraine
Published: March 2016

I was born in NSW and was apart of the assimilation policies of the late 1960s onwards. My experiences with this have always been negative, but I have managed somehow to stay positive with life. This, I believe, is where my identity has given me strength, my dreamtime has supported me and life generally has been a rollercoaster ride.
Partnerships between parents and teachers in child protection
Authors: Hawkins Russell M.F. , Briggs Freda
Published: March 2016

Prevention approaches are an important response to the problem of child abuse. Although there have been repeated calls for closer parent-teacher cooperation in prevention programs, such alliances have been far from satisfactory to date. Reasons for poor parent-teacher partnerships are based on social reluctance to intervene in the family unit and the mutual reluctance of teachers and parents to engage in a meaningful alliance. Part of the reticence of teachers to involve parents lies in their lack of confidence relating to the delivery of the child protection curriculum. These problems are explored and some suggestions for change are offered.
Marxist and feminist critiques of child protection: To protect children or to change society?
Authors: Mendes Philip
Published: March 2016

This paper critically examines Marxist and feminist literature on child protection, and identifies both their strengths and weaknesses. The author concludes that, while both ideologies call for broader policy reforms to address the prevalence of poverty and male violence, the core responsibility of statutory systems remains the protection of children and their rights.