Contrasting national jurisdictional and welfare responses to violence to children
Waldegrave, Charles, 1947-
Contrasting national jurisdictional and welfare responses to violence to children Waldegrave, Charles, 1947- - Wellington Ministry of Social Development 2006 - 20 p. ; computer file : PDF format (116Kb) ; computer file : Microsoft Word format (154Kb) ; computer file : World Wide Web
Social Policy Journal of New Zealand, March 2006, 27: 57-76
This paper describes a number of approaches towards addressing the maltreatment of children in OECD countries and explores whether these approaches could be used to improve outcomes in New Zealand. Comparisons are made between the Anglo-American child protection model employed in Australia, North America, the UK and New Zealand, and the continental Western European model emphasising family support or services. The child protection model is based on the adversarial legal approach, where social workers' focus is on removing the child from potentially harmful family situations and gathering evidence for legal proceedings. The family services model is focused on maintaining the family unit wherever possible, and the social workers work with families to assist them to deal with their problems. This model uses the inquisitorial legal approach, where specially trained judges lead teams of social workers to help the child by enabling changes in family circumstances to equip parents to meet their obligations to their children. New Zealand's more recently developed use of Family Group Conferences, developed from an indigenous Māori approach, is more akin, however, to the family services approach. This is because it encourages early intervention, with a wide whānau/family focus, without the need for gathering legally admissible evidence. It is suggested that as a service model, the Anglo-American child protection approach contains some serious flaws. However, if New Zealand wanted to adopt a more holistic family services approach to child protection, there would need to be a substantial theoretical and procedural shift from seeking to punish 'unsafe' families, to ensuring parents are assisted to meet their obligations regarding the wellbeing and safety of their children.
1172-4382
CHILD PROTECTION
CHILDREN
CHILDREN AT RISK
FAMILY SERVICES
WELLBEING
INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON
CHILD ABUSE
Contrasting national jurisdictional and welfare responses to violence to children Waldegrave, Charles, 1947- - Wellington Ministry of Social Development 2006 - 20 p. ; computer file : PDF format (116Kb) ; computer file : Microsoft Word format (154Kb) ; computer file : World Wide Web
Social Policy Journal of New Zealand, March 2006, 27: 57-76
This paper describes a number of approaches towards addressing the maltreatment of children in OECD countries and explores whether these approaches could be used to improve outcomes in New Zealand. Comparisons are made between the Anglo-American child protection model employed in Australia, North America, the UK and New Zealand, and the continental Western European model emphasising family support or services. The child protection model is based on the adversarial legal approach, where social workers' focus is on removing the child from potentially harmful family situations and gathering evidence for legal proceedings. The family services model is focused on maintaining the family unit wherever possible, and the social workers work with families to assist them to deal with their problems. This model uses the inquisitorial legal approach, where specially trained judges lead teams of social workers to help the child by enabling changes in family circumstances to equip parents to meet their obligations to their children. New Zealand's more recently developed use of Family Group Conferences, developed from an indigenous Māori approach, is more akin, however, to the family services approach. This is because it encourages early intervention, with a wide whānau/family focus, without the need for gathering legally admissible evidence. It is suggested that as a service model, the Anglo-American child protection approach contains some serious flaws. However, if New Zealand wanted to adopt a more holistic family services approach to child protection, there would need to be a substantial theoretical and procedural shift from seeking to punish 'unsafe' families, to ensuring parents are assisted to meet their obligations regarding the wellbeing and safety of their children.
1172-4382
CHILD PROTECTION
CHILDREN
CHILDREN AT RISK
FAMILY SERVICES
WELLBEING
INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON
CHILD ABUSE