Child protection

For other uses, see Child protection (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Child protective services.
"Child Welfare" redirects here. For the journal, see Child Welfare (journal).
Childcare
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Outside the home
Educational settings
Institutions and standards
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Child protection (also called child welfare) is the safeguarding of children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect.[1][2][3][4] It involves identifying signs of potential harm. This includes responding to allegations or suspicions of abuse, providing support and services to protect children, and holding those who have harmed them accountable.[5]

The primary goal of child protection is to ensure that all children are safe and free from harm or danger.[4][6] Child protection also works to prevent future harm by creating policies and systems that identify and respond to risks before they lead to harm.[7]

In order to achieve these goals, research suggests that child protection services should be provided in a holistic way.[8][9][10] This means taking into account the social, economic, cultural, psychological, and environmental factors that can contribute to the risk of harm for individual children and their families. Collaboration across sectors and disciplines to create a comprehensive system of support and safety for children is required.[11][12]

It is the responsibility of individuals, organizations, and governments to ensure that children are protected from harm and their rights are respected.[13] This includes providing a safe environment for children to grow and develop, protecting them from physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and ensuring they have access to education, healthcare, and resources to fulfill their basic needs.[14]

Child protection systems are a set of services, usually government-run, designed to protect children and young people who are underage and to encourage family stability. UNICEF defines[15] a 'child protection system' as:

"The set of laws, policies, regulations and services needed across all social sectors – especially social welfare, education, health, security and justice – to support prevention and response to protection-related risks. These systems are part of social protection, and extend beyond it. At the level of prevention, their aim includes supporting and strengthening families to reduce social exclusion, and to lower the risk of separation, violence and exploitation. Responsibilities are often spread across government agencies, with services delivered by local authorities, non-State providers, and community groups, making coordination between sectors and levels, including routine referral systems etc.., a necessary component of effective child protection systems."

— United Nations Economic and Social Council (2008), UNICEF Child Protection Strategy, E/ICEF/2008/5/Rev.1, par. 12–13.

Under Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a 'child protection system' provides for the protection of children in and out of the home. One of the ways this can be enabled is through the provision of quality education, the fourth of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in addition to other child protection systems. Some literature argues that child protection begins at conception; even how the conception took place can affect the child's development.[16]

  1. ^ Katz, Ilan; Katz, Carmit; Andresen, Sabine; Bérubé, Annie; Collin-Vezina, Delphine; Fallon, Barbara; Fouché, Ansie; Haffejee, Sadiyya; Masrawa, Nadia; Muñoz, Pablo; Priolo Filho, Sidnei R.; Tarabulsy, George; Truter, Elmien; Varela, Natalia; Wekerle, Christine (June 2021). "Child maltreatment reports and Child Protection Service responses during COVID-19: Knowledge exchange among Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Israel, and South Africa". Child Abuse & Neglect. 116 (Pt 2): 105078. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105078. ISSN 0145-2134. PMC 8446926. PMID 33931238.
  2. ^ Oates, Kim (July 2013). "Medical dimensions of child abuse and neglect". Child Abuse & Neglect. 37 (7): 427–429. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.05.004. ISSN 0145-2134. PMID 23790510.
  3. ^ Southall, David; MacDonald, Rhona (2013-11-01). "Protecting children from abuse: a neglected but crucial priority for the international child health agenda". Paediatrics and International Child Health. 33 (4): 199–206. doi:10.1179/2046905513Y.0000000097. ISSN 2046-9047. PMID 24070186. S2CID 29250788.
  4. ^ a b Barth, R.P. (October 1999). "After Safety, What is the Goal of Child Welfare Services: Permanency, Family Continuity or Social Benefit?". International Journal of Social Welfare. 8 (4): 244–252. doi:10.1111/1468-2397.00091. ISSN 1369-6866.
  5. ^ Child Custody & Domestic Violence: A Call for Safety and Accountability. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc. 2003. doi:10.4135/9781452231730. ISBN 978-0-7619-1826-4.
  6. ^ Editorial team, Collective (2008-09-11). "WHO Regional Office for Europe and UNAIDS report on progress since the Dublin Declaration". Eurosurveillance. 13 (37). doi:10.2807/ese.13.37.18981-en. ISSN 1560-7917. PMID 18801311.
  7. ^ Nixon, Kendra L.; Tutty, Leslie M.; Weaver-Dunlop, Gillian; Walsh, Christine A. (December 2007). "Do good intentions beget good policy? A review of child protection policies to address intimate partner violence". Children and Youth Services Review. 29 (12): 1469–1486. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.09.007. ISSN 0190-7409.
  8. ^ Holland, S. (2004-01-01). "Liberty and Respect in Child Protection". British Journal of Social Work. 34 (1): 21–36. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bch003. ISSN 0045-3102.
  9. ^ Wulcyzn, Fred; Daro, Deborah; Fluke, John; Gregson, Kendra (2010). "Adapting a Systems Approach to Child Protection in a Cultural Context: Key Concepts and Considerations". PsycEXTRA Dataset. doi:10.1037/e516652013-176.
  10. ^ Léveillé, Sophie; Chamberland, Claire (2010-07-01). "Toward a general model for child welfare and protection services: A meta-evaluation of international experiences regarding the adoption of the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families (FACNF)". Children and Youth Services Review. 32 (7): 929–944. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2010.03.009. ISSN 0190-7409.
  11. ^ Winkworth, Gail; White, Michael (March 2011). "Australia's Children 'Safe and Well'?1 Collaborating with Purpose Across Commonwealth Family Relationship and State Child Protection Systems: Australia's Children 'Safe and Well'". Australian Journal of Public Administration. 70 (1): 1–14. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8500.2010.00706.x.
  12. ^ Wulcyzn, Fred; Daro, Deborah; Fluke, John; Gregson, Kendra (2010). "Adapting a Systems Approach to Child Protection in a Cultural Context: Key Concepts and Considerations". PsycEXTRA Dataset. doi:10.1037/e516652013-176.
  13. ^ Howe, R. Brian; Covell, Katherine (July 2010). "Miseducating children about their rights". Education, Citizenship and Social Justice. 5 (2): 91–102. doi:10.1177/1746197910370724. ISSN 1746-1979. S2CID 145540907.
  14. ^ "Child protection". www.unicef.org. Archived from the original on 2023-03-07. Retrieved 2023-03-18.
  15. ^ "Economic and Social Council" (PDF). UNICEF. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 23, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  16. ^ "Protecting Children from Violence: Historical Roots and Emerging Trends", Protecting Children from Violence, Psychology Press, pp. 21–32, 2010-09-13, doi:10.4324/9780203852927-8, ISBN 978-0-203-85292-7