Championing the interface between mental health and child protection: evaluation of a service initiative to improve joint working in northern Ireland

The importance of establishing effective inter‐agency working between adult mental health services and child care services in order to safeguard children has been repeatedly identified by research, policy, inquiries and inspection reports. This article reports on the evaluation of an initiative in one health and social care trust in Northern Ireland that aimed to facilitate joint working and so improve service provision and protection for children and families. The Champions Initiative involved identifying a Champion in each multidisciplinary community mental health team and in each family and child care team that would have responsibility for providing information, promoting joint working and identifying any obstacles to better cooperation. The evaluation of this Initiative assessed levels of experience, training, confidence, understanding and awareness in the Champions and their team members at baseline. The Champions and their Team Leaders were then followed up after six months to obtain their qualitative views of the impact of the initiative. The results include comparisons between mental health and child care staff, and crucially, views about whether the initiative has had any impact on working together. This study also generated recommendations for further service development in this complex and important area of practice. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

‘Identifying a Champion in each multidisciplinary community mental health team and in each family and child care team’

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• Phillip Tchernegovski, Andrea E. Reupert, Darryl J. Maybery, How do Australian adult mental health clinicians manage the challenges of working with parental mental illness? A phenomenological study, Child & Family Social Work, 10.1111/cfs.12426, 23 , 3, (381-389), (2017). Wiley Online Library
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• Barry Luckock, Jane Barlow, Chris Brown, Developing innovative models of practice at the interface between the NHS and child and family social work where children living at home are at risk of abuse and neglect: a scoping review, Child & Family Social Work, 10.1111/cfs.12228, 22 , S4, (62-69), (2015). Wiley Online Library
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• Estela Arcos, Ximena Sanchez, Maria Cecilia Toffoletto, Margarita Baeza, Patricia Gazmuri, Luz Angélica Muñoz, Antonia Vollrath, Social protection systems in vulnerable families: their importance for the public health, Revista de Saúde Pública, 10.1590/S0034-8910.2014048005131, 48 , 3, (398-405), (2014). Crossref
• Oi Ling Wong, Integrative Family and Systems Treatment with Parental Mental Illness: A Hong Kong Chinese Family, Contemporary Family Therapy, 10.1007/s10591-014-9298-2, 36 , 2, (242-249), (2014). Crossref
• Peter Sidebotham, Rethinking Filicide, Child Abuse Review, 10.1002/car.2303, 22 , 5, (305-310), (2013). Wiley Online Library
• Jane V. Appleton, Peter Sidebotham, Child Protection and Mental Health, Child Abuse Review, 10.1002/car.2220, 21 , 3, (153-156), (2012). Wiley Online Library

Volume 21 , Issue 3 May/June 2012

Pages 157-172     

A Public Health Approach to Child Maltreatment Surveillance: Evidence from a Data Linkage Project in the United States

Historically, data concerning children reported for abuse or neglect in the US have been compiled by child protective service agencies and analysed independently from other sources of information. Yet these data suffer from the notable limitations of being both narrow in scope (i.e. containing a limited set of variables) and narrow in coverage (i.e. capturing data for only those children who are reported). In order to extend an understanding of children reported for maltreatment, the California Department of Social Services, in partnership with the University of California at Berkeley, is pursuing a ‘public health’ oriented approach to the surveillance of child maltreatment through linkages between child protective service records and population‐based sources of data. As an example of the information that can be generated through linked records, this article reports results from child‐level matches completed between the state's child protective service records and vital birth records. The cumulative percentage of children reported for abuse or neglect before the age of five is examined based on maternal and child characteristics at birth. This is followed by a discussion of record linkages as a means of furthering a public health approach to child maltreatment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Number of times cited according to CrossRef: 28

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• Muhammad Chutiyami, Shirley Wyver, Janaki Amin, Is Parent engagement with a child health home-based record influenced by early child development and first-born status? hypotheses from a high-income countries’ perspective, Medical Hypotheses, 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109605, (109605), (2020). Crossref
• Fred Wulczyn, Race/Ethnicity and Running Away from Foster Care:, Children and Youth Services Review, 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105504, (105504), (2020). Crossref
• Amy Conley Wright, Melissa Kaltner, Assessing the Outcomes of Alternative Care and Treatment Responses, 5G for Future Wireless Networks, 10.1007/978-3-030-05858-6_3, (35-47), (2019). Crossref
• Katharine W. Buek, David L. Lakey, Dorothy J. Mandell, Paternity establishment at birth and early maltreatment: Risk and protective effects by maternal race and ethnicity, Child Abuse & Neglect, 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104069, 95 , (104069), (2019). Crossref
• A J Mason-Jones, J Loggie, Child sexual exploitation. An analysis of serious case reviews in England: poor communication, incorrect assumptions and adolescent neglect, Journal of Public Health, 10.1093/pubmed/fdy227, (2019). Crossref
• Gia Elise Barboza-Salerno, Examining Spatial Regimes of Child Maltreatment Allegations in a Social Vulnerability Framework, Child Maltreatment, 10.1177/1077559519850340, (107755951985034), (2019). Crossref
• Stacy Ann Hawkins, Kathrine S. Sullivan, Ashley C. Schuyler, Mary Keeling, Sara Kintzle, Paul B. Lester, Carl A. Castro, Thinking “Big” About Research on Military Families, Military Behavioral Health, 10.1080/21635781.2017.1343696, 5 , 4, (335-345), (2017). Crossref
• Gillian Henderson, Christine Jones, Ruth Woods, Sibling birth order, use of statutory measures and patterns of placement for children in public care: Implications for international child protection systems and research, Children and Youth Services Review, 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.10.001, 82 , (321-328), (2017). Crossref
• Steven A. Sumner, Matthew J. Maenner, Christina M. Socias, James A. Mercy, Paul Silverman, Sandra P. Medinilla, Steven S. Martin, Likang Xu, Susan D. Hillis, Sentinel Events Preceding Youth Firearm Violence, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 10.1016/j.amepre.2016.08.002, 51 , 5, (647-655), (2016). Crossref
• Michael S. Wald, Beyond CPS: Developing an effective system for helping children in “neglectful” families, Child Abuse & Neglect, 10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.01.010, 41 , (49-66), (2015). Crossref
• Kenneth A. Dodge, Ron Haskins, Children and Government, Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science, 10.1002/9781118963418, (1-50), (2015). Wiley Online Library
• Jane V. Appleton, Peter Sidebotham, The Child at the Centre of Care, Child Abuse Review, 10.1002/car.2383, 24 , 2, (77-81), (2015). Wiley Online Library
• Emily Putnam-Hornstein, James David Simon, Andrea Lane Eastman, Joseph Magruder, Risk of Re-Reporting Among Infants Who Remain at Home Following Alleged Maltreatment, Child Maltreatment, 10.1177/1077559514558586, 20 , 2, (92-103), (2014). Crossref
• Michelle Johnson-Motoyama, Emily Putnam-Hornstein, Alan J. Dettlaff, Kechen Zhao, Megan Finno-Velasquez, Barbara Needell, Disparities in Reported and Substantiated Infant Maltreatment by Maternal Hispanic Origin and Nativity: A Birth Cohort Study, Maternal and Child Health Journal, 10.1007/s10995-014-1594-9, 19 , 5, (958-968), (2014). Crossref
• Christopher Wildeman, Jane Waldfogel, Somebody's Children or Nobody's Children? How the Sociological Perspective Could Enliven Research on Foster Care, Annual Review of Sociology, 10.1146/annurev-soc-071913-043358, 40 , 1, (599-618), (2014). Crossref
• Carol W. Metzler, Matthew R. Sanders, Julie C. Rusby, Multiple Levels and Modalities of Measurement in a Population-Based Approach to Improving Parenting, Emerging Methods in Family Research, 10.1007/978-3-319-01562-0_12, (197-214), (2014). Crossref
• Michael S. Wald, Beyond Maltreatment: Developing Support for Children in Multiproblem Families, Handbook of Child Maltreatment, 10.1007/978-94-007-7208-3_13, (251-280), (2014). Crossref
• Peter Fallesen, Natalia Emanuel, Christopher Wildeman, Cumulative Risks of Foster Care Placement for Danish Children, PLoS ONE, 10.1371/journal.pone.0109207, 9 , 10, (e109207), (2014). Crossref
• Janice McGhee, Fiona Mitchell, Brigid Daniel, Julie Taylor, Taking a Long View in Child Welfare: How Can We Evaluate Intervention and Child Wellbeing Over Time?, Child Abuse Review, 10.1002/car.2268, 24 , 2, (95-106), (2013). Wiley Online Library
• Emily Putnam-Hornstein, Barbara Needell, Bryn King, Michelle Johnson-Motoyama, Racial and ethnic disparities: A population-based examination of risk factors for involvement with child protective services, Child Abuse & Neglect, 10.1016/j.chiabu.2012.08.005, 37 , 1, (33-46), (2013). Crossref
• Rhema Vaithianathan, Tim Maloney, Emily Putnam-Hornstein, Nan Jiang, Children in the Public Benefit System at Risk of Maltreatment, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 10.1016/j.amepre.2013.04.022, 45 , 3, (354-359), (2013). Crossref
• Bryn King, Jennifer Lawson, Emily Putnam-Hornstein, Examining the Evidence, Child Maltreatment, 10.1177/1077559513508001, 18 , 4, (232-244), (2013). Crossref
• Emily Putnam-Hornstein, Mario A. Cleves, Robyn Licht, Barbara Needell, Risk of Fatal Injury in Young Children Following Abuse Allegations: Evidence From a Prospective, Population-Based Study, American Journal of Public Health, 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301516, 103 , 10, (e39-e44), (2013). Crossref
• J.P. Mersky, J. Topitzes, A.J. Reynolds, Impacts of adverse childhood experiences on health, mental health, and substance use in early adulthood: A cohort study of an urban, minority sample in the U.S., Child Abuse & Neglect, 10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.07.011, 37 , 11, (917-925), (2013). Crossref
• Michael S. Wald, Beyond Maltreatment: Developing Support for Children in Multiproblem Families, SSRN Electronic Journal, 10.2139/ssrn.2205471, (2013). Crossref
• Anne Lazenbatt, Lisa Bunting, Julie Taylor, Consequences of infant maltreatment on child wellbeing, British Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 10.12968/bjmh.2012.1.3.171, 1 , 3, (171-175), (2012). Crossref
• Public Health Approaches to Safeguarding Children, Child Abuse Review, 10.1002/car.1196, 20 , 4, (231-237), (2011). Wiley Online Library

Volume 20 , Issue 4 July/August 2011

Pages 256-273     

A Public Health Approach to Safeguarding in the 21st Century

Recent government policy has focused on the provision of a safe environment for all children. Parenting support is increasingly being recognised as a core method of safeguarding children, and this is of particular importance, given the widespread prevalence of maltreatment and poor parenting practices, the overwhelming number of child protection referrals and the inherent flaws in risk assessment. Until recently, there was no formulation of an overall model of practice based on these changes. In this paper, we present compelling reasons for believing that a public health approach to safeguarding is the only way of ensuring that all children are protected within a population, including children at high risk. The rationale for the delivery of such a model is presented alongside the application of one such evidence‐based population‐level strategy, which has been demonstrated to reduce population‐level indicators of maltreatment. Novel approaches to the delivery of parenting interventions including media‐based strategies are discussed in terms of their potential for reaching families who may be missed by traditional services. The economic aspects of a public health model are discussed, and their relevance for middle‐ and low‐income countries. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Citing Literature

Number of times cited: 23

• Angelo P. Giardino, Michelle A. Lyn and Eileen R. Giardino , Introduction: Child Abuse and Neglect , A Practical Guide to the Evaluation of Child Physical Abuse and Neglect , 10.1007/978-3-030-00635-8_1 , (3-26) , (2018) . Crossref
• Christina M. Rodriguez and Shannon M.O. Wittig , Predicting child problem behavior and maternal/paternal parent-child aggression: Identifying early prevention targets , Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology , 10.1016/j.appdev.2018.11.001 , 60 , (76-86) , (2019) . Crossref
• Barry Luckock, Jane Barlow and Chris Brown , Developing innovative models of practice at the interface between the NHS and child and family social work where children living at home are at risk of abuse and neglect: a scoping review , Child & Family Social Work , 22 , S4 , (62-69) , (2015) . Wiley Online Library
• Shilpa Boppana and Christina M. Rodriguez , Mediators between Parenting History and Expected At-Risk Parenting: Role of Conformity, Coping, and Attitudes , Journal of Child and Family Studies , 26 , 11 , (3237) , (2017) . Crossref
• Peter Sidebotham , Fatal Child Maltreatment , The Wiley Handbook of What Works in Child Maltreatment , (48-70) , (2017) . Wiley Online Library
• Nick Axford and Vashti Berry , Perfect Bedfellows: Why Early Intervention Can Play a Critical Role in Protecting Children—A Response to Featherstone et al. (2014) ‘A Marriage Made in Hell: Child Protection Meets Early Intervention’ , The British Journal of Social Work , (2017) . Crossref
• Wendy Nicholson and Gillian Turner , School Nursing: Making a Difference in Adolescent Health and Well-Being , International Handbook on Adolescent Health and Development , 10.1007/978-3-319-40743-2_26 , (489-510) , (2016) . Crossref
• Tanya S. Hinds and Angelo P. Giardino , Policy Direction: Focus on Prevention , Child Physical Abuse: Current Evidence, Clinical Practice, and Policy Directions , 10.1007/978-3-319-61103-7_4 , (113-147) , (2017) . Crossref
• Christina M. Rodriguez, Tamika L. Smith and Paul J. Silvia , Parent–Child Aggression Risk in Expectant Mothers and Fathers: A Multimethod Theoretical Approach , Journal of Child and Family Studies , 25 , 11 , (3220) , (2016) . Crossref
• Christina M. Rodriguez, Tamika L. Smith and Paul J. Silvia , Multimethod prediction of physical parent–child aggression risk in expectant mothers and fathers with Social Information Processing theory , Child Abuse & Neglect , 51 , (106) , (2016) . Crossref
• Susan J. White and David G. Wastell , Epigenetics Prematurely Born(e): Social Work and the Malleable Gene , British Journal of Social Work , (bcw157) , (2016) . Crossref
• Christina M. Rodriguez, Enrique Gracia and Marisol Lila , Multimethod prediction of child abuse risk in an at-risk sample of male intimate partner violence offenders , Child Abuse & Neglect , 60 , (27) , (2016) . Crossref
• A. Gonzalez‐Izquierdo, A. Ward, P. Smith, C. Walford, J. Begent, Y. Ioannou and R. Gilbert , Notifications for child safeguarding from an acute hospital in response to presentations to healthcare by parents , "Child: Care, Health and Development" , 41 , 2 , (186-193) , (2014) . Wiley Online Library
• Adele D. Jones, Ena Trotman Jemmott, Priya E. Maharaj and Hazel Da Breo , Collective Complacency and Engendering Community Action , An Integrated Systems Model for Preventing Child Sexual Abuse , 10.1057/9781137377661_6 , (198-223) , (2014) . Crossref
• Madeleine Stevens , The cost‐effectiveness of UK parenting programmes for preventing children's behaviour problems – a review of the evidence , Child & Family Social Work , 19 , 1 , (109-118) , (2012) . Wiley Online Library
• Karen Whittaker , Supporting parents and parenting practices: The health visiting context , Journal of Health Visiting , 2 , 5 , (250) , (2014) . Crossref
• Matthias Albrecht , Prävention von Gewalt gegen Kinder und von Kinderunfällen - Plädoyer für eine integrierende Betrachtungsweise , Kindesmisshandlung und -vernachlässigung , 17 , 2 , (112) , (2014) . Crossref
• Matthew Mullen , Getting serious about the human right to play , Asia Pacific Journal of Sport and Social Science , 3 , 2 , (130) , (2014) . Crossref
• Sarah Skeen and Mark Tomlinson , A public health approach to preventing child abuse in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A call for action , International Journal of Psychology , 48 , 2 , (108-116) , (2013) . Wiley Online Library
• Peter Sidebotham , Rethinking Filicide , Child Abuse Review , 22 , 5 , (305-310) , (2013) . Wiley Online Library
• Stuart Logan, Ruth Gilbert and Jenny Woodman , Developing services for a public health approach to child maltreatment , The International Journal of Children's Rights , 20 , 3 , (323) , (2012) . Crossref
• , Public Health Approaches to Safeguarding Children , Child Abuse Review , 20 , 4 , (231-237) , (2011) . Wiley Online Library
• MISSING-VALUE MISSING-VALUE , Influence of legal/professional context on parental and professional activity , Therapeutic Assessment and Intervention in Childcare Legal Proceedings , 10.4324/9781315719429-6 , (114-130) , (2015) . Crossref

Volume 20 , Issue 4 July/August 2011

Pages 238-255     

The Use of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory in the Assessment of Parents involved in Care Proceedings

Assessing for potential physical abuse is a fundamental task for those professionals undertaking assessments of parents involved in care proceedings. One tool developed to help assist in this endeavour is the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory (Milner, 1980 , 1986 ). The CAP Inventory provides an estimate of parental risk of child abuse and is one of the most widely used psychometric tools by psychologists in child protection settings. This review evaluates the psychometric properties of this measure and provides an overview of its potential uses, as well as its limitations. It concludes that there is evidence to support the validity and reliability of the CAP Inventory for use in care proceedings. Specifically, the review indicates that the CAP Inventory has good levels of reliability and validity (construct, content and concurrent). The only aspect of validity for which there is a lack of evidence is that of predictive validity and this is due to a dearth of prospective studies. Given the above, the practical, clinical and ethical implications for the use of the CAP Inventory in the assessment of parents involved in care proceedings are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Citing Literature

Number of times cited according to CrossRef: 3

• Amanda H. Costello, Natalie J. Shook, Nancy M. Wallace, Cheryl B. McNeil, Examining factors associated with elevated Lie Scale responding on the Child Abuse Potential Inventory, Child Abuse & Neglect, 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.10.009, 76 , (56-64), (2018). Crossref
• Jane V. Appleton, Peter Sidebotham, Physical Abuse of Children, Child Abuse Review, 10.1002/car.2505, 26 , 6, (405-410), (2017). Wiley Online Library
• Jane V. Appleton, Working Alongside One Another…, Child Abuse Review, 10.1002/car.2416, 24 , 5, (313-316), (2015). Wiley Online Library

Volume 24 , Issue 5 September/October 2015

Pages 332-345     

Are our Frontline Clinicians Equipped with the Ability and Confidence to Address Child Abuse and Neglect?

Previous studies have suggested that child abuse and neglect (CAN) is under recognised and under reported. Our aims were to examine and compare child protection (CP) knowledge, confidence and practice of frontline clinicians in general practice and hospital settings in South Western Sydney (SWS). We surveyed doctors and nurses in general practice and in the emergency department (ED) in a district in SWS using a validated questionnaire. Of the 113 responses, 62 were general practitioners (GPs), 9 practice nurses, 26 ED nurses and 16 ED doctors. The confidence level with identifying CAN was moderate, with a significant difference between groups. The majority (59%) had made previous CP reports, few suspected but decided not to report; reporting rates differed significantly. A majority (80%) reported some CP training; of the 22 with no training, 21 were GPs and practice nurses. Of those reporting some training, more than 70 per cent of ED nurses, GPs and practice nurses felt their training was inadequate, compared with 19 per cent of ED doctors. There are significant differences in confidence and practice between frontline clinicians in primary care and ED. Targeted CP training should be provided for all frontline clinicians with particular emphasis on primary care GPs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

‘We surveyed doctors and nurses in general practice and in the emergency department’

‘There are significant differences in confidence and practice between front‐line clinicians in primary care and ED’

Citing Literature

Number of times cited: 12

• Lauren E. Lines, Alison E. Hutton and Julian Grant , Integrative review: nurses' roles and experiences in keeping children safe , Journal of Advanced Nursing , 73 , 2 , (302-322) , (2016) . Wiley Online Library
• Emma Barrett, Suzanne Denieffe, Michael Bergin and Martina Gooney , An exploration of paediatric nurses’ views of caring for infants who have suffered nonaccidental injury , Journal of Clinical Nursing , 26 , 15-16 , (2274-2285) , (2017) . Wiley Online Library
• Louise Everitt, Caroline Homer and Jennifer Fenwick , Working with Vulnerable Pregnant Women Who Are At Risk of Having their Babies Removed by the Child Protection Agency in New South Wales, Australia , Child Abuse Review , 26 , 5 , (351-363) , (2016) . Wiley Online Library
• Stephanie Zielinski, Heather A. Paradis, Pamela Herendeen and Paula Barbel , The Identification of Psychosocial Risk Factors Associated With Child Neglect Using the WE-CARE Screening Tool in a High-Risk Population , Journal of Pediatric Health Care , 31 , 4 , (470) , (2017) . Crossref
• Rick Hood, Jayne Price, Daniele Sartori, Daryl Maisey, Jessica Johnson and Zoe Clark , Collaborating across the threshold: The development of interprofessional expertise in child safeguarding , Journal of Interprofessional Care , 31 , 6 , (705) , (2017) . Crossref
• Tara Flemington, Cathrine Fowler, Quang Nhat Tran and Jennifer Fraser , Clinician Response to Child Abuse Presentations in the Vietnamese Hospital Emergency Setting , Journal of Interpersonal Violence , (088626051771322) , (2017) . Crossref
• Simeon J.A. Visscher and Henk F. van Stel , Variation in prevention of child maltreatment by Dutch child healthcare professionals , Child Abuse & Neglect , 70 , (264) , (2017) . Crossref
• Tara Flemington and Jennifer Fraser , Building workforce capacity to detect and respond to child abuse and neglect cases: A training intervention for staff working in emergency settings in Vietnam , International Emergency Nursing , 34 , (29) , (2017) . Crossref
• Annerley Bates , The Impact of Limited Organisational and Community Resources on Novice Child Protection Workers: A Queensland Example , Child Abuse Review , 24 , 6 , (452-462) , (2013) . Wiley Online Library
• Shanti Raman, Michelle Maiese, Katrina Hurley and David Greenfield , Addressing the Clinical Burden of Child Physical Abuse and Neglect in a Large Metropolitan Region: Improving the Evidence-Base , Social Sciences , 3 , 4 , (771) , (2014) . Crossref
• Peter Sidebotham , Culpability, Vulnerability, Agency and Potential: Exploring our Attitudes to Victims and Perpetrators of Abuse , Child Abuse Review , 22 , 3 , (151-154) , (2013) . Wiley Online Library
• , Perspectives of Neglect , Child Abuse Review , 21 , 2 , (77-80) , (2012) . Wiley Online Library

Volume 21 , Issue 2 March/April 2012

Pages 114-130     

Representations of Attachment Patterns in the Family Drawings of Maltreated and Non‐maltreated Children

The study was conducted to investigate and compare the attachment styles of maltreated and non‐maltreated children through the use of the family drawing technique. The sample consisted of ten maltreated and ten non‐maltreated children between the ages of five and 11. The findings revealed that the maltreated children depicted significantly more items in their drawings linked to an insecure attachment pattern than non‐maltreated children, while the non‐maltreated children made use of significantly more drawing features linked to a secure attachment pattern. These results corresponded to scores on the Child Behaviour Checklist (Achenbach, 1991). All maltreated children scored in the clinical range. The family drawings of maltreated children significantly evidenced a greater distress ? represented by an insecure attachment pattern – than the drawings of non‐maltreated children represented by a secure attachment style. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

‘The family drawings of maltreated children significantly evidenced a greater distress’

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• Peter D. Rehder, W. Roger Mills-Koonce, Nicholas J. Wagner, Bharathi J. Zvara, Michael T. Willoughby, Attachment quality assessed from children’s family drawings links to child conduct problems and callous-unemotional behaviors, Attachment & Human Development, 10.1080/14616734.2020.1714676, (1-18), (2020). Crossref
• Esther Burkitt, Dawn Watling, Hannah Message, Expressivity in children's drawings of themselves for adult audiences with varied authority and familiarity, British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 10.1111/bjdp.12278, 37 , 3, (354-368), (2019). Wiley Online Library
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• Bharathi J. Zvara, Roger Mills-Koonce, Lynne Vernon Feagans, Martha Cox, Clancy Blair, Peg Burchinal, Linda Burton, Keith Crnic, Ann Crouter, Patricia Garrett-Peters, Mark Greenberg, Stephanie Lanza, Emily Werner, Michael Willoughby, Intimate Partner Violence, Parenting, and Children’s Representations of Caregivers, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 10.1177/0886260519888527, (088626051988852), (2019). Crossref
• Zahra Maghami Sharif, Nasrin Yadegari, Hadi Bahrami, Tahere Khorsandi, Representation of children attachment styles in corman’s instruction of family drawing, The Arts in Psychotherapy, 10.1016/j.aip.2017.10.004, 57 , (34-42), (2018). Crossref
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• Rebecca Carr-Hopkins, Calem De Burca, Felicity A Aldridge, Assessing attachment in school-aged children: Do the School-Age Assessment of Attachment and Family Drawings work together as complementary tools?, Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 10.1177/1359104517714589, 22 , 3, (402-420), (2017). Crossref
• Emiko Katsurada, Mitsue Tanimukai, Junko Akazawa, A study of associations among attachment patterns, maltreatment, and behavior problem in institutionalized children in Japan, Child Abuse & Neglect, 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.06.018, 70 , (274-282), (2017). Crossref
• Sherwood Burns-Nader, Examining children’s healthcare experiences through drawings, Early Child Development and Care, 10.1080/03004430.2016.1192616, 187 , 11, (1809-1818), (2016). Crossref
• Eleonora Cannoni, Anna Silvia Bombi, Friendship and Romantic Relationships During Early and Middle Childhood, SAGE Open, 10.1177/2158244016659904, 6 , 3, (215824401665990), (2016). Crossref
• Heinz Kindler, Erhebungsmethoden mit Kindern bzw. Jugendlichen zu sexueller Gewalt, Forschungsmanual Gewalt, 10.1007/978-3-658-06294-1, (191-216), (2016). Crossref
• Udo Weber, Klinische Diagnostik Diagnostik klinische bei sexuellem Kindesmissbrauch, Sexueller Missbrauch von Kindern und Jugendlichen, 10.1007/978-3-662-44244-9, (173-177), (2015). Crossref
• Karyn B. Purvis, L. Brooks McKenzie, Erin Becker Razuri, David R. Cross, Karen Buckwalter, A Trust-Based Intervention for Complex Developmental Trauma: A Case Study from a Residential Treatment Center, Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 10.1007/s10560-014-0328-6, 31 , 4, (355-368), (2014). Crossref
• B.J. Zvara, W.R. Mills-Koonce, P. Garrett-Peters, N.J. Wagner, L. Vernon-Feagans, M. Cox, The mediating role of parenting in the associations between household chaos and children’s representations of family dysfunction, Attachment & Human Development, 10.1080/14616734.2014.966124, 16 , 6, (633-655), (2014). Crossref
• Jane V. Appleton, Peter Sidebotham, Child Protection and Mental Health, Child Abuse Review, 10.1002/car.2220, 21 , 3, (153-156), (2012). Wiley Online Library

Volume 21 , Issue 3 May/June 2012

Pages 203-218     

Investing to Protect Our Children: Using Economics to Derive an Evidence‐based Strategy

Child abuse and neglect are global problems that affect over 25 per cent of children and have serious health, social and economic consequences. Government and other agencies are heavily committed to the provision of services to address the consequences of abuse and neglect. In a climate of scarce resources, there is increasing interest in developing cost‐effective strategies to prevent child maltreatment. Economic evaluation in the context of formal ‘priority setting’ can contribute to the development of an efficient child protection strategy and at the same time develop the arguments to support an increased investment in the prevention of child maltreatment. Key challenges arise from incompleteness of the evidence base of effective interventions and the considerable complexity of the cross‐portfolio effects. The latter has resulted in the widespread failure to capture the full range of impacts, most notably intergenerational effects, quality of life and mortality. This means the benefits of investing in effective preventive strategies to address child maltreatment will be underestimated and too few resources allocated to this important task. Adoption of the proposed priority‐setting framework and translation into action are likely to reduce child maltreatment and associated harms for children at risk now and in the future. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Citing Literature

Number of times cited: 7

• Inga Wagenknecht, Uta Meier-Gräwe and Ute Ziegenhain , Kosten und Nutzen Früher Hilfen - aktuelle Erkenntnisse und zukünftiger Forschungsbedarf/ Economic efficiency of early intervention – current findings and future need for research , Kindesmisshandlung und -vernachlässigung , 18 , 1 , (10) , (2015) . Crossref
• Nicole RS Boyer, Kathleen A Boyd, Fiona Turner-Halliday, Nicholas Watson and Helen Minnis , Examining the feasibility of an economic analysis of dyadic developmental psychotherapy for children with maltreatment associated psychiatric problems in the United Kingdom , BMC Psychiatry , 14 , 1 , (2014) . Crossref
• Madeleine Stevens, Lucy Harris, Megan Ellis, Crispin Day and Jennifer Beecham , Investigating changes in use of services by high‐need families following the Helping Families Programme, an innovative parenting intervention for children with severe and persistent conduct problems , Child and Adolescent Mental Health , 19 , 3 , (185-191) , (2013) . Wiley Online Library
• Madeleine Stevens , The cost-effectiveness of UK parenting programmes for preventing children's behaviour problems - a review of the evidence , Child & Family Social Work , 19 , 1 , (109) , (2014) . Crossref
• Sarah Skeen and Mark Tomlinson , A public health approach to preventing child abuse in low- and middle-income countries: A call for action , International Journal of Psychology , 48 , 2 , (108) , (2013) . Crossref
• Peter Sidebotham , Safeguarding in an Age of Austerity , Child Abuse Review , 21 , 5 , (313-317) , (2012) . Wiley Online Library
• , Public Health Approaches to Safeguarding Children , Child Abuse Review , 20 , 4 , (231-237) , (2011) . Wiley Online Library

Volume 20 , Issue 4 July/August 2011

Pages 274-289     

Developing key capabilities in child care and protection

Over the last 20 years, research has questioned how well equipped newly qualified social workers are in relation to child care and protection. Recent inquiries have highlighted that some social workers have not recognised their responsibilities towards children and young people when they encounter them in the course of their duties. In England, Lord Laming's (2009) report The Protection of Children in England, following the death of Peter Connelly in Haringey, recommended a specialist child protection route as part of the social work degree and re‐opened the debate about the benefits of specialism versus genericism. In Scotland, when faced with similar challenges, Key Capabilities in Child Care and Protection were introduced to ensure that all social workers at the point of qualifying can evidence their knowledge and skills in relation to child care and protection. This paper describes their development. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

‘Introduced to ensure that all social workers at the point of qualifying can evidence their knowledge and skills’

Citing Literature

Number of times cited according to CrossRef: 2

• Margaret Bruce, The Voice of the Child in Child Protection: Whose Voice?, Social Sciences, 10.3390/socsci3030514, 3 , 3, (514-526), (2014). Crossref
• Jane V. Appleton, Peter Sidebotham, Child Protection and Mental Health, Child Abuse Review, 10.1002/car.2220, 21 , 3, (153-156), (2012). Wiley Online Library

Volume 21 , Issue 3 May/June 2012

Pages 190-202     

The UNCRC and Social Workers' Relationships with Young Children

In the UK, The Munro Review of Child Protection (2010, 2011a, 2011b) has recently highlighted that among the failings in safeguarding children known to social services is the lack of meaningful relationships between social workers and children. In her final report, Munro (2011b) has made recommendations for a more child‐centred system anchored on two themes – the child's journey and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This article illustrates by way of practical examples how the UNCRC, together with the detailed advice and guidance contained in the UNCRC general comments numbers 5, 7 and 12, provides the best framework for developing effective social work relationships with, and safeguarding, young children. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Citing Literature

Number of times cited according to CrossRef: 14

• Robert B Porter, Recording of Children and Young People’s Views in Contact Decision-Making, The British Journal of Social Work, 10.1093/bjsw/bcz115, 50 , 6, (1796-1815), (2019). Crossref
• Ercüment Erbay, Ertu?rul Hatipo?lu, Sosyal Hizmet Uzmanlar?n?n Gerçekle?tirdikleri Mesleki Uygulamalarda ve Ald?klar? Kararlarda Çocuklar?n Kat?l?m Hakk?n? Dikkate Alma Durumlar?, OPUS Uluslararas? Toplum Ara?t?rmalar? Dergisi, 10.26466/opus.538109, (2019). Crossref
• Cheryl McCormack, Marie Gibbons, Caroline McGregor, An Ecological Framework for Understanding and Improving Decision Making in Child Protection and Welfare Intake (Duty) Practices in the Republic of Ireland, Child Care in Practice, 10.1080/13575279.2019.1685464, (1-17), (2019). Crossref
• Paul McCafferty, Implementing Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in Child Protection Decision-Making: a Critical Analysis of the Challenges and Opportunities for Social Work, Child Care in Practice, 10.1080/13575279.2016.1264368, 23 , 4, (327-341), (2017). Crossref
• Joe Duffy, Mary Collins, Sook Hyun Kim, Linking family engagement with a rights perspective: macro factors influencing practice, European Journal of Social Work, 10.1080/13691457.2016.1255925, 21 , 1, (45-60), (2016). Crossref
• Jo Dillon, Daz Greenop, Mel Hills, Participation in child protection: A small-scale qualitative study, Qualitative Social Work: Research and Practice, 10.1177/1473325015578946, 15 , 1, (70-85), (2015). Crossref
• Michele Cascardi, Cathy Brown, Svetlana Shpiegel, Ariel Alvarez, Where Have We Been and Where Are We Going? A Conceptual Framework for Child Advocacy, SAGE Open, 10.1177/2158244015576763, 5 , 1, (215824401557676), (2015). Crossref
• Karmen Toros, Michael C. LaSala, Marju Medar, Assessment of Children in Need in a Post-Soviet Context: Reflections of Child Protective Workers in Estonia, Journal of Family Social Work, 10.1080/10522158.2015.1065458, 18 , 4, (267-287), (2015). Crossref
• G.G. van Bijleveld, C.W.M. Dedding, J.F.G. Bunders-Aelen, Seeing eye to eye or not? Young people's and child protection workers' perspectives on children's participation within the Dutch child protection and welfare services, Children and Youth Services Review, 10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.09.018, 47 , (253-259), (2014). Crossref
• Julie Ridley, Cath Larkins, Nicola Farrelly, Shereen Hussein, Helen Austerberry, Jill Manthorpe, Nicky Stanley, Investing in the relationship: practitioners’ relationships with looked‐after children and care leavers in Social Work Practices, Child & Family Social Work, 10.1111/cfs.12109, 21 , 1, (55-64), (2013). Wiley Online Library
• Sara Johnsdotter, European Somali Children Dumped? On families, parents, and children in a transnational context, European Journal of Social Work, 10.1080/13691457.2013.844682, 18 , 1, (81-96), (2013). Crossref
• C. Larkins, J. Ridley, N. Farrelly, H. Austerberry, A. Bilson, S. Hussein, J. Manthorpe, N. Stanley, Children's, Young People's and Parents' Perspectives on Contact: Findings from the Evaluation of Social Work Practices, British Journal of Social Work, 10.1093/bjsw/bct135, 45 , 1, (296-312), (2013). Crossref
• Karmen Toros, Anne Tiko, Koidu Saia, Child-centered approach in the context of the assessment of children in need: Reflections of child protection workers in Estonia, Children and Youth Services Review, 10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.03.011, 35 , 6, (1015-1022), (2013). Crossref
• Jane V. Appleton, Peter Sidebotham, Making an Impact for Children, Child Abuse Review, 10.1002/car.1208, 20 , 6, (391-394), (2011). Wiley Online Library

Volume 20 , Issue 6 November/December 2011

Pages 395-406     

Infant Trafficking and Baby Factories: A New Tale of Child Abuse in Nigeria

Baby factories are new systematic abuse structures that are promoting infant trafficking, neo‐slavery and the exploitation of young women with unwanted pregnancies in Nigeria. Since this practice was first described in 2006, it has been growing rather than abating. This paper reviews the scientific literature, along with media reports, and critiques this phenomenon from a children's rights' perspective. Children born into baby factories are denied various civil rights. They also suffer abuse in the baby factories and as a consequence of being born in such places. This abuse can be classified into immediate and long term. Immediate abuse includes inadequate care and its repercussions, denial of birth registration, illegal adoption and murder. Long‐term or delayed abuse that they may be exposed to includes health‐related consequences, neglect, death, child labour, prostitution and other sexual abuse, organ trafficking and recruitment as child soldiers. Various factors are thought to drive the baby factory phenomenon which include poverty, high infertility rates and the profitability of local and inter‐country adoptions. Programmes directed at addressing the root cause of the problem are needed in order to eliminate infant trafficking. Also, clear laws that delineate inter‐country adoption and infant trafficking need to be enacted. Most importantly, baby factories need to be recognised as child trafficking routes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

‘New systematic abuse structures that are promoting infant trafficking, neo‐slavery and the exploitation of young women’

Key Practitioner Messages:

• A new type of child abuse and human trafficking that targets infants has emerged in Nigeria in what are described as ‘baby factories’.
• Baby factories are criminal entities that exploit young girls with unwanted pregnancies and the practice is growing.
• Children born in baby factories suffer a range of immediate abuses and are exposed to long-term abuses.
• Baby factories violate several articles in the Convention on the Rights of a Child.

‘Criminal entities that exploit young girls with unwanted pregnancies’

Citing Literature

Number of times cited: 5

• Olga B. A. van den Akker , Cross-Border Surrogacy , Surrogate Motherhood Families , 10.1007/978-3-319-60453-4_8 , (199-230) , (2017) . Crossref
• Olusesan Ayodeji Makinde, Clifford Obby Odimegwu and Stella O. Babalola , Reasons for Infertile Couples Not to Patronize Baby Factories , Health & Social Work , 42 , 1 , (57) , (2017) . Crossref
• Peter Sidebotham , Kneeling on Mung Beans , Child Abuse Review , 25 , 6 , (405-409) , (2017) . Wiley Online Library
• Olusesan Ayodeji Makinde, Olufunmbi Olukemi Makinde, Olalekan Olaleye, Brandon Brown and Clifford O. Odimegwu , Baby factories taint surrogacy in Nigeria , Reproductive BioMedicine Online , 32 , 1 , (6) , (2016) . Crossref
• Olusesan Makinde, Bolanle Olapeju, Osondu Ogbuoji and Stella Babalola , Trends in the completeness of birth registration in Nigeria: 2002-2010 , Demographic Research , 35 , (315) , (2016) . Crossref

Volume 25 , Issue 6 November/December 2016

Pages 433-443     

Involuntary Mental Health Treatment: The Mental Health Consumer as Expert

Involuntary treatment in mental health has existed since society first began trying to tackle the issue of mental illness (Dennis & Monahan, 1996 Dennis, D. L. and Monahan, J. 1996. Coercion and aggressive community treatment: A new frontier in mental health law, New York, NY: Plenum Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]). Despite controversy on both sides of the issue, involuntary treatment continues to be used in current mental health service delivery. Practitioners and policy makers have engaged in lively debates about the merits of involuntary treatment, but few studies have engaged affected consumers in this discussion. This article reports on a small qualitative study in North Carolina that attempted to collect the stories of mental health consumers who had been involuntarily hospitalized due to symptoms of mental illness at some point in their lives. Study participants were also asked to critique the elements of the contemporary involuntary treatment and offer their ideas about improving it.     

The Family Experience of the Crisis of Involuntary Treatment in Mental Health

While policy and practice standards emphasise the importance of engaging and supporting families of people with mental health problems, many families have reported feeling unsupported and distanced from treatment and care planning in acute inpatient units. There has been little systematic interest in the changing role and experiences of families throughout the emergence of illness, crisis, seeking of treatment, and subsequent recovery. Nineteen in-depth interviews were conducted with the next of kin of 17 people who had been admitted under an Involuntary Treatment Order in a large metropolitan hospital in the Brisbane region. A general inductive approach was used to analyse the data. While hospital admission was described as a time where, ideally, families were able to let go of being responsible for their relative's behaviour and let the health care professionals take over, for many this did not occur. We suggest four critical elements for providing recovery-oriented support to families. These include: (a) ensuring that families feel that their relative is safe and receiving the care needed; (b) keeping the family informed about their relative's progress; (c) ensuring families have access to information about the mental health system, and (d) working in partnership with the families.

IMPLICATIONS

• Family wellbeing is improved when they feel part of a supportive team.

• Instituting an open policy where families can contact ward staff easily and access information about the person they care for may alleviate families’ anxieties and minimise stress.

• Family work is enhanced when health professionals acknowledge families’ relationships, expertise, and understanding of their family member.

     

A DSM-5-Based Online Mental Health Referral Inventory: A Large-Scale Validation Study

In 2007, a comprehensive mental health referral inventory based on the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) was posted online as an alternative to the informal tests the public now uses to self-diagnose mental health problems. A validation study was published in 2011 (Epstein &; Muzzatti, 2011 Epstein, R., &; Muzzatti, L. (2011). Preliminary validation of an online DSM-based mental health referral inventory. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 29, 284–295. doi:10.1080/15228835.2011.638421[Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). In 2013, a revision of that inventory that was consistent with the DSM-5 was posted. The present study evaluates the new inventory with a diverse sample of 201,625 people from 184 countries (mainly the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom). The 63-item inventory screens for 21 common problems and typically takes about 5?min to complete. Test scores proved to be good predictors of a variety of self-reported criterion measures, including happiness, personal and professional success, history of hospitalization, history of therapy, current participation in therapy, and employment. Females were found to have slightly more mental health problems than males, and effects were also found for education and race/ethnicity. The revised test is more accessible than the original, reducing the reading level from grade 10.2 to 6.6. It is not designed to diagnose; rather, its primary purpose is to refer people to mental health professionals for further evaluation. It can also be used in clinical settings for quick screening purposes.     

Minimising Coerciveness in Coercion: A Case Study of Social Work Powers under the Victorian Mental Health Act

The balance between care and control in mental health social work is one of constant tension. In the State of Victoria, Australia, the Mental Health Act 2014 gives coercive powers to social workers employed by public mental health services. These include the power to decide if a person needs to be assessed by a psychiatrist, to “take” a person using bodily restraint, to enter premises, and to search and seize a person’s belongings. This paper applies a doctrinal analysis to examine the law, then argues that the use of these powers by social workers, where safe, may be less restrictive than when they are used by police or paramedics. The exercise of these powers may be less traumatic and stigmatising to the people who are subject to them, and social workers may be both legally and ethically obligated to use coercion when appropriate.

IMPLICATIONS

• More social work literature on the coercive powers under mental health legislation is needed as well as more guidance on using these powers for social workers in practice.

• In some circumstances, these coercive powers may be better exercised by social workers than by other professionals.

• Social workers should carefully consider their legal and ethical obligations to use these powers in some circumstances.

     

Medicare Funded Mental Health Social Work: Better Access to What?

ABSTRACT

Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and General Practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Scheme initiative (Better Access), is an Australian Federal Government scheme aiming to improve access to mental health services. Accredited mental health social workers have been involved in the delivery of services under Better Access for more than a decade. In this time, there have been significant changes in the field of mental health services, with consequent increases in size and costs for Better Access. Better Access now represents public spending of more than one billion dollars per annum, yet there is no ongoing account of its impact. In this paper we consider the policy chronology and evaluation of the program, using current available data to question the impact of Better Access on both the service system and the nature of mental health social work practice. This case highlights the importance of a clear articulation of the scope of mental health social work, and ongoing monitoring of the impact of policy in a policy environment increasingly characterised by individualised funding and service delivery structured according to the principles of New Public Management.

IMPLICATIONS

• Social workers' increasing involvement with Better Access has reshaped the scope of mental health social work practice.

• The impact of Better Access on outcomes for service users and mental health social work is not currently a focus of research attention.

• Better Access is a case study illustrating the potential of the policy context to directly shape social work practice, therefore critical engagement with the impact of Better Access is an essential professional imperative.

     

Independent Mental Health Advocacy: A Model of Social Work Advocacy?

ABSTRACT

Advocacy has received less attention in social work research than other aspects of social work practice. This paper draws attention to two tensions in social work advocacy; between worker-led advocacy and person-led advocacy, and between individual advocacy and system level advocacy. We argue that human-rights-based social workers must choose a person-led approach over a worker-led approach while advocating with both systems and individuals. This argument is made by drawing on findings of an evaluation of Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) in Victoria, Australia. It is shown that social work training had not prepared social workers for rights-based, person-led advocacy and that social workers in public mental health services were struggling to maintain the rights of people in their services even with assistance from IMHA.

IMPLICATIONS

• Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) is a model of advocacy influenced by social work theory and delivered in part by social-work-trained advocates.

• Social work training is not preparing social workers for person-led, human-rights-based advocacy.

• Public mental health social workers are struggling to maintain the rights of people in mental health services even with the support of external advocacy services.