美国儿童保护制度的历史演进

回顾美国儿童保护制度的历史轨迹,不难发现,它最早可以追溯到17世纪初的殖民时期,至今已有四百多年的历史。美国的儿童保护制度大致经历了萌芽时期、形成时期、过渡时期和现代化时期四个历史阶段。从最初零星的保护到民间组织发挥主导作用,从儿童保护的低潮到政府发挥主导作用,美国儿童保护制度历史演进中蕴含着丰富的社会、经济和文化内涵。     

完善儿童虐待防治法律问题研究

近年来,我国虐童事件层出不穷,但由于我国儿童虐待防治法律制度存在立法体系不完善、配套制度不健全等问题,无法对虐童行为进行有效防治。国外发达国家和地区在儿童虐待防治方面有很多先进经验可供借鉴,如完善的法律体系、对儿童虐待的明确界定、强制报告制度、调查和处理制度等。结合我国现实情况,可以对我国相关法律制度进行完善,从而有效防治儿童虐待,包括完善相关立法,建立强制报告制度,完善儿童收养与寄养制度,设立受虐儿童调查和处理制度,建立受虐儿童国家监护制度等。     

西方儿童虐待成因的发展生态模型理论研究述评

发展生态模型是西方儿童虐待成因研究的重要理论框架,但国内对此缺少系统性介绍。该理论认为,儿童虐待产生自互动个体与嵌套生态系统层面间的交互影响,它主要以生态系统理论为理论基础,并以“生态整合模型”和“生态交互模型”为代表性理论模型。该理论具有重要的方法论意义,它可促使研究者突破单因素变量研究的窠臼,并转向多因素共构视角去理解儿童虐待成因;同时,也为儿童虐待治理实践提供了多因素和多层次的系统干预视角。该理论的出现丰富了儿童虐待研究者的理论想象力,可为我国家庭、学校等场域的儿童虐待和儿童保护研究和干预提供启示。     

我国先行调解制度的构建——以强制调解为切入点

新《民事诉讼法》专章规定了民事调解制度,而且专条规定了现行调解制度,在有效地与《人民调解法》相衔接的同时,也标志着我国在立法衔接方面迈出了重要的一步.然而这种原则性的规定相对来说比较抽象、概括,不具备实践可操作性.文章界定了先行调解制度的内涵、指明该制度的立法缺陷,并基于此提出了我国现行调解制度的完善构想.     

“儿童之家”建设的执行差距成因探究——基于制度分析的视角

“儿童之家”建设作为新时代中国儿童福利制度的一项创新实践,发展已有十余年历史。评估数据显示,儿童之家建设的数量和效果与政策目标存有较大差距。本文从制度分析视角出发,以“制度环境”与“执行结构”为关键解释变量,考察了相关政策的执行过程,揭示了儿童之家建设执行差距的主要原因：制度环境方面的问题主要体现为行政性政策的模糊性和执行性政策的缺位;执行结构方面的问题主要包括执行主体单一化、执行方式线性化、执行人员缺乏意义共识,以及执行资源脱嵌于儿童福利制度环境等。针对这些结构性问题,本文从转变福利理念、完善福利政策体系、优化政策执行结构等方面提出了推动儿童之家建设与儿童福利制度整体发展的相关建议。     

优化儿童成长环境是社会的重要责任——“儿童成长环境与社会责任”理论研讨会综述

儿童健康成长是中国社会的重要责任,当前,儿童成长环境中还存在一些不利于儿童成长的客观因素,比如家庭过度教育问题、教育机制导向问题、儿童安全问题、青少年犯罪及立法问题等。因此,必须加强儿童工作的力度,切实落实相关政策,为儿童的健康成长提供有利的保护。习近平总书记在2013年“六·一”前夕以一个大朋友身份来到北京市少年宫,向全国儿童祝贺节日的同时,勉励儿童既要学习书本知识,又要多学课外知识;既要勤于思考,又要培养创造精神。以此为契机,上海社会科学院青少年研究所举办了“儿童成长环境与社会责任”研讨会．就以上问题展开热烈讨论,并提出具体策略以供相关部门参考。     

我国共有产权住房制度的优化策略——基于八个城市的政策文本分析

共有产权住房制度是健全多主体供给、多渠道保障、租购并举的重要的住房制度安排,这一政策的推出不仅有利于深化住房供给侧结构性改革,还有助于完善住房保障体系和规范共有产权住房的建设与运营管理.在制定共有产权住房法律政策时,首先需要明确立法的目的,以指导具体实施细则的制定,这是共有产权住房法律政策设立的起点和归宿.同时,制订共有产权住房法律政策时,也需要参考具体实施细则的可操作性.因此,立法目的与各实施细则之间是相辅相成的关系.     

明星虚假广告责任制度的完善对策研究

现阶段很多商家为了让商品得到更好的宣传都开始请明星来代言,但是在利益的诱惑下很多明星根本不管商品质量的好坏,而做了虚假广告代言。相关法律文件也明确表明这属于违法行为,并且国家近几年也逐渐开始对类似虚假广告进行管理。完善国内广告行业所出现的虚假广告难题已成为政府部门关心的热点,而本文也将围绕明星虚假广告代言问题进行探讨并对此提出了几点对策,希望能够对广告行业完善的管理体系建立提供一些帮助。     

Public Opinion on Mandatory Reporting of Abuse and/or Neglect of Older Adults in Manitoba,Canada

This article discusses the results of a survey administered as part of a study titled, “Legislation and Service Provision Regarding Abuse and/or Neglect of Older Adults in Manitoba.” Public views of mandatory reporting and knowledge of legislation were investigated in the case where an older adult is living at risk of abuse and/or neglect in Manitoba, Canada. The survey data demonstrate that older respondents stated that mandatory reporting was not always preferable, except when an older adult was clearly diagnosed as incompetent and, even with no evidence, thought to be at risk. With less awareness of the topic in general, and with less contact with older adults, younger adults had much stronger views in support of mandatory reporting in all cases. Little knowledge and awareness of legislation existed in all age groups, although older adults knew more about such abuse and/or neglect than younger adults. Given the projected increase of older adults in Canada in the next 20 years, it is critical that the prevention of abuse and/or neglect and protection of older adults be addressed.     

Reporting Child Sexual Abuse within Religious Settings: Challenges and Future Directions

The sexual abuse of children within religious settings is an issue that has gained increased popular and professional attention over the past two decades. Various reports have highlighted the scale of such abuse, along with shortcomings in reporting practices. In this article, we outline some contemporary research that sought to understand the psychology that underpins variable reporting practices. In line with this research, we set out two conceptual frameworks that have some potential to help to explain such practices: system justification theory and moral foundations theory. Further, we describe how these frameworks could be adopted in research moving forward in order to make sense of the ways in which members of religious groups respond to allegations of child sexual abuse within their institutions. We close the article by arguing that by gaining a deeper understanding of the psychology underlying reporting practices, it may be possible to communicate more effectively about child sexual abuse within religious institutions, and therefore encourage more widespread reporting of allegations before more children are harmed.

‘We outline some contemporary research that sought to understand the psychology that underpins variable reporting practices’

Key Practitioner Messages

• Those most likely to observe or suspect child abuse in religious settings are themselves likely to participate in such settings.
• The challenge for these ‘onlookers’ is to overcome the psychological dynamics that push against the recognition and reporting of child abuse in religious settings.
• These dynamics can be understood via established psychological theories and frameworks.
• Practitioners concerned with improving reporting practice in these contexts can draw on this work to inform training and intervention strategies.

     

Gender Differences in Psychosocial Predictors of Attitudes Toward Reporting Child Sexual Abuse in the United Kingdom

There is a dearth of research investigating psychosocial correlates of attitudes toward reporting child sexual abuse in males and females and a lack of such studies drawing on participants from the United Kingdom. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to examine gender differences in social and psychological predictors of attitudes toward reporting child sexual abuse. Participants drawn from the United Kingdom general population were recruited via an opportunistic sampling method. Cross-sectional design using a self-report questionnaire was utilized. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that social support, masculinity, and age form significant associations with attitudes toward reporting child sexual abuse in females (total variance explained by the model was 25%). In the male sample, the only significant predictor of attitudes toward reporting child sexual abuse was interpersonal manipulation (total variance explained by the model was 9%). This study provides an important insight into psychosocial barriers and facilitators to reporting child sexual abuse. Such knowledge is crucial for the early detection and prevention of abuse.     

Mandatory Reporting and Child Exposure to Domestic Violence: Issues Regarding the Therapeutic Alliance with Couples

Some child welfare legislation have recently expanded the definition of ‘a child in need of protection’ to include child exposure to intimate partner violence. Such legislation places clinicians in the challenging position of determining whether a situation falls under their duty to report. The current paper examines a case example in which there was child exposed to intimate partner violence, the clinician made a report to child welfare authorities and attempted to maintain the therapeutic alliance with the couple in treatment. The couple viewed contacting child welfare authorities as a crisis situation both in their marriage and in their family. Practice principles for clinicians are suggested.     

Abuse of the Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome

No abstract available for this article.     

Child Sexual Abuse and the Black Disabled Child

This paper seeks to document a previously neglected area of study, namely the effects of sexual abuse on black disabled children. With a particular focus on black children with learning disabilities, it examines how the interlocking dimensions of race, gender and disability compound the problems that they are faced with in the aftermath of sexual abuse. This paper presents case studies drawn from data generated from a broader research project of sexual abuse and black families to illustrate the specific ways the negatively valued position of black disabled children shape responses to them. It is argued that the way in which black disabled children and their families interpret their experiences is likely to differ from other groups of disabled children, as multiple marginalised identities shape their lived realities. The paper concludes with some reflections on the implications for making risk assessment for black disabled children.     

Exploring the Influence of Reporting Delay on Criminal Justice Outcomes: Comparing Child and Adult Reporters of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Delay between disclosure and reporting child sexual abuse is common and has significant implications for the prosecution of such offenses. While we might expect the relationship to be a linear one with longer delay reducing the likelihood of prosecution, the present study confirms a more complex interaction. Utilizing data from 2,079 police records in Northern Ireland, the study investigated the impact of reporting delay on pretrial criminal justice outcomes for child and adult reporters of child sexual abuse. While teenagers were found to be the group most disadvantaged by reporting delay, increased delay actually appeared advantageous for some groups, notably adult females reporting offenses that occurred when they were 0 to 6 years old. Conversely, adult males reporting child sexual abuse did not appear to benefit from increased delay, suggesting both an adult and gender bias within decision-making processes. The implications for future research are discussed.     

Child Sexual Abuse in Zimbabwe

Although child sexual abuse is a significant public health problem globally, its incidence, prevention, and management is less well described in resource-poor settings. In poorer settings prevention initiatives assume even more importance since resources for managing abused children are severely limited. This article examines the current status of policy and practice related to the prevention of child sexual abuse in Zimbabwe. It identifies implementation challenges and highlights opportunities that could be embraced to reduce CSA in Zimbabwe, based on evidence synthesized from recent work. Although Zimbabwe has a well-established legal and regulatory framework to protect children from child sexual abuse, implementation of existing policies is weak. Financial, human, and material resource constraints are frequently cited to explain limited prevention activity. Effective strategies for the prevention of child sexual abuse should focus on implementing existing legislation, targeting schoolchildren, and getting community involvement. A dedicated budget would help entrench these strategies, but gains can be achieved even in the absence of this.     

Response to the Abuse of the Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome

No abstract available for this article.     

Child Abuse on the Internet: Ending the Silence

The Melbourne Health (MH) Social Work Residential Care Team (RCT) was established in 2002 as a new and innovative approach to aged care. The service employs three full-time social workers and an Allied Health assistant with previous experience in aged care. The RCT works across the MH continuum of care with inpatients recommended for residential care. The service is predominantly patient- and family-focused, but is also consultative to meet the education needs of MH staff and the community. This paper discusses the MH Social Work Residential Care model, reviews data collected since RCT implementation and the benefits shown for patients, their families and interdisciplinary staff. This paper discusses pressures and factors that impinge on the ability to discharge patients to residential care and explores recommendations for ongoing clinical practice as well as recommendations that the RCT has submitted to management for further consideration.