Current Issues in Child Protection: An Overview of the Debates in Contemporary Journals

Correspondence to Celia Doyle, School of Behavioural Studies, Nene College, Northampton NN2 7AL Summary This article provides an overview of the current debate andconcerns in child protection work as reflected in current, mainlyBritish, academic and professional journals. Some of the concernswhich have been expressed during the past twenty years are stillpart of contemporary discourse. These include the divide betweenphysical punishment and abuse, child fatalities, assessment,procedures, intervention and prevention. Some more recent themeshave also emerged, in particular ritual abuse, the links betweendomestic violence and child maltreatment, children as witnessesand the plight of children with disabilities and young corers.Perhaps the most prominent feature is the overwhelming pre-eminenceof articles about child sexual abuse. Physical neglect remainson the sidelines while emotional abuse, as the main or soleform, merits barely a mention.     

Sexual abuse: giving help to the children: A practical guide for concerned proiessionals

SUMMARY. This paper has been written for those professional workers who may have to deal with situations involving child sexual abuse, while having only limited knowledge and training. There are two sections. The first examines some of the key issues needed to increase understanding, and includes a preliminary discussion on the emotional impact of sexual abuse on Professional workers. Following a clarification of definitions, family aspects and incidence, this section focuses first on the child victims and then on the perpetrator. Finally, there is an examination of the consequences of child sexual abuse. The second section gives guidance on how a professional worker might respond if confronted with a case—from recognising the signs to facilitating disclosure. Suggestions are made about supporting the child during the investigation and heaving the child afterwards.     

BILATERAL OLIGOPOLY IN POLLUTION PERMIT MARKETS: EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE

We experimentally investigate behavior in a bilateral oligopoly using a supply function equilibria model discussed by Klemperer and Meyer (1989), Hendricks and McAfee (2010), and Malueg and Yates (2009). We focus on the role that market size and the degree of firm heterogeneity have on the market equilibrium. Our results indicate that subjects within the experiment recognize the strategic incentives in a bilateral oligopoly, but they do not exploit these incentives to the exact magnitude predicted by theory. We find weaker support for predicted market outcomes, as market efficiency does not depend on market size, and in some cases buyers or sellers are more successful at extracting the rents from the market. (JEL L13, Q5, C9)     

EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CHILD SAFETY SEATS AND SEAT BELTS IN PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM INJURY

Young children are required to use child safety seats, and the age threshold at which children can legally graduate to seat belts has steadily increased. This article tests the relative effectiveness of child safety seats, lap‐and‐shoulder seat belts, and lap belts in preventing injuries among motor vehicle passengers aged 2–6 yr. We analyze three large, representative samples of crashes reported to police, as well as linked hospital data. We find no apparent difference in the two most serious injury categories for children in child safety seats versus lap‐and‐shoulder belts. Child safety seats provide a statistically significant 25% reduction in the least serious injury category. Lap belts are somewhat less effective than the two other types of restraints but far superior to riding unrestrained. (JEL I18)