Search for an Indicator of Effective Child Protection in a Re-analysis of Child Homicide in the Major Western Countries 1973-1992: A Response to Lindsey and Trocme and Macdonald

Correspondence to Professor Cohn Pritchard, Department of Social Work Studies, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1 BJ England Summary An analysis of child homicides published in the British Journalof Social Work, demonstrated major falls in child deaths inEngland and Wales between 1973 and 1988. The results were seenas one indicator of improved child protection (Pritchard, 1992a).That study, and a reply to a critique by Creighton (1993), werechallenged by Lindsey and Trocmé (1994) and Macdonald(1995). This paper is a response, and takes advantage of thecriticisms and new data to present evidence which confirms thatthere have been reductions in child homicide in England andWales between 1973 and 1992 and that the Anglo-Welsh improvementswere the best of all the major Western countries.     

The Family Dynamics of School Phobics

Summary A casework based method of assessment was devised to examinethe family dynamics of school phobic children. There was significantdifferences found between the family interaction of male andfemale school phobic children. The relationships were dichotomizedalong gender lines, that were broadly oedipal in nature. Thesefindings and methodological problems were discussed     

Children's Homicide as an Indicator of Effective Child Protection: A Comparative Study of Western European Statistics

Correspondence to Colin Pritchard, Professor of Social Work Studies, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO9 5NH. Summary It is known that the extreme consequence of child abuse is adead child. Attempts to determine the success of services toprevent child abuse and subsequent deaths confront the problemsinherent in trying to prove a negative. The use of an epidemiologicalapproach resolves some of the methodological problems by measuring‘failure’ to protect in an examination of children'shomicides rates over time. Between 1973 and 1988 it was found that there was a substantialreduction in baby homicides in England and Wales, equivalentto a fall of 61 per cent and a 57 per cent reduction in Scotland.In a comparison with the other fifteen Western European countries,England and Wales topped the league of improvements in children'shomicide, and Scotland was fourth. Such improvements suggestadvances by the child protection services. Explanations forthe positive British results are considered.     

A Consumer Study of Young People's Views on their Educational Social Worker: Engagement as a Measure of an Effective Relationship

Correspondence to Colin Pritchard, Mental Health Group, University of Southampton, Royal South Hants Hospital, Brintons Terrace, Southampton, SO14 0YG, UK. Summary This, the first ever consumer study of education social workers(ESWs), uses qualitative material and quantitative analysisby examining the views of 110 users of a county ESW service.Most pupils belonged to families with long-standing disadvantage;e.g. 53 per cent had unemployed fathers; over 70 per cent hadparents with disturbed personal and social relationships, 39per cent had a single parent; 30 per cent plus had mental healthproblems; and 10 per cent of parents had been in care as children,i.e. more than ten times the national average. The young people also had considerable disruption in their lives:for example 78 per cent frequently missed school; over 50 percent had school and peer difficulties; 30 per cent offended;over 30 per cent experienced bullying; 5 per cent were the subjectof child protection enquiries, 10 per cent had previously beenin care and 2 per cent had had an incident of ‘attemptedsuicide’ (50 times the national rate). They averaged sixmajor difficulties each. Despite these antecedents, 91 per cent of the young people demonstratedan ‘engaged’ relationship with their social worktrained ESW, with many examples of practical psychosocial helpbeing received. The concept of ‘engaged’ was statisticallyvalidated in the comparison of views between the ‘engaged’and ‘non-engaged’ research participants. The resultsindicate the value and effectiveness of a supportive rapport/relationshipas a vehicle to reach and to be of practical assistance to disturbedand disturbing young people.     

Unemployment, Age, Gender and Regional Suicide in England and Wales 1974-90: A Harbinger of Increased Suicide for the 1990s?

Correspondence to Prof. Colin Pritchard, Department of Social Work Studies, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO9 SNH. Summary The Department of Health's Health of the Nation aims at a substantialreduction in suicide; this is a ‘vote of confidence’in the effectiveness of the community psychiatric and healthservices. However, it will be shown that a number of socioeconomicchanges have occurred which may lead to increased suicide; forexample British male suicide rose in the 1980s, significantlyassociated with unemployment. Though female suicide fell substantiallyover the period, across the regions suicide rates for both menand women were worse amongst the ‘work age’ bands,16–44 years, than the older groups. In respect to therelatively poorer rates amongst younger women, this may be linkedto unemployment and their unfulfilled job expectations. If thesuicide targets are not met, it is feared that the ‘failure’will laid at the door of the community and health services.     

Incidence of Drug and Solvent Abuse in 'Normal' Fourth and Fifth Year Comprehensive School Children--Some Socio-behavioural Characteristics

Summary A sample of 807 fourth and fifth formers completed a self-reportstudy that yielded levels of solvent and drug misuse. Nineteenper cent were involved with some type of misuse, 4% with solventabuse only, 4% with serious (hard) drug abuse and 15% drug abusemainly involving cannabis. Significant social characteristicsfound amongest the abusers were higher levels of father unemployement(28%), absent parent (32%) and belonging to a larger family.Abuse was significantly asociated with under-age drinking, vandalism,truancy, fighting and smoking. The majority of the sample (95%),however, considered abuse to be a serious matter.