Articles ON - Child Abuse

Keeping Parliament Informed : Children’s Rights

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:22:47 GMT

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Children held one meeting in June: Tuesday 5 June: UK Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child: With speakers Beverly Hughes MP (Minister of State for Children, and Carolyne Willow (National Co-ordinator, Children’s Rights Alliance for England) This meeting was an opportunity to discuss the UK Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)....

Social Tourism

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:01:28 GMT

Abstract: Social tourism, or the sponsored provision of holidays for excluded groups, is used in several countries of Western Europe as a way to achieve greater social inclusion. This feature discusses the potential value of social tourism for children and young people who are affected by social exclusion. It reviews the potential benefits of social tourism, in the form of family holidays and group holidays for children only, and assesses their cost. Rewarding the undeserving? For any professional working in social work in the 1980s, IT referred to Intermediate Treatment and had very little to...

Keeping Parliament Informed : Over to Ofsted

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:45:59 GMT

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Children held one meeting in May: Monday 14 May: Every Child Matters and Social Care How will the new Ofsted inspection arrangements help to better integrate social care services with other children’s services? With speakers Jean Humphrys (Deputy Director for Children, Ofsted), Caroline Abrahams (Children and Young People Programme Director, Local Government Association) and Roger Morgan (Children’s Rights Director, Ofsted). This meeting was an opportunity to discuss the new Ofsted inspection arrangements and how they relate to children’s social services. On 1 April 2007, the...

Building a positive future despite a childhood of hardships

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:35:51 GMT

DVD Review by Kathleen Lane Since I believe that we should be making greater efforts to exploit the possibilities of new technology at conferences and seminars, instead of the interminable use of power point I was delighted to be asked to review the DVD of the FICE Congress held in Sarajevo in September 2006. FICE is an international organisation with member countries from all over continental Europe, the UK, North America, South Africa and beyond. There is a Congress and General Assembly held every two years. Countries vie with each other for the honour of...

CCCF Reporting

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:31:57 GMT

On 24 April 2007, the Christian Child Care Forum held its Sixth Annual Forum. Baroness Valerie Howarth of Breckland welcomed people to the Forum. She spoke of children and childhood being on the political agenda in a wholly new way; not just as a reaction to scandals, and of the need for more strategic thinking about the sort of world we are seeking and creating for our children. She then highlighted the Christian Child Care Forum’s commitment to its vision of contemporary society, in which children and young people have a rightful place. Tim Jeffery...

Budapest in May

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:28:07 GMT

Every spring and autumn I get the feeling that it is about time to head for central Europe. It is a vague nostalgic feeling. Presumably migrating birds and animals also wake up one morning thinking, “It’s time to head south” or whatever, and there may be some very deep-seated echo in the human genes. In my case, there are associations of pleasant weather – not too hot and not too cold and definitely clement as far as rain, wind, fog and snow are concerned. There are expectations of pleasure – of meeting friends,...

Setting Standards for the World

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:22:38 GMT

How does one set standards for the world? The United Nations is preparing Draft Guidelines for the Promotion of Appropriate Parental Care, the Protection of Children Deprived of Such Care, and the Provision of Alternative Care. The basic aim which triggered this venture is certainly laudable – providing protection and high standards of care for children who cannot be looked after by their families. Equally, the emphasis in the guidelines on supporting families so that they can look after children is the right basis to start from, which is why...

Jane Elliott : The Little Prisoner

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 20:24:09 GMT

The Little Prisoner by Jane Elliot (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0007208936?ie=UTF8&tag=thechildrenwe-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0007208936) is a difficult book to categorise, although it is clearly intended as an autobiographical account of abuse in childhood. Jane Elliott recounts a tale of abuse at the hands of a sadistic step-father and completely ineffectual mother. She and her brother were placed into care on a number of occasions when her parents’ marriage failed. When she was four years old, her life changed. Jane was returned to her mother whilst her brother was never heard of again. When some of the social workers heard...

June 2007

Sun, 27 May 2007 02:49:29 GMT

We add 10-15 child care articles each month. Drop your email address in the box below, hit remind me and youll receive just once a month a summary of some of the most thought provoking child care articles on the internet. Email: Abby Ladbrooke : Recruiting for the Long Term (http://www.childrenwebmag.com/content/view/369)...

Every Child Matters – Making a Positive Contribution

Sun, 27 May 2007 02:19:15 GMT

Every child responds more favourably when they feel they belong. For everyone who makes a statement that they don’t need to be part of a group or a community, my challenge would be to say, “Of course you do; you just don’t know how to do that and still be you. You become a non-conformist and bang on about the freedom of the individual, but the most important thing that any of us can do is be a part of the whole and that’s a big thing.” Formative years As children grow through babyhood into...

Great Expectations : 3 : In Court

Sun, 27 May 2007 02:16:55 GMT

This is part three of a three-part story. Ruth is in a secure unit. If you wish to read the first two episodes, click here. The next big event was a planning meeting. Mum and Dad, the social worker, who now knew Mum because of her new job and several of the Secure Unit staff and a couple of police officers and me. One of the staff had talked to me before the meeting to make sure I understood what would be happening and ‘to get my views’. What views? I ran off...

Open at the Edges

Sun, 27 May 2007 02:14:07 GMT

There was a time when children and young people either lived at Mill Grove or in their own homes and families. There was a very clear divide: as clear in fact as that between Indoor and Outdoor Relief under the Poor Law, or between those described as inmates and others by Erving Goffman in Asylums, or Michel Foucaultin his Histoire de la Folie. I have spoken with both those who lived at Mill Grove and also neighbours (that is those who lived in their own homes), and no one was in any doubt about the...

Addressing Child Abuse in Japan

Sun, 27 May 2007 02:11:44 GMT

A field work report from a seminar at the Department of Social Welfare, Kogakkan University, organised by Professor Toyoko Yasui Introduction: Toyoko Yasui, Associate Professor, Kogakkan University The number of instances of child abuse in Japan has been drastically increasing and cases range from physical and mental damage to fatalities. They are ranked from physical abuse, the largest in number, on to neglect, mental abuse, and cases of sexual abuse, which are the smallest in number. Factors leading to these abuses in Japan are classified...

Recruiting for the Long Term

Sun, 27 May 2007 02:02:29 GMT

Having worked for over ten years in international exchange there came a point, in that twilight moment between sleep and wakefulness on an aeroplane, that I was increasingly unable to recall where I was coming from - and more worryingly - where I was going. The world of glamorous international travel was feeling decidedly less glamorous. Somewhere between Madrid and London I decided to exchange the trolley-suitcase for a walk to work. I decided to set up my own business. Four years ago I was reading Every Child Matters and numerous commentaries on the...

Understanding Why

Sun, 27 May 2007 01:52:26 GMT

Once again the media in recent weeks have featured some very serious cases of child sexual abuse. When these horrific events take place I ask myself the question, how would I have coped if anything had happened to one of my own children, the honest answer is I don’t know. What I do know, however, is that having worked over twenty years in this field my view of the world has changed. In all my years working with people who sexually abuse, I never really understood why people inflicted such pain. In my experience...

Editorial : Culture and Child Care

Sun, 27 May 2007 01:36:41 GMT

In this issue we report on the United Nations Draft Guidelines for the Promotion of Appropriate Parental Care, the Protection of Children Deprived of Such Care, and the Provision of Alternative Care. The Guidelines pose a fundamental question. How far can the care of children and young people be seen as a world-wide phenomenon, with similar standards applied in every country and culture, or how far should local, regional and national cultures be respected, leading to variegated ways of bringing up children? Clearly, humankind forms a single species and we all have an...

A New Board

Sun, 27 May 2007 01:35:51 GMT

Over the last seven and a half years, Children Webmag has been looked after by a number of organisations and sponsors. Originally it was set up by the Institute for Childcare and Social Education. Then the Social Education Trust took over control and supported the Webmag financially. Caring for Children managed the Webmag for a time, and more recently Northampton University has supported the publication. Substantial sponsorship has also been provided by the Hesley Foundation, the Scottish Institute of Residential Child Care, and the Charterhouse Group. We are indebted to all these organisations. Without...

Group Care Practice with Children and Young People Revisited by Leon C. Fulcher and Frank Ainsworth

Tue, 01 May 2007 19:54:00 GMT

Book Review by Kathleen Lane

Every Child Matters : Enjoying and Achieving

Tue, 01 May 2007 19:41:34 GMT

How do we encourage very young children to enjoy and, as a consequence of that enjoyment, achieve? This is at the very heart of early years care and education. The influence of adults on a child during these critical years might be a key factor in whether the young person and subsequent adult makes the most of their opportunities as they go through life, whether at academic level, work prospects, unique opportunities or other aspects of life. I don’t think those of us who work or train others to work with very young...

May 2007

Tue, 01 May 2007 03:27:06 GMT

We add 10-15 child care articles each month. Drop your email address in the box below, hit remind me and youll receive just once a month a summary of some of the most thought provoking child care articles on the internet. Email: Editorial : Renewing International Links (http://www.childrenwebmag.com/content/view/359)...

Remember : May 2007

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:58:58 GMT

The Webmag has been going for over seven years now, and we must have published over a thousand articles. Who refers to the musty piles of back numbers of hard copy magazines? The Webmag articles are all there at the touch of the Back Issues button. Modern technology makes them available. But unless you are using a search engine, you might not think of rooting through our past issues, and if you are a new reader, you certainly won’t remember the pieces when they came...

Federation Internationale des Communautes Educatives (FICE) Questions and Answers

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:51:16 GMT

What is FICE? FICE is the largest international professional association for people working with children and young people. What does FICE stand for? People have a number of ways of pronouncing the title, but the usual one is fee-say. The literal English translation is the International Federation of Educative Communities, but it is rarely used because its meaning is obscured by history. Most people use the initials. How was FICE set up? FICE was originally set up by UNESCO in Paris in 1948 to give support to the people working with refugee...

Parents’ Questions : Experts’ Answers

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:43:54 GMT

What should I do about my toddler’s tantrums? How can I ensure my three year old learns to eat healthily? Should I be worried if my young child has an imaginary friend? These are just a few of the questions parents of young children may ask but often it is hard to find practical, non-judgemental advice. As part of the DfES Early Years and Childcare campaign, we have spoken to a number of Early Years and Childcare workers, from childminders to nursery managers and asked them to provide advice in...

Stories from the Road : 7 : Hitching in Wales

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:39:41 GMT

Dave Wiles and Tim Evans as Chief Executives of youth work organisations decided to draw attention to the good stories about young people by taking to the road with only £10 in their pockets. If you want to read earlier episodes, click here (http://www.childrenwebmag.com/content/view/332//). 19/09/2006 After a good night’s sleep and breakfast we set off again. We had last night’s left over chilli stored away for the journey and with Em’s benediction in the hall of her home we were on the road again. After a fifteen minute walk we decided to...

Vaccines and Child Abuse Allegations

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 23:10:51 GMT

There can be no debate that some vaccines cause very serious injury and even death, to some children. This has been recognised by both the British government(1980) and the U.S.A. government (VAERS Act 1986) for over 20 years and both governments have provided compensation schemes to families with children who have suffered such adverse reactions. Under both schemes Doctors are required to report every adverse reaction of a child to a vaccine to a central government body but it is reasonably estimated that less than one in ten are so reported. Many parents...

Only Pictures? Therapeutic work with internet sex offenders

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:44:05 GMT

Book Review by Steve Lowe Only Pictures?: Therapeutic Work with Internet Sex Offenders (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1903855683?ie=UTF8&tag=thechildrenwe-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1903855683) identifies the struggles in interpreting internet sexual offending when using the established sex offender research and thinking. It was interesting in particular in recognizing the notion of the fragmentation of sexuality and the extent to which, for an offender, even previously unthought of images of sexual activity can be easily obtained. This is then linked with the enormous difficulty associated with a response from the legal system, in particular with regard to how we should be dealing with pseudo...

Great Expectations : 2 : In Secure

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:27:32 GMT

This is part two of a three-part story. Ruth has just been admitted to a secure unit. If you wish to read the first episode, click here (http://www.childrenwebmag.com/content/view/334//). Once I was clean and in some clothes the staff had given me, I sat down and looked at the beans on toast, savouring it as if it were a five course banquet, not that we had any of them in our house, of course, but I read a lot and knew all about feasting and carrying on. I had a summer job before I met...

Adoption Diary : 5 : Celebrating Milestones

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:23:36 GMT

This article first appeared in The Door, and we are grateful for permission to reprint. Caroline and Roger have spoken candidly of the harder times which they encountered with an adopted child. Now they share some of the highs - and each event has one thing in common ... “On reflection, I really think we overplayed the ‘lows’ in the last Diary”, says Caroline. “But its something that prospective adopters must realise: whilst having a family is a wonderful experience for those of us who choose to adopt - one day youre a...

Circumstances, Identity and Choice

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:41:59 GMT

As I spend time with my Mum in the last few months of her life (as Parkinson’s continues its inevitable path of destruction), we reminisce about times past. This self reflection on my part leads to wider reflections on my own identity. Throughout my life I have never felt I belonged to any community. I was born into a family, separated at 8 by being sent away to school and then returning to the area of my birth to work and study, but feeling different because of my accent and family wealth. I then...

Getting them off the sofa and into a kayak

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:26:19 GMT

Nina Hasinski of Redpoint Holidays explains how taking a holiday can be good for all the family and contribute to the fight to reduce childhood obesity. This article was offered to the Webmag; with summer holidays coming along, its message is one we are happy to pass on. Childhood obesity has been consistently in the headlines over the past few months - and with good reason. Reports that at least 25% of children in the UK are overweight, with 1 in 10 children over the age of 6 officially classed as obese, are...

Ask the Experts - Childrens Health

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 14:00:00 GMT

Title: Ask the Experts - Childrens Health
Category: Ask The Experts
Created: 11/8/2006
Last Editorial Review: 11/9/2006

How to Choose a Doctor

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 14:00:00 GMT

Title: How to Choose a Doctor
Category: References
Created: 6/17/2005
Last Editorial Review: 8/9/2005

Doctor: Checklist to Take To Your Doctors Appointment

Thu, 14 Jul 2005 14:00:00 GMT

Title: Doctor: Checklist to Take To Your Doctors Appointment
Category: References
Created: 7/13/2005
Last Editorial Review: 7/14/2005

Mental Health: Questions to Ask When Choosing a Provider and Doctor

Fri, 03 Jun 2005 14:00:00 GMT

Title: Mental Health: Questions to Ask When Choosing a Provider and Doctor
Category: Doctors Views
Created: 6/3/2005
Last Editorial Review: 6/3/2005

Doctor: Getting the Most from Your Doctor’s Appointment

Fri, 13 May 2005 14:00:00 GMT

Title: Doctor: Getting the Most from Your Doctor’s Appointment
Category: References
Created: 5/13/2005
Last Editorial Review: 5/13/2005

Child Abuse and Depression

Wed, 09 Feb 2005 14:00:00 GMT

Title: Child Abuse and Depression
Category: Mental Health
Created: 5/7/2003
Last Editorial Review: 2/9/2005

Should You Punish Your Child?

Sun, 06 Feb 2005 14:00:00 GMT

Title: Should You Punish Your Child?
Category: Mental Health
Created: 9/1/2001
Last Editorial Review: 2/6/2005

Domestic Violence Fact Sheet

Mon, 31 Jan 2005 14:00:00 GMT

Title: Domestic Violence Fact Sheet
Category: Health Fact Tool
Created: 1/31/2005
Last Editorial Review: 1/31/2005

Difficulties of Being a Juror

Sun, 23 Jan 2005 14:00:00 GMT

Title: Difficulties of Being a Juror
Category: Mental Health
Created: 3/1/1995
Last Editorial Review: 1/23/2005

Mothers of Sexual Abuse Victims

Fri, 21 Jan 2005 14:00:00 GMT

Title: Mothers of Sexual Abuse Victims
Category: Mental Health
Created: 9/1/1992
Last Editorial Review: 1/21/2005

Abusive Men

Fri, 21 Jan 2005 14:00:00 GMT

Title: Abusive Men
Category: Mental Health
Created: 9/1/1992
Last Editorial Review: 1/21/2005

Traumatic Events Can Change Brain Chemistry

Thu, 20 Jan 2005 14:00:00 GMT

Title: Traumatic Events Can Change Brain Chemistry
Category: Mental Health
Created: 1/1/1992
Last Editorial Review: 1/20/2005