A Practitioner's Tool for Child Protection and the Assessment of Parents - Essay Example

Each of us has been the witness of children rights violation at least once. In most of the cases, the violation of rights takes place because parents do not understand the responsibility they have to their children. Family members have the unique role and importance in the lives of children who attach great value to their family relations. Parents know more about their children than any professional could possibly know and well-founded decisions about the child should draw upon this knowledge and understanding. When there are concerns about harm to children, the social services and police have the statutory duty to male enquiries and of necessary powers to get involved to secure the child's safely and promote his or her welfare. Approximately two years ago, a friend of mine Claire has told me a story which has impressed me greatly. Her neighbors, a young couple, had an eight-years old son and Claire has noticed that the boy was not sociable - he never talked to anybody and she was trying to approach him he started to cry and closed his face with hands. She also noticed bruises on his arms and legs. She decided to talk with his parents but she knocked their door, a drunk has opened it and told not to intervene into his life, he knows better how to deal with his son. Later Claire has found out that the mother of the boy had mental problems and most of the time was in the hospitals, while the father of the boy was used to drinking. As the result, nobody took care of the boy and, most likely, his father often beat him up. When she has finished the story, I could not say anything. I knew that in such cases the special services should be informed, but did not know whether we had the right to intervene. Now I know that in this case the intervention in family life is compulsory because the child needs protection. The partnership with parents should be still encouraged. When the child is of sufficient age and understanding, he should be kept fully informed of the processes involving his and decisions about their future should take account of their views. This boy is not of sufficient age to understand the harm being done to him, however the cooperation of his father with social workers might improve the situation in the family. First steps The first step to be taken in this situation is to contact Social Services or the police. Once it is done, the law states that the police has the responsibility to investigate the case and they cannot ignore this information. In the majority cases the investigation is carried out either by police or social worker (Fowler 2002), while in this particular case the involvement of both authorities might be required. Social worker should interview the child - the child's point of view may provide the first opportunity to talk to adults who are ready to listen and believe that the child tells the truth. The child might describe the experiences which have never been told before. When there are barriers to communication (lack of social skills, for example), the social worker must be show that he is the friend and came to help. The child should never be interviewed in the presence of the perpetrator (Fowler 2002). The father should not prevent communication between his child and the social worker. The interview should be conducted as soon as possible in order to minimize the danger of the child retracting a true allegation because of fear or as the result of the pressure. Agencies working together to protect the children should agree a common understanding at each stage of work, of how children and parents are involved in child protection process and what information is shared. All of the involved parties should be open, make joint decisions and willing to listen to families. In any case, the welfare of the child should be in the first place. The family structures are very complex and, in addition to those adults who have daily care of the child, grandparents and other family members play an important role in the child's life. During family difficulties, the child might be supported by adults from outside the family. Social Workers need to make sure that they pay attention to the points of view of all those who are able to contribute to decisions about children. It is important to note, that children can provide valuable information about the adults they see as important to their lives. Interviewing parents When the safety of the child is considered, the parents should be willing to cooperate with the social workers. For instance, the parents should be ready to explain how the inquiry has occurred, even though the detailed questioning might not be very helpful at this stage. If parents are aggressive or hostile, it is important to remember that their attitude can be the result of the anxiety for a child and is not necessary the sign of guilt. In addition, it should be made clear to parents that there is no absolute pledge of confidentiality - parents should be informed that the information they give will be shared with the professional colleagues who have the responsibility for the well being of the child (Fowler 2002). Communication between professionals and the family members is the essential part of the child's protection. Many problems can be solved if parents are willing to share information and give the clear explanation of what has happened. Parents are obligated to explain the following issues: What is happening and why What is likely to happen next In addition, the parents should be aware who is the person talking to them and what is his role in the process. Nevertheless, the communication with parents may not be always necessary, the emotions may be running high and situation itself may be far from clear. Social worker should bear in mind that they themselves are likely to be more familiar with the system than the family and that explanations are likely to take time and may need to be repeated. It may be helpful to offer to put them in writing. Silence should never be construed as understanding and there is a need to be alert to the possibility of misconceptions, arising either from ignorance or from media reports. Sometimes the medical examination might be required. Medical examination is dome by the pediatrician or by the police surgeon if the forensic evidence needs to be obtained (Fowler 2002). If the parent does not give his/her consent for the medical examination, the police has the duty to think about the immediate safety of the child and might seek the order from the court for the permission to medically examine the child. It is important to note, that social worker should avoid being emotionally involved with the child. If this happens, the feeling of anger towards the abuser might appear and this feeling will prevent the objective evaluation of the situation. Sometimes, the social worker might blame himself for not foreseeing the abuse of the child. In conclusion, sometimes people are not aware about the steps to be taken when they become the witness of the child abuse situation. Children are not always able to share the information about their own experience because of fear and parental pressure. Social workers have the responsibility to protect the child from being harmed. Working in partnership with parents might lead to better results, however, parents are not always willing to cooperate and believe that nobody has the right to intervene into the life of their family. Fortunately, the British laws require police not to ignore information about child abuse and they are required to conduct the investigation. References Fowler, J 2002, A Practitioner's Tool for Child Protection and the Assessment of Parents, Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Read More