According to researchers at the Australian Catholic University, more efforts should be initiated to support children’s participation in child protection.
The findings can be read in Child & Family Social Work.
“To explore how practitioners understand children’s participation, 18 in-depth interviews were conducted with statutory child protection practitioners in Australia. The interviews explored the ways child protection practitioners understand children’s participation,” the study’s authors explained.
“Our findings show practitioners conceptualize children as rights holders and believe it is essential to hear directly from children about their needs and wishes to keep them safe.”
“Our participants have shown knowledge of, and commitment to, participatory practice exist within child protection, but this must be harnessed, trained for and supported across child protection services in Australia.”
