Child Protection: A Strengths

Approach
Dr Angela Fenton

Doctoral Research:
A Strengths Approach to
Child-Protection Education

Direct link via digital thesis ResearchOnline@JCU:

http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/24044/1/01thesis.pdf

How confident do your feel with

dealing with a child protection
issue?

Generally
-What are
your
strengths?

How do we
articulate our
emotions and
those of
children?

What is a Strengths Approach?

Dependent upon positive attitudes

about peoples dignity, capacities,
rights, uniqueness and commonalities

Emphasises peoples ability to be their

own agents of change

Enables people to identify, value and

mobilise their strengths as opposed
to compensating for their deficits
(McCashen, 2005, p. v)

Wayne
McCashen
Although the
Strengths Approach
is used in social
services there are
strong links to power
& knowledge
concepts in major
education theories.

Child Protection
Justification
http://www.fotosearch.com & Microsoft clip art gallery 2014

The reasons why we need you to be prepared:

Child protection is a major issue.
2012 2013= 184,000+ children subjects of child protection
notifications in Australia
(Australian Institute of Health & Welfare, 2014)
http://aihw.gov.au/child-protection/#facts

Teacher confidence is lacking in the area of child protection

education (Baginsky, 2003; Singh & McWilliam 2005) and
more preparation is required (Arnold & Maio- Taddeo, 2007).

Strengths Based practice is a potentially useful framework

although underused in education (Hodges & Clifton, 2006;
McCallum, 2002; Scott & ONeil, 2003)

Likely to encounter CP
issues...
Statistically at least
1 in 28 children

Research Opportunity
To explore a collaborative
Strengths Approach
(McCashen, 2005) to child protection
with a group of early childhood
pre-service teachers.
Present and examine responses for the:

Possibility of enhancing teacher preparation to

protect children

Potential of approach in education (outside of its

social service/psychology origins)

Literature Review
Teacher
Preparation
Some
research

Child Abuse
Mass of reports
Abuse global/Australia
Qld/local stats
Effects of abuse

studies
Teachers
overwhelmed
Fear & anxiety
Adjunct 3hr
w/shops

Child
Protection

Few studies
Informal/
descriptive
linked to
practicums
Integrated,
critical,

Calls for a new

model

Strengths
rigorous
Approach
examinationResearch
of
Contemporary
Therapeutic
applications
practice
Positive Psychology
Potential/critiques

Methodology
Qualitative study - Strengths principles inform
the theoretical framework
Collaborative, power with rather than power
over - social justice
Uses existing strengths and resources
Organisation:
EC pre-service teachers complete an integrated
strengths-based child protection module linked to
practicum (small study 19 participants)
Dual role teacher/researcher - ethical considerations
Data collected: 3 Phases -1) during module
(students), 2) post teaching prac, 3) 12 mths
after module as graduating (practising
teachers)

The
issue
or
story

Child Protection
Preparation
a 5 Column
AUsing
vision Strengths
Other
and
Approach resources
exceptions

Categories of protection
Setting goals
Mandatory reporting
processes
Organisations to assist

planning
steps and
strategies
solutions
& goals.

Using a
Strengths
Approach

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What is Child Abuse?

http://www.fotosearch.com
http://www.fotosearch.com

Harm to a child or young person can be caused by:

physical abuse: punching, slapping, kicking, shaking, biting, applying physical
'discipline' or 'punishment' causing harm or injury
emotional or psychological abuse: constant criticism, scapegoating, namecalling, belittling, excessive teasing, ignoring, punishing normal behaviour,
exposure to domestic and family violence, withholding praise and affection
neglect: failing to meet the child's basic needs for adequate supervision, food,
clothing, shelter, safety, hygiene, medical care, education, love and affection
and failure to use available resources to meet those needs

Story

sexual abuse or exploitation: any sexual act or sexual threat

imposed upon a child including exposure, indecent phone calls, voyeurism,
persistent intrusion of a child's privacy, penetration, rape, incest, involvement
with pornography, child prostitution.

http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/preventing_child_abuse_and_neglect/protecting_children.html

Possible signs of Neglect

Low

weight for age

Failure to thrive
Untreated physical problems
Poor standards of hygiene
Child not supervised adequately
Child scavenging or stealing food
Rocking, sucking and head-banging
Poor school attendance
http://www.fotosearch.com

Story

Possible signs of Physical

Abuse
Bruising

Story

of face
Lacerations and welts
Drowsiness and vomiting
Adult bite marks
Fractures of bones
Dislocations
Sprains
Burns

Copyright fotosearch images

Possible signs of sexual

abuse
Bruising or bleeding in genital area

Story

Sexually transmitted disease

Bruising to breasts, buttocks, or thighs
http://www.fotosearch.com
Child telling you about it
Describing sexual acts
Sexual knowledge inappropriate for childs
age
Going to bed fully clothed
Regressive behaviour
Self destructive behaviour
Anorexia or over eating
http://www.fotosearch.com
Risk taking behaviours
Persistent running away from home

Possible signs of
psychological/emotional
Constant feelings of unworthiness
abuse
Unable

Story

to value others
Lack of trust in others
Lack of people skills
Extreme attention seeking behaviour
Is excessively eager to obey
Takes extreme risks
Is highly critical
Runs away from home

Vision

Vision

All children
have a right
to live free of
violence and
abuse
Protecting Children: Many reasons for abuse (understand but not
condone)
The Vision may be a specific goal what would things be like if the
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issue was not happening?

Strengths-based
Resources

Strengths

Learning
prevention
skills and
strategies to
assist those at
risk or
experiencing
abuse

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Mentoring & Strengths

Resources

Strengths

Demonstratio
ns, role
modelling and
practice
applying a SA
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First Steps
AS A EARLY CHILDHOOD POFESSIONAL YOU
SHOULD RAISE ANY CHILD PROTECTION
CONCERNS WITH YOUR SERVICE FIRST.
CONTACT YOUR COORDINATOR. EACH
SERVICE/SCHOOL WILL HAVE A CHILD
PROTECTION POLICY & PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW
As a member of the general Public or in an
Emergency: For immediate help call Police 000
Resources

Outside of work if you suspect a child or young

person is at risk of harm from abuse or neglect,
contact:
NSW Child Protection Helpline
132 111 or 1800 212 936
Victoria After Hours Child Protection Crisis Line
131 278

NSW/VICTORIA
Who is mandated to notify?

NSW: person who, in the course of his or her professional work or other
paid employment delivers health care, welfare, education, children's
services, residential services or law enforcement, wholly or partly, to
children; and

Victoria: Teachers

Reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is at risk of harm; and

those grounds arise during the course of or from the person's
work

Resources

Physical abuse (Vic & NSW)

Sexual abuse (Vic & NSW)

Emotional/psychological abuse (NSW)

Neglect (NSW)

Exposure to family violence (NSW)

Legislation Sections 23 and 27 of the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW)
Sections 182(1) a-e, 184 and 162 c-d of the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 (Vic.)

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Information on reporting
Notifiers

protected
Can report above mandatory requirements
Department of Community Services
(NSW) http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/
http://sdm.community.nsw.gov.au/mrg/app/summary.page

Resources

Child Protection and Family Services - Department of

Human Services

http://www.cyf.vic.gov.au/child-protection-family-services

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Reporting
What

Plan

is a report?
A report is information provided to
DoCS by any person who suspects
there are concerns about a child
Should I report?
You dont have to be certain, you
can just be concerned based on
information you have seen or
gained from a reliable source

Reporting
Risk

Plan

of harm?
It means you have concerns about the
safety, welfare or wellbeing of a child
Legal Protection?
The identity of the reported cannot be
disclosed to anyone without their
permission
Can they be anonymous?
Yes, but it helps the department if you
are willing to discuss the report with
their officers

Process by department
A

Plan

caseworker will take initial report and

assess it for priority of action
The DoCS caseworker is specially trained
to ask relevant questions to ensure they
get all the information they need
The caseworker conducts a safety and
risk assessment
If caseworker assesses that child is at
risk they hand over to the secondary
team who follow up as seen appropriate

Mandatory reporters
Who

Plan

are they?
Is a person who delivers health care,
welfare, education, childrens
services, residential services or law
enforcement to children.
If you are a mandatory reporter you
are required to report any concerns
to the department
It is a legal obligation of your
profession

Research responses
& Analysis
Participant narratives from:

Electronic Discussion Board & Email responses (EView)

Interviews (Open View) and Focus Groups (Open Focus)

Analysis:

Contextual (zoom in) individuals & context of first

responses to module, teaching practice experiences &
preparation for graduation

Thematic (zoom out) group responses to research themes:

child abuse & protection, teacher prep & strengths
approach
Interpretations link to lit review
findings and strengths approach
principles and a layer of
contextual analysis is added

Early Module Responses

I have just read [Participant 7s] comments about the
abused child.
I don't know how to handle that situation either. Are we
at some stage thoroughly trained and taught how to
handle the situation?
I think my hair would stand on end having to think of
what to say and then do.
Where do we as pre-service teachers (and eventually
teachers) learn to deal with these matters?

I read that the boy had a broken arm and nose and
had 271 bruises, some quite old. (Participant 9)
[Reactions to statistics] overwhelmed

Phase 1 example
Engaged (Goldenburg & Gallimore,

I don't really feel

comfortable with teaching
and addressing child
protection. I guess that for
a lot of people of [it] would
be a very sensitive issue

and sometimes easier to

just 'not go there'. Still, I
think it is such an important
issue that it cannot be
ignored and that no matter
how uncomfortable and

fearful I may be about

addressing it (Participant
5, Discussion Board).

1991) rather than concept of not

wanting to know (Britzman & Gilbert,
2004) Participant welfare a factor
Context pre-service learning
context - guidance of SBTE/lecturer
views of child abuse as not teachers
business teachers multiple roles
Willing to discuss issue and vision 1st
& 2nd step in SA (McCashen, 2005) 5
Column Approach
Child protection responsibilities
taken seriously (McBlain et al)
Knowledge of effects of abuse
(Hopper)
Heightened anxiety and fear in lit
confirmed but not Moral panic
(Singh) (overall examples elevated
emotions)

Practicum Responses

Ive been on prac and children have worn the same clothes
four/five days in a row (Participant, 16);

While I was on one prac the teacher told me that a child in the
class had recently stated to her mother that she had been
sexually abused by a family member (Participant, 9);

He will just cry [child on prac] Oh, now Im going to get

another flogging (Participant, 8);
The student had so many lice they were falling onto
her uniform (Participant, 5);

A little girl came up to me, and just looked me in the eyes and
said, I dont have any food today because my Mum doesnt
have enough money to buy me any(Participant, 14); and

I am not quite sure if it is classed as neglect but I know that

when I was on 3rd year prac we had one student, she didnt
come to school for a weekso I mean thats neglecting her
education (Participant 6).

Responses: Telling the

story

While I was on one prac the teacher told

me that a child in the class had recently
stated to her mother that she had been
sexually abused by a family member. As I
reflect upon the situation, I realise that I
tried to deny that this child had been
abused. It was not a case of not believing
the child, but I just did not know how to
react to this child anymore. Also, I did not
want to think of the horrible experience and
the negative impact it would, and had

Post Practicum Responses:

Visioning
As adults, and especially parents and teachers, it is our
responsibility to ensure the safety of those children in
our care. These children look to the adults in their lives
for nurturance, guidance, support, protection and most
of all love. (Participant 9)
It [discussion with teacher educator] gave me an
opportunity to think what I would do, you know because
you never really think about it. And then I think
discussing it afterwards [prac] with everyone, getting
everyones different ideas Learning how to deal with
it, how to know whether a child [may have been abused]
gave me confidence in dealing with that area.

(Participant 2)

Conclusion
Strengths Approach
I think that the strengths based approach offers a way of thinking about how
we react to certain situations and how these situations make us feelThe
thing that I like the most about what I have learnt so far is the idea of
changing the frame. Through changing the frame, it gives us a whole different
way of thinking about who we are and what is possible for us (Participant 19).

I think more so through practice, [rather] than sitting at uni learning it

through text book, you might read on paper and might say Thats
really good, but it just doesnt work for you in practice. Its not until
you are on prac that you do see these things and it is eye-opening
(Participant 14)
Limitations: Scale, contextualised, further
work needed for future investment

Successful?
Tentatively

positive - A Strengths Approach appeared to

enhance preparation to protect children for the teachers
in the study though adaptations needed
Individualised vignettes show increased confidence to
discuss and explore strategies to address child abuse with
children especially in Phases 2 & 3 - though scaffolded
Findings confirmed literature suggestions of heightened
anxiety, expressed elevated emotions, knowledge of
responsibilities & explored idea of educational neglect
Showed engagement with Strengths Approach as
potentially useful for education contexts as well as
therapeutic contexts
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Publications
Peer reviewed publications:
Fenton, A. (2012). Using a strengths
approach in collaborative education.
Retrieved from ACEN website
http://acen.edu.au/2012conference/wpcontent/uploads/2012/11/108_Using-aStrengths-Approach-in-CollaborativeEducation.pdf

Thankyou,
Contact:
Angela Fenton
afenton@csu.edu.au
Tel: (02) 60519148

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