Welsh Flying Start Programme
| The Welsh government has published the findings of a survey evaluating the Flying Start programme, which aims to improve child outcomes in deprived areas in Wales by providing targeted services to families with children under four. Flying Start has been shown to be successful in areas including: increased access to health visiting services; and increased focus on early language development. |
| Source: Welsh Government 14 December 2011 |
| National mental health indicators have been establised for children and young people in Scotland. The indicators cover mental wellbeing, mental health problems and associated contextual factors, providing for the first time a means of assessing and monitoring the mental health of children and young people aged pre-birth to 17 years. |
| Source: NHS Health Scotland 25 November 2011 |
| The Children’s minister, Tim Loughton, has given a speech on the Government’s progress on the commitments made in the response to the Munro Review. Announcements include: an early intervention duty on councils will not be implemented; the national electronic common assessment framework (eCAF) will be decommissioned in 2012; and Ofsted evaluations of SCRs are to become more focused on identifying and embedding learning in 2012. |
| Source: Community Care 15 December 2011 |
| Scotland’s Chief Statistician has published the latest homicide statistics in Homicide in Scotland, 2010-11. Includes statistics on the age and gender of homicide victims from 2001-02 – 2010-11. |
| Source: Scottish Government 14 December 2011 |
Statistics relating to child protection in Northern Ireland
The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has published has published statistics relating to child protection in Northern Ireland for the quarter ending 30 September 2011. Findings include: as at 30 September 2011, 2,220 children were listed on the Child Protection Register, an increase of below 1% on the previous quarter.
Source: Northern Ireland Executive Press Release 16 December 2011
How do children cope with sexual abuse?
Summary: Explores coping strategies of sexually abused children as described by adult survivors of child sexual abuse. Discusses minimising, rationalising, disassociation, splitting, denial, creating chaos, misusing substances, supervigilance, disappearing, running away, fantasy and lying. Concludes that coping mechanisms are the child’s way of surviving but that some strategies stop being helpful in adulthood.
| Publication details: Protecting Children Update Volume 84, 2011 pp 9-10 |
| Authors: Whitehead, Jenni |
How often are teens arrested for sexting?: data from a national sample of police cases.
Summary: Reports on the findings of a US study examining characteristics of youth sexting cases handled by police and their outcomes in response to clinical and other concerns about the risks of sexting behaviour. Two-thirds of the cases involved an “aggravating” circumstance beyond the creation and/or dissemination of a sexual image. In these aggravated cases, either an adult was involved (36% of cases) or a minor engaged in malicious, nonconsensual, or abusive behaviour (31% of cases). Found that overall, arrest is not typical in sexting cases with no adults involved.
| Publication details: Pediatrics Volume 129 Issue 1, 2012 |
| Authors: Wolak, Janis, and Finkelhor, David, and Mitchell, Kimberly J. |
How often are teens arrested for sexting?: data from a national sample of police cases.
The importance of professional growth
Summary: Looks at comments in the Munro Report (Munro, 2011) that the over-reliance on procedure in safeguarding has undermined professional judgment. Argues that there should be a new emphasis on professional growth for everyone working in child protection, including those in schools.
| Publication details: Protecting Children Update Volume 84, 2011 pp 7-8 |
| Authors: Bird, Richard |
Latest safeguarding findings.
Summary: Explores the main findings of the report ‘Safeguarding children across services: messages from research’ (Davies & Ward, 2012). The report looks at 15 research studies, aiming to identify how best to safeguard children. Discusses early intervention, the need for early recognition, social work interventions, keeping the child in the family, understanding child development and inter-agency working. Concludes that while many of the findings are not new, as the report is based on research evidence gathered from well respected sources, it should be taken into account in post-Munro planning for the ongoing improvement of safeguarding.
| Publication details: Protecting Children Update Volume 84, 2011 pp 11-12 |
| Authors: Whitehead, Jenni |
Tackling gang violence
Summary: Looks at what can be done to identify children at risk of becoming a member of a gang; how members can be supported to exit the gang lifestyle; and the implications for schools of the UK government’s proposals to tackle gangs
| Publication details: Protecting Children Update Volume 84, 2011 pp 5-6 |
| Authors: Whitehead, Jenni |