The All Party Parliamentary Group for Sure Start has published a report into Sure Start delivery in 2011/12. Findings include: a need for greater transparency in assessing the needs of a community and the need to implement best practice.
The National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) has published a review of early intervention. Findings include: the case for investing in early intervention approaches is widely accepted and supported, however there is a lack of evidence of their cost effectiveness; and service providers need the knowledge and skills to identify families in need and signpost them to local services.
The Ministry of Justice has announced that it is amending the legal aid bill, to ensure that cases involving children who suffer brain damage at birth and victims of domestic violence are still entitled to legal aid.
ChildLine, selfharm.co.uk, YouthNet and YoungMinds have published results of a survey into self harming. Findings include: of the 1,398 young people surveyed, over half admitted to hurting themselves on a daily basis or a few times a week; and 41% of those who had self harmed had not told anybody about it.
Summary: A study of parents’ perceptions of child sexual abuse and prevention practices in Nigeria. Questionnaires from 387 parents and carers of children under 15 years found many parents felt child sexual abuse was a common problem. Most disagreed with common myths and almost all reported communicating with their child about stranger danger. Almost half felt their children could not be abused and over a quarter often left their children alone and unsupervised. Discusses findings.
Publication details: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume 20 Issue 6, 2011 pp 695-707
Authors: Ige, Olusimbo K., and Fawole, Olufunmilayo I.
Summary: A study evaluating sexual abuse prevention programme to reduce tolerance of sexual violence and sexual harassment in secondary schools in the USA. Fingings from 202 students in grades 5-12 (age 10-18 years) showed the programme was effective at increasing participant’s knowledge of sexual abuse, awareness of school and community sexual assault support resources, and identification of components of healthy and unhealthy relationships.
Publication details: Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume 20 Issue 6, 2011 pp 708-727
Authors: Smothers, Melissa Kraemer, and Smothers, D. Brian
Summary: Examines whether training in a systematic approach (the FRAMEA framework) to emotional abuse improves the quality of children’s services. Looks at what professionals thought of their training in using FRAMEA and the impact it had on the way they worked with children. Advocates wider testing of the framework.
Publication details: London: Department for Education (DfE), 2012 pp [15]
ISBN: 9781781050712
Shelf mark:
Authors: Glaser, Danya, and Prior, Vivien, and Auty, Katherine, and Tilki, Susan
Summary: Reports on child abuse linked to witchcraft and spirituality. Argues that the attention given to the high profile cases such as Victoria Climbie may cause social workers to miss further signs that a belief in witchcraft is causing abuse. Discusses reasons behind the accusations and the type of abuse the child may suffer as a consequence. Summarises the available safeguarding guidance for professionals and briefly outlines 3 child protection cases in which witchcraft and spirituality have been factors (Victoria Climbie, Khyra Ishaq and Child B). Reports on calls to make it an offence to accuse a child of witchcraft. Highlights the importance of training practitioners in different belief systems.
Publication details: Children and Young People Now, 21 February 2012 pp 25-27
Summary: Study examining normative beliefs about aggression as a mediator between narcissistic exploitativeness and cyberbullying based on two samples of adolescents in Singapore and Malaysia. Findings included that narcissistic exploitativeness was significantly and positively associated with cyberbullying and normative beliefs. Concludes that cyberbullying prevention and intervention efforts should challenge and try to change norms and beliefs that support the legitimacy and acceptability of cyberbullying.
