The Schizophrenia Bulletin has published an article about the relationship between experiences of child abuse and the development of psychotic symptoms or illness. The report found that childhood adversity is strongly related to increased risk for psychosis.
The Department of Health has published a guide to information sharing between agencies in domestic abuse cases. The report, which focuses on NHS Caldicott Guardians (senior staff members responsible for protecting patient information and enabling information sharing), outlines the principles which should be used to strike a balance between the service user’s confidentiality and wider considerations such as protection from harm.
A cross party inquiry into online child protection has found that children are easily accessing pornography and websites depicting extreme violence. Recommendations include: stronger filters of adult content, the appointment of an internet safety tsar, and the introduction of an opt in filter to access adult content.
Action for Children has published a report looking at the case for reforming the law on child neglect. Issues raised include the need to review the legal definition of neglect to take into account the fact that damage can be done to children unintentionally as well as “wilfully”, and to recognise children’s emotional as well as physical needs.
Ofsted has published a good practice example about developing good relationships between young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and staff in a residential children’s home in order to prepare young care leavers for independence.
Summary: Research review looking at the types of therapy which are effective in helping children and young people who have been sexually abused. Looks at the evidence in relation to talking therapies (including counselling, Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), group therapy, Transactional analysis (TA) and Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR)), and creative therapies (including play therapy, drama therapy and art therapy). Also considers the literature around the impact of sexual abuse on children; resilience factors; and what children and young people say about therapy. This report follows on from an earlier study which mapped the therapeutic services available in the UK for sexually abused children (Allnock et al, 2009).
Summary: Discusses the importance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) practitioners to work closely with schools and adoptive parents to help adopted children manage their lives in school. Draws on clinical experience to describe some of the difficulties that arise for parents and children in managing the education system. Considers the impact of abuse and neglect on children and the impact of being separated from siblings.
Summary: Looks at the preventive approach of children’s centres and their managers. A qualitative study (interviews) was undertaken with twenty children’s centre managers in a rural local authority in England. Results showed that managers drew quite explicitly on the general concept of prevention in the conduct of their work. However, there were differences in those who emphasised universalism in the provision of services and those who saw the need to focus on higher levels of need.
Publication details: British Journal of Social Work Volume 42 Issue 2, 2012 pp 265-282
