Providing services that are culturally relevant is an ongoing challenge for practitioners, managers, and policy-makers within the social services. Culture and Child Protection is a concise exploration of the close links between social service practices and cultural values which offers a culturally sensitive model of child protection practice.The authors demonstrate the ways in which a combination of personal, professional and societal attitudes often influence practice decisions. In a context where children from ethnic minorities dominate the welfare statistics of the Western economies, the authors argue against a reliance on rigid approaches to working with particular ethnic groups. They propose effective alternative strategies that will assist social workers in responding appropriately to diverse cultural needs and circumstances. Implications of cultural difference are also considered with respect to class, socio-economic group, gender and age, reinforcing the need to recognise broader interpretations of difference within practice. This book is full of integrated examples and case studies and also discusses wider practice issues, such as working with offenders, the impact of funding restraints and the dynamic of reflexivity in practice and supervision.Culture and Child Protection is a key text that will help social workers and academics to understand the ways in which cultural thinking affects and shapes child protection practice.
Preface. Part One: Culture and Child Protection Work. 1. Culture, the Client and the Practitioner in Child Protection Work. 2. Culturally Reflexive Responses in Abuse Work. 3. Ethnic Culture, Child Protection and the Professional Environment. Part Two: Working with Cultures in Child Protection. 4. Childhood Cultures, Care and Protection Work. 5. Family Cultures and Protecting Children. 6. Cultures of Risk, Offending and Good Lives. 7. Culturally Reflexive Theory and Practice in Child Protection. 8. Further Thoughts. References. Index.
The book has been written for both practitioners and researchers in the domain of child protection. It is also concerned, as previously mentioned, with offenders against children and such offenders are viewed in a compassionate light since very few actively seek to hurt children, albeit their offences against children are likely to be damaging. The aim of the book is to contribute positively towards the protection of children, families and improving the relationships of children, families as well as offenders against children.
