{"title":"Responding to Child Maltreatment","authors":"K. F. Beck, Riitta Vornanen","doi":"10.31265/jcsw.v14i2.246","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Child maltreatment is a major topic of concern in European countries. This article compares how Finnish and German school social workers (SSW) respond to child maltreatment (CM). For the purpose of this study, a case vignette was designed that implied multiple forms of CM, including child sexual abuse, the failure to provide a child with adequate nutrition and hygiene and exposure to violent environments. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with eight SSW from Finland and Germany to examine their first reactions to the case, their professional approach and country-specific solutions. The transcribed interviews were subjected to content analysis. Concerning suspected child sexual abuse, the findings reveal that the Finnish SSW would inform the child protection services and the police directly after information regarding suspected maltreatment had been verified, whereas the German participants would seek professional advice and carry out a risk assessment. However, despite the fundamental differences between these approaches, both are in line with national legislation. Concerning the inadequate provision of nutrition, the findings reveal that German children are not provided with free school meals nationwide like Finnish children. Nonetheless, as this study shows, providing children with a free school lunch does not ensure that they are adequately provided for during the entire day. It is recommended children in both countries be provided with free school meals nationwide, to implement means-tested benefits for those who need greater support and to strengthen the education of SSW in the early identification of child neglect, in addition to fostering a holistic approach to treating clients.","PeriodicalId":37599,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Comparative Social Work","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2019-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Comparative Social Work","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.31265/jcsw.v14i2.246","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"Social Sciences","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
Child maltreatment is a major topic of concern in European countries. This article compares how Finnish and German school social workers (SSW) respond to child maltreatment (CM). For the purpose of this study, a case vignette was designed that implied multiple forms of CM, including child sexual abuse, the failure to provide a child with adequate nutrition and hygiene and exposure to violent environments. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with eight SSW from Finland and Germany to examine their first reactions to the case, their professional approach and country-specific solutions. The transcribed interviews were subjected to content analysis. Concerning suspected child sexual abuse, the findings reveal that the Finnish SSW would inform the child protection services and the police directly after information regarding suspected maltreatment had been verified, whereas the German participants would seek professional advice and carry out a risk assessment. However, despite the fundamental differences between these approaches, both are in line with national legislation. Concerning the inadequate provision of nutrition, the findings reveal that German children are not provided with free school meals nationwide like Finnish children. Nonetheless, as this study shows, providing children with a free school lunch does not ensure that they are adequately provided for during the entire day. It is recommended children in both countries be provided with free school meals nationwide, to implement means-tested benefits for those who need greater support and to strengthen the education of SSW in the early identification of child neglect, in addition to fostering a holistic approach to treating clients.
期刊介绍:
This journal promotes contributions, discussions and an exchange of knowledge on Social Work issues. Social Work is a line of work carried out by trained professionals, or "Social Workers", in many different countries. Accordingly, the nature of social work can vary widely. However, its broad aim is to assess and meet people''s social needs by providing services that enable them to live in safety, independence and dignity. In order to appropriately cater to the needs of the people they serve, the practices, aims and values of Social Workers must reflect the cultural and social norms of the society in which they operate. Comparative social work emphasizes comparative studies of social work between different countries, cultures and contexts. The journal aims to support practitioners and academics alike through its discussions of matters relevant to Social Work Practice. This journal publishes two types of peer-reviewed scientific articles on subjects of importance for social work, with a special emphasis on comparative research on different aspects. This includes: -Comparative studies -Single site studies that also generate insight and knowledge in various geographical/cultural and national settings. We also welcome essays discussing/reflecting relevant subjects from an individual point of view, and at least two members of our editorial board will review such papers (maximum of 3,000 words). The JCSW was founded in 2006 and is currently hosted by the University of Stavanger, in cooperation with the University of Agder and the University of Nordland.