Protecting children in an anxious society

Abstract

Risk management has become the dominant activity in child welfare services in Britain. It has the praiseworthy aim of identifying vulnerable children and protecting them from harm. However, it is becoming clear that efforts to achieve the desirable goal are producing unexpected and wholly undesirable side effects so that it is arguable that the child protection system is, on balance, doing more harm than good. This article analyses what has been happening in terms of the logic of risk assessment. It examines the way the concept of risk has moved to centre stage and details the unintended repercussions. Professional practice has been strongly reactive to public pressures. Society, however, has unrealistic hopes of the feasibility of developing accurate risk assessments and little appreciation of the pain caused to families by assessment procedures. It is argued that radical changes are needed in society's perception of child welfare and their expectations of professionals before we can create a child welfare system that places welfare at the heart of the agenda.

Key Words:

• risk
• child abuse
• child welfare
• social work