Towards a Critical Feminist Practice with Children and Families: Child Sexual Exploitation as an Exemplar

Abstract

This article argues for a critical feminist practice in relation to social work with children and families, this being urgently required to provide help and support to such service users in male-privileged, neoliberal and managerialist times. Such practice is especially pertinent as far as teenage girls and their families are concerned. As an exemplar we focus on child sexual exploitation (CSE), and in turn adolescent girls in local authority care who are over-represented in cases of CSE. Through a critical feminist lens we also critique aspects of current policy and practice in relation to a phenomenon that has recently moved up the political and child protection agenda in the UK.

Keywords:

• child sexual exploitation
• feminism
• managerialism
• neo-liberalism
• critical practice

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lisa Cooney

Lisa Cooney is an MA social work student at Manchester Metropolitan University. Email: [email protected]

Steve Rogowski

Steve Rogowski has been a practising social worker, mainly with children and families, across five decades. He has published widely about his experiences, with his latest book, Social Work with Children and Families: Reflections of a Critical Practitioner, recently published by Routledge. Correspondence to: Steve Rogowski. Email: [email protected]