1、未成年人及儿童保护外文文献翻译未成年人及儿童保护外文翻译2020英文“We are consultants, not collaborators”: Young peoples experiences with child protection meetings in GhanaEbenezer Cudjoe, Lars Uggerhoj, Alhassan AbdullahAbstractBackgroundNational child welfare policies and legislation in Ghana suggest that children and young peop
2、le should be involved in decisions affecting their lives. However, till date, the experiences of young people concerning their participation with child protection meetings have not been reported.ObjectiveTo develop better ways to improve childrens participation in child protection in Ghana, the expe
3、riences of young people with child protection meetings were explored.Participants and settingThirteen young people (5 males, 8 females) in contact with the Department of Social Welfare were involved in the study.MethodsA qualitative approach using the interpretive phenomenology guided the conduct of
4、 the study. Data from in-depth interviews were analysed following thematic analysis.ResultsThe following themes summarised young peoples experiences with their participation in child protection meetings; a) not informed b) child protection meetings as adult business and c) presenting view on case. R
5、esponses from the young people showed that there were instances where they felt part of the meetings and times they were left out.ConclusionThe study confirms findings from the western literature suggesting that young people have limited opportunities to participate in decisions affecting their live
6、s. The findings demonstrate that the context where participation occurs is an essential consideration for social workers involving children in child protection meetings. The study provides culturally relevant measures needed to promote childrens participation in child protection meetings in Ghana.Ke
7、ywords: children and young people, child protection meetings, participation, experiences, GhanaIntroductionThere have been many studies investigating children and young peoples participation in receiving child protection and child welfare services (Bouma et al., 2018,Kennan et al., 2018,Woolfson et
8、al., 2010). Studies have reported on benefits for involving children and young people in child protection meetings: generally, young people experience an improved self-esteem, lower levels of out of home placements, better outcomes and proper protection when given the opportunity to present their vi
9、ews in child protection meetings (Vis, Strandbu, Holtan, & Thomas, 2011). Young people have also observed that decisions are likely to respond to their needs when they are involved in the process (Nybell, 2013). Yet, children and young people are generally considered a vulnerable population in need
10、of protection. The construction of young people as individuals in need of protection makes it difficult to view them as people who should be involved in decision making, especially in child protection issues where hostile situations could develop(Healy & Darlington, 2009). Despite the vulnerability
11、that young people may possess, recent literature suggest an increasing recognition of young people as agents with legal and social rights to participation, protection and provision and as active participants in decisions affecting their lives(Balsells et al., 2017,Horwath et al., 2012; Inchaurrondo,
12、 FuentesPelez, Vicente, & Bols, 2018;Sanders & Mace, 2006). A number of advanced countries such as Sweden, Norway, United States, Australia and the United Kingdom have realisedchildren and young peoples rights to be involved in decisions concerning them within the child protection context by develop
13、ing practice-basedframeworks and legislation to support participatory practices for young people(Heimer et al., 2018,Kri and Skivenes, 2017,Woodman et al., 2018). Similarly, Ghana is signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which requires member countries to ensu
14、re children and young peoplehave a say in matters affecting them (See Article 12 and 13 of the UNCRC). Further, local policies and legislation including the Childrens Act 1998, Act 560 and the Child and Family Welfare Policy of 2014 have been introduced in Ghana to harmonise international legislatio
15、n into local contexts. Policies and legislation on childrens rights in Ghana mention the need to involve children and young people when making decisions that affect their wellbeing. Child protection meetings with families often result in decision making that affects the wellbeing of young people (Wo
16、odman et al., 2018; Authors 2018a). Yet, there is very little understanding of young peoples experiences with child protection meetings in Ghana. This study is expected to create awareness in research in the area by asking young people to reflect on their experiences of their contact with social wor
17、kers during child protection meetings.Although the many benefits for involving young people in child protection meetings have been highlighted, studies have also reported negative experiences of young people about their participation. For example, Kriand Roundtree-Swain (2017) have found that in sit
18、uations where young people are removed from their homes into foster care, they are often not informed about reasons for their removal nor provided information on what is happening in their home.Bessell (2011)further argues that even when young peoples views are listened to, they are sometimes not ac
19、ted upon. This may be due to the influence that parents wield on their children(Woodman et al., 2018), as social workers are unlikely to act on young peoples views when they suspect the child is being influenced by the parent on what to say.The term child protection is used in this study to refer to
20、 issues pertaining to child abuse or neglect. Therefore, issues involving childrens participation in child protection refer to instances where children are given the opportunity, by adults (social workers), to have a say in child protection meetings where issues of child abuse and neglect are discus
21、sed (Bouma et al., 2018). Child protection meetings are often participated by family members and children involved in the case with social worker as the facilitator (Dahl, Tor, & Randi, 2018; Authors 2018b). A goal is to address the problems of children who are abused or neglected by providing the r
22、equired protection to improve their safety and wellbeing. Decisions made during child protection meetings affect the safety and wellbeing of children because they are often the centre of such meetings (Toros, Tiko, & Saia, 2013). Thus, decision making in child protection raises issues about the safe
23、ty of children as young people themselves have indicated they have feelings of safety when involved in the decision making process (Vis et al., 2011). The study hopes to contribute to the child protection literature by exploring how children are involved in decision making to identify better ways to
24、 promote their safety and wellbeing.Childrens position regarding their participation in GhanaThe Department of Social Welfare in Ghana is the main state organisation responsible for dealing with child protection issues. Broadly, the Department handles issues of child abuse and neglect, domestic viol
25、ence, parental irresponsibility and a number of family issues affecting the wellbeing of children (Department of Social Welfare, 2015; Authors, 2018c). In cases of potential child abuse or neglect, such as parents reported of neglecting the basic provisions of their children (child maintenance) and
26、parents needing legal custody of their children (custody cases), social workers at the Department hold case meetings with families to find ways to address the maltreatment to ensure that children live in a safe family environment. In Ghanas child welfare system, case meetings are conducted as part o
27、f social workers assessment, to obtain detailed information and recommendations from families. As per normal practice, both children and their parents are to be involved in the case meetings because the cases often result in decision making that affects children. In Norway, children as young as 7 ye
28、ars are allowed to participate in child protection decisions (Kri & Skivenes, 2017). This gives social workers the legal backing to involve children. Similarly, legislation in Finland sets childrens age for participation at 12 years. In Australia, it has been found that younger children may not be g
29、iven enough opportunities for participation (Woodman et al., 2018) However, children in Ghana are usually not involved in case meetings (Authors, 2018a; Authors, 2019a). Even when they are part of the case meetings, their views are often not sought neither are their opinions taken into consideration
30、 when decisions are made concerning their welfare. This is due, in part, to Ghanas cultural practice which does not permit children to have a say in meetings with adults (Twum-Danso, 2009). Children and young people are not expected to challenge or correct adults even if they make mistakes but to fo
31、llow their directions (Twum-Danso, 2009). As a result of this, children who express their views or are assertive are normally considered disrespectful or not trained well by their parents (Nukunya, 2016). Although the cultural practice can make it challenging to involve children in child protection
32、meetings, social workers in Ghana have indicated the need for children and young people to be part of child protection meetings (Authors, 2019b). The authors posit that exploring the experiences of young people with child protection meetings could help understand young peoples roles or positions in
33、child protection to develop better ways to promote their participation.Theoretical frameworkHart (1992)ladder of childrens participation is used as a theoretical framework to guide this study. The ladder is used because it provides an understanding of which element of participation is practised or can be observe
