Description
The Criminalisation and Exploitation of Children in Care explores the results of a recent qualitative study, which focused on multi-agency responses to children and young people in residential and foster care who were at risk of criminalisation and/or exploitation and abuse.
Recent high-profile reports have highlighted an urgent need for effective multi-agency work to tackle the issues of criminalisation and exploitation of children and young people in care. However, progress to date has been slow, and it is clear that there is still some way to go before effective multi-agency working becomes widespread. In response, this book draws upon the experiences and perspectives of practitioners from a sample of co-located Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs, as well as the latest research, theory and policy developments in the field. In doing so, it explores both the benefits and challenges of multi-agency working and concludes with recommendations for future policy and practice.
This timely study will be of great interest to students and scholars of criminology, criminal justice, policing studies, social work, health and childhood studies. It will also be a valuable tool for practitioners and policymakers in the criminal, youth justice and social service arenas.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Setting the Scene
Introduction
Who is in care and where do they live?
Criminalisation
Child Sexual Exploitation
CSE and Offending
Child Criminal Exploitation
Multi-agency working: the way forward?
Chapter 2: Advantages and challenges of multi-agency working
Introduction
Failures in children’s services: A recent history of multi-agency working
Current multi-agency policy
Features of multi-agency working
Definitions of multi-agency working
Models of multi-agency working
Factors relating to effective multi-agency working
The challenges of multi-agency working
Barriers to multi-agency working
Conclusion
Chapter 3: Theory and Methodology
Introduction
Communities of Practice: A theory of multi-agency working
Methodology: Qualitative approach
Research Design: Methods
Research process: sampling, data collection and analysis
Ethical Considerations and Reflexivity
Conclusion
Chapter 4: Criminalisation
Introduction
The continuing problem of residential care
Placement movement
Foster Care: positive perceptions and mixed messages
The role of the police
Conclusion
Chapter 5: Exploitation
Introduction
Vulnerability of children in care
Forms of exploitation
Residential care and exploitation
The interplay between criminalisation and exploitation
New Directions
Conclusion
Chapter 6: Perspectives of MASH Team working: approaching a ‘community of practice’?
Introduction
Benefits of Multi-Agency Working
Challenges of Multi-Agency Working
Summary
A community of practice?
Chapter Seven: Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Introduction
Criminalisation
Exploitation
Multi-Agency Responses
Conclusion
