IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v79y2017icp418-425.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Listening to the voices of children in decision-making: A challenge for the child protection system in Spain

Author

Listed:
  • Balsells, M. Ángeles
  • Fuentes-Peláez, Nuria
  • Pastor, Crescencia

Abstract

The right of children to participate in decisions that impact their lives has been widely recognized, but it is scarcely present in the decision-making processes within the child protection system. Although research provides evidence of the benefits of such participation, we still know little about its presence in family reunification processes. This paper examines the voices of children and adolescents at the time of removal and reunification in the child protection process. The perspectives of 135 persons were taken through in-depth interviews and group discussions, namely, 30 children and adolescents, 42 biological parents, and 63 professionals in the child protection system. The results suggest that 1) the information that is provided to children and adolescents is inaccurate and incomplete at all stages of the decision-making process, 2) the degree of understanding the reasons that underlie the decision-making is minimal, 3) the main reason for removal defines how the child is involve in participation, and 4) the participation of children and adolescents in the reunification process contributes to its success and stability. The practical implications concern both the need to train professionals and the establishment of mechanisms that ensure children's participation on the continuum of the development of the case plan.

Suggested Citation

  • Balsells, M. Ángeles & Fuentes-Peláez, Nuria & Pastor, Crescencia, 2017. "Listening to the voices of children in decision-making: A challenge for the child protection system in Spain," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 418-425.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:79:y:2017:i:c:p:418-425
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.06.055
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S019074091730244X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.06.055?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Balsells, Maria Àngels & Pastor, Crescencia & Mateos, Ainoa & Vaquero, Eduard & Urrea, Aida, 2015. "Exploring the needs of parents for achieving reunification: The views of foster children, birth family and social workers in Spain," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 159-166.
    2. Carme Montserrat, 2014. "The Child Protection System from the Perspective of Young People: Messages from 3 Studies," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-18, October.
    3. Nybell, Lynn M., 2013. "Locating “youth voice:” Considering the contexts of speaking in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 1227-1235.
    4. Roger A. Hart, 1992. "Children's Participation: From tokenism to citizenship," Papers inness92/6, Innocenti Essay.
    5. Arad-Davidzon, Bilhah & Benbenishty, Rami, 2008. "The role of workers' attitudes and parent and child wishes in child protection workers' assessments and recommendation regarding removal and reunification," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 107-121, January.
    6. Ainoa MATEOS & M. Angels BALSELLS & Mari Cruz MOLINA & Nuria FUENTES-PELAEZ, 2012. "The Perception Adolescents in Kinship Foster Care Have of their Own Needs (English version)," Revista de cercetare si interventie sociala, Editura Lumen, Department of Economics, vol. 38, pages 25-41, September.
    7. Osmo, Rujla & Benbenishty, Rami, 2004. "Children at risk: rationales for risk assessments and interventions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 26(12), pages 1155-1173, December.
    8. M. Angeles Balsells & Crescencia Pastor & Pere Amorós & Ainoa Mateos & Carmen Ponce & Alicia Navajas, 2014. "Child Welfare and Successful Reunification through the Socio-Educative Process: Training Needs among Biological Families in Spain," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 3(4), pages 1-18, October.
    9. Angels BALSELLS & Pere AMOROS & Nuria FUENTES-PELAEZ & Ainoa MATEOS, 2011. "Needs Analysis for a Parental Guidance Program for Biological Family: Spain’s Current Situation (English version)," Revista de cercetare si interventie sociala, Editura Lumen, Department of Economics, vol. 34, pages 21-37, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Berit Skauge & Anita Skårstad Storhaug & Edgar Marthinsen, 2021. "The What, Why and How of Child Participation—A Review of the Conceptualization of “Child Participation” in Child Welfare," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-15, February.
    2. Anna Massons-Ribas & M. Àngels Balsells & Neus Cortada, 2021. "The Participation of Children and Adolescents in the Protection System: The Case of the Spanish Legislation," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-13, July.
    3. Lee, Charmaine J.M. & Goh, Esther C.L., 2020. "Using vignettes as a ‘safe space’ for low-income children to discuss sensitive topics in social work assessment," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    4. Paulo Delgado & João M. S. Carvalho & Sílvia Alves, 2023. "Children and Young People’s Participation in decision-making in Foster Care," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(1), pages 421-445, February.
    5. Gabriel, Thomas, 2023. "The child – Object or subject of child care?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    6. Cudjoe, Ebenezer & Uggerhøj, Lars & Abdullah, Alhassan, 2020. "“We are consultants, not collaborators”: Young people’s experiences with child protection meetings in Ghana," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    7. Gazit, Matan & Perry-Hazan, Lotem, 2020. "Disadvantaged youth’s participation in collective decision making," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    8. Floor Middel & Wendy Post & Mónica López López & Hans Grietens, 2021. "Participation of Children Involved in the Child Protection System – Validation of the Meaningful Participation Assessment Tool (MPAT)," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(2), pages 713-735, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Diana N. Teixeira & Isabel Narciso & Margarida R. Henriques, 2022. "Driving for Success in Family Reunification—Professionals’ Views on Intervention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-20, December.
    2. Anna Massons-Ribas & M. Àngels Balsells & Neus Cortada, 2021. "The Participation of Children and Adolescents in the Protection System: The Case of the Spanish Legislation," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-13, July.
    3. Balsells Bailón, M. Àngels & Urrea-Monclús, Aida & Vaquero Tió, Eduard & Fernández-Rodrigo, Laura, 2022. "The voices of children, mothers, and fathers: Can parenting programs improve reunification processes in the Spanish child protection system?," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    4. Fylkesnes, Marte Knag & Taylor, Julie & Iversen, Anette Christine, 2018. "Precarious participation: Exploring ethnic minority youth's narratives about out-of-home placement in Norway," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 341-347.
    5. Havlicek, Judy & Curry, Ashley & Villalpando, Fabiola, 2018. "Youth participation in foster youth advisory boards: Perspectives of facilitators," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 255-270.
    6. Cudjoe, Ebenezer & Uggerhøj, Lars & Abdullah, Alhassan, 2020. "“We are consultants, not collaborators”: Young people’s experiences with child protection meetings in Ghana," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    7. Berit Skauge & Anita Skårstad Storhaug & Edgar Marthinsen, 2021. "The What, Why and How of Child Participation—A Review of the Conceptualization of “Child Participation” in Child Welfare," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-15, February.
    8. Dena Arya & Matt Henn, 2021. "COVID-ized Ethnography: Challenges and Opportunities for Young Environmental Activists and Researchers," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-15, June.
    9. Mona Treude & Ralf Schüle & Hans Haake, 2022. "Smart Sustainable Cities—Case Study Südwestfalen Germany," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-16, May.
    10. Venables, Jemma, 2019. "Practitioner perspectives on implementing an alternative response in statutory child protection: The role of local practice context and leadership teams in shaping practice," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    11. Rabassa, Judit & Fuentes-Peláez, Nuria, 2023. "Effectiveness of group intervention in improving kinship care families’ outcomes: A systematic review of group interventions aimed at kinship caregivers and youth in kinship care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    12. Richard Peter Bailey & Suria Angit, 2022. "Conceptualising Inclusion and Participation in the Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-14, August.
    13. Richard Maclure, 2017. "Youth Reflexivity as Participatory Research in Senegal: A Field Study of Reciprocal Learning and Incremental Transformations," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 5(3), pages 251-261.
    14. Gazit, Matan & Perry-Hazan, Lotem, 2020. "Disadvantaged youth’s participation in collective decision making," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    15. de Kwaadsteniet, Leontien & Bartelink, Cora & Witteman, Cilia & ten Berge, Ingrid & van Yperen, Tom, 2013. "Improved decision making about suspected child maltreatment: Results of structuring the decision process," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 347-352.
    16. Duramy, Benedetta Faedi & Gal, Tali, 2020. "Understanding and implementing child participation: Lessons from the Global South," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    17. Davidson-Arad, Bilha & Kaznelson, Hagith, 2010. "Comparison of parents' and social workers' assessments of the quality of life of children at risk," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 711-719, May.
    18. Tritter, Jonathan Quetzal & McCallum, Alison, 2006. "The snakes and ladders of user involvement: Moving beyond Arnstein," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 156-168, April.
    19. Matthew Morton & Paul Montgomery, 2010. "PROTOCOL: Youth empowerment programs for improving self‐efficacy and self‐esteem of adolescents," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 6(1), pages 1-38.
    20. Nir, Tal & Perry-Hazan, Lotem, 2016. "The framed right to participate in municipal youth councils and its educational impact," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 174-183.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:79:y:2017:i:c:p:418-425. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.