Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Phippen, Andy
• Bond, Emma
• Simpson, Jennifer
• Westwood, Joanne
• Larkins, Cath

Titel

Biases, concerns and the erosion of rights: Addressing digital issues with adopted and fostered children in a policy vacuum

Ist Teil von

• Adoption & fostering, 2023-10, Vol.47 (3), p.245-261

Ort / Verlag

London, England: SAGE Publications

Erscheinungsjahr

2023

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Applied Social Sciences Index & Abstracts (ASSIA)

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Online harms and the resultant safeguarding approaches are a key challenge for those working in the children’s workforce. However, safety narratives and a wish to prevent harm, rather than mitigate risk, have arguably caused a safeguarding environment that is neither mindful of children’s rights nor in their best interests. When supporting adopted and looked after children, there are some specific challenges that can result in further caution in supporting children in their use of digital technology. Empirical data presents observations on a professional environment where, with a dearth of training or policy direction, professionals are left to bring their own biases and beliefs into safeguarding judgements and, in the rush to protect, often forget the importance of working across stakeholders rather than trying to resolve issues independently. Plain Language Summary In this article, we explore the concerns of professionals around the support of adopted and looked after children, addressing fears of online harm. Drawing upon different perspectives (from legal cases, young people and professionals), we highlight a tension between the concerns of these professionals and the challenges that adopted and looked after children face in balancing the importance of online technologies to keep in touch with friendship groups and their offline world, while remaining safe. While clearly the safety of the children is paramount for the professionals, we highlight the potential harms that can arise from excessive concern and personal biases, which are unsurprising given the lack of national coordination and media narratives. We propose a stakeholder model to balance the concerns of those who have safeguarding responsibilities with the rights of the child.