Stairwells, parks, playgrounds ... let’s target places where abuse happens | Alison Benjamin

Instead of just focusing on the family, contextual safeguarding aims to transform dangerous places into safe environments for young people

“A stairwell, a park, a shopping centre, an alleyway, a takeaway, outside a hotel or hostel, or even a school playground or classroom: these are all places where young people are being abused or are at risk of abuse,” says Carlene Firmin. For six years Firmin, who is a campaigner on safeguarding adolescents, especially young women affected by gang violence, has been developing a new approach to child protection which recognises that young people are often vulnerable to abuse outside the family environment. “Current child protection is not designed to tackle sexual exploitation, gang activity, or criminality like carrying knives or drug dealing, which are often the result of abuse by peers,” she says. “The job of child social workers and the legislation and policy that underpins it focuses on protecting young people from risks posed by their own family.”

Related: Knife crime has left London’s young people reeling. We need action now | Seraphima Kennedy

This approach would ensure that the location of an attack was also considered a target for assessment and intervention

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2LRGPsf