Currently, child protection reform is generally understood as a move from residential to family-based alternative care and a need to build strong gatekeeping mechanisms. Moreover, many see it as something that needs to happen ‘over there, in the global South’, because ‘over here’ the system works, it just needs some fine-tuning and minor improvements. In this fine-tuning, the increasing trend of adding on trauma-informed practices is seen as a breakthrough and major improvement (don’t get me wrong, I’m not disputing that this is certainly a lot better than not having them). I have come to view this very differently.
Over the past five years, through research, study and based on practical experience, I have developed an increasing understanding of the way trauma impacts children, adults, families, societies and international relations. Over the past year, I have started exploring ways in which I can use this understanding to help bring about concrete changes. You may have come across some of the outcomes of that journey in the blog on the ‘road to peace’ (HERE), and in the model I developed about the ‘Trauma Wall’:
Gradually, this process has led me to develop a concept of child protection reform that goes far beyond what is currently being targeted.
There is no aspect of child protection that is not linked to trauma, often in complex and multiple ways. At the moment, being trauma-informed tends to mean that there is an understanding that the child is likely to have experienced trauma and that this can be the cause of challenging behaviour and reactions. However, it goes much further than this. Parents (or other caregivers) almost always provide their children with the best care they are capable of. The problem is not unwillingness, but inability or lack of capacity almost always stemming from their own trauma or traumatic circumstances. Child abuse and neglect, substance abuse, and domestic violence do not happen because caregivers think it would be a fun thing to do, they are trauma reactions.
The child protection reform that is needed absolutely everywhere is a foundational shift in how every aspect of a case is viewed. Not just a trauma-informed approach, but a fundamental trauma lens through which the whole case is viewed. Every social worker should be prepared and equipped to look for and recognise the trauma behind problematic dynamics and behaviours in every individual involved in a case. They should be able to support and/or refer family members to recognise and work through their trauma individually or collectively.
This ‘slight shift’ in approach will radically change the outcomes and long-term results of child protection cases. Because the current approach to child protection cases tends to be relatively superficial, which often effectively means it kicks the can down the road: the same or new problems emerge because the root causes are not addressed. Addressing the root cause of underlying trauma or current (potentially) traumatic circumstances will, in the long term, improve outcomes and drastically reduce the need for alternative care – except for very short-term or part-time (as in respite care) placements. In addition, it will have a significant ripple effect, because trauma that has been processed is not passed on and the trauma responses that come with a significant financial as well as psychosocial cost to society will reduce over time.
It is not an easy thing to accomplish. The child protection reform needed will require significant investment – which governments and organisations will be reluctant to make – and capacity building. New curricula will need to be developed to train social workers. However, it is an expense with a very high return on investment, both in terms of quality of lives and in financial savings (and increased income due to increased productivity). In this process of reform, the countries ‘over there’, which are transitioning away from a child protection system that relies predominantly on institutionalisation of children, are at an advantage. Because, as they build up a child protection system with a greater focus on preventing unnecessary separation of children and family-based care, they can build in the fundamental trauma lens from the start. Whereas, the ‘smug’ countries ‘over here’ will have to dig up their foundations to transform their systems.
Advocating for and working towards this child protection reform is going to be a major focus of my work, going forward. I am currently working on setting up a new website, called Beyond the Trauma Wall, as well as writing a book on the same topic. I will keep you informed on the developments in the work. And I invite others interested in working towards this child protection reform with a trauma lens to contact me to discuss how we can work together on it.
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