scholarly journals Managing Assessment. Quality Planning in Assessment Procedures of the Dutch Child Protection Board

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 531-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. van Nijnatten
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
Quality Planning ◽  
Dutch Child ◽  
Assessment Procedures

scholarly journals Implementation of the Dutch expertise centre for child abuse: descriptive data from the first 4 years

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. e031008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Robert van Rijn ◽  
Marjo J Affourtit ◽  
Wouter A Karst ◽  
Mascha Kamphuis ◽  
Leonie C de Bock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Clinical History ◽  
Skin Lesions ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Likelihood Ratios ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Dutch Child

ObjectiveCombined paediatric and forensic medical expertise to interpret physical findings is not available in Dutch healthcare facilities. The Dutch Expertise Centre for Child Abuse (DECCA) was founded in the conviction that this combination is essential in assessing potential physical child abuse. DECCA is a collaboration between the three paediatric hospitals and the Netherlands Forensic Institute. DECCA works with Bayes’ theorem and uses likelihood ratios in their conclusions.DesignWe present the implementation process of DECCA and cross-sectional data of the first 4 years.ParticipantsBetween 14 December 2014 and 31 December 2018, a total of 761 advisory requests were referred, all of which were included in this study. An advisee evaluation over the year 2015 was performed using a self-constructed survey to gain insight in the first experiences with DECCA.Results761 cases were included, 381 (50.1%) boys and 361 (47.4%) girls (19 cases (2.5%) sex undisclosed). Median age was 1.5 years (range 1 day to 20 years). Paediatricians (53.1%) and child safeguarding doctors (21.9%) most frequently contacted DECCA. The two most common reasons for referral were presence of injury/skin lesions (n=592) and clinical history inconsistent with findings (n=145). The most common injuries were bruises (264) and non-skull fractures (166). Outcome of DECCA evaluation was almost certainly no or improbable child abuse in 35.7%; child abuse likely or almost certain in 24.3%, and unclear in 12%. The advisee evaluations (response rate 50%) showed that 93% experienced added value and that 100% were (very) satisfied with the advice.ConclusionData show growing interest in the expertise of DECCA through the years. DECCA seems to be a valuable addition to Dutch child protection, since advisee value the service and outcome of DECCA evaluations. In almost half of the cases, DECCA concluded that child abuse could not be substantiated.

The level-headed approach on errors and mistakes in Dutch child protection: an individual duty or a shared responsibility?

2020 ◽  
pp. 75-94
Author(s):  
Kirti Zeijlmans ◽  
Tom van Yperen ◽  
Mónica López López
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Youth Care ◽  
Child Care Workers ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
First Case ◽  
Dutch Child ◽  
Reference Index

The leading discourse in the Netherlands on errors and mistakes is focused on cases that have resulted in fatal injuries. These have shocked the nation, sparked debate and inspired change. In the Netherlands, the most profound debate resulted from the death of 3-year old Savanna in 2004, the first case where an employee of the child protection agency was prosecuted for manslaughter by negligence. Over the years, the case of Savanna became an iconic part of the discourse on child protection policy, in which the term ‘Savanna-effect’ was used to refer to the shift by child care workers to risk-averse practices for fear of prosecution. Initiatives aimed at improving timely detection of children at risk, such as the reporting code of conduct (‘meldcode’) and the Reference Index for High-Risk Youngsters (‘Verwijsindex Risicojongeren’) were introduced. The discourse turned when critics claimed that the system focused too much on a fear of incidents, causing a disproportional number of children to enter out-of-home placements. This observation inspired the Youth Act 2015, which promotes the restoration and strengthening of the parents’ problem-solving abilities and responsibilities, and aims to reduce regulatory pressures on youth care professionals. This chapter reports on two studies conducted in the new child protection system: an analysis of Dutch reports on major calamities since 2015 and a media analysis of the same period. These studies indicate the current public discourse as well as the underlying problems that were identified by the Youth Care Inspection.

scholarly journals The Use of Age Assessment in the Context of Child Migration: Imprecise, Inaccurate, Inconclusive and Endangers Children’s Rights

Children ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 85
Author(s):  
Ranit Mishori
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
Migrant Children ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Best Interest ◽  
Age Assessment ◽  
The Us ◽  
Constrained Environments ◽  
Great Scrutiny ◽  
Child Migration ◽  
Assessment Procedures

Anecdotal reports suggest migrant children at the US border have had to undergo age assessment procedures to prove to immigration officials they qualify for special protections afforded to those under age 18. There are a variety of methods to assess the chronological ages of minors, including imaging studies such as X-rays of the wrist, teeth, or collarbone. However, these procedures have come under great scrutiny for being arbitrary and inaccurate, with a significant margin of error, because they are generally based on reference materials that do not take into account ethnicity, nutritional status, disease, and developmental history, considerations which are especially relevant for individuals coming from conflict and/or resource-constrained environments. Using these procedures for migration purposes represent an unethical use of science and medicine, which can potentially deprive minors with the protections that they are owed under US and international laws, and which may have devastating consequences. We should advocate for the creation special protocols, educate law enforcement and legal actors, ensure such procedures are carried out only as a last resort and by independent actors, emphasize child protection and always put the child’s best interest at the core.

Professional conversations with children in divorce-related child welfare inquiries

Childhood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 540-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolus van Nijnatten ◽  
Esli Jongen
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Rights Of The Child ◽  
Dutch Child ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Way ◽  
Professional Conversations

Over the last few decades, the role of children in conversations about post-divorce arrangements has become more prominent. Children are approached as active participants in the (post-)divorce process rather than just victims of matrimonial and post-matrimonial discord. In accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, children have the right to be informed about the procedures and are free to express their opinions. The focus of this study is the conversational position of children in the inquiry by the Dutch Child Protection Board in cases of divorce in which parents cannot reach an agreement about custody and visiting arrangements. This study presents an analysis of the interactions between the Board’s representatives and children, and examines the way the children are informed about procedures, their participatory role and the effects on their disclosures of their ideas and feelings about the events taking place in their family.

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