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.

The Voice of the Child in Child Protection Decision-Making

2020 ◽  
pp. 263-280
Author(s):  
Susanne Witte ◽  
Mónica López López ◽  
Helen Baldwin
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Children’S Participation ◽  
Participation In Decision Making ◽  
Children's Participation ◽  
The Right

Children’s participation in all matters that concern them, particularly child protection decision-making, have many positive effects on children. It is also their right granted by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, in child protection practice there are many obstacles to including children in decision-making processes. First, the article reviews the policy and public discourse in England, Germany, and the Netherlands regarding children’s participation in investigations into suspected child maltreatment. Second, an analysis of 1,207 case files of investigations into suspected child maltreatment unfolds the extent of children’s participation and factors associated with participation within the three countries. Although all three countries grant the right to participate in decision-making to children, documented participation in child protection decision-making is very low even when older children are considered. Children’s participation in decision-making is closely linked to caretakers’ participation in decision-making. Thus, children are almost never included in decision-making when their caretaker is not. Children’s participation is associated with a higher likelihood for individual support for children in the Netherlands and Germany. The results point to the need for research on barriers of children’s participation as well as the need to provide more resources for case workers to be able to facilitate children’s participation.

Double, triple or quadruple hits? Exploring the impact of cybercrime on victims in the Netherlands

2021 ◽  
pp. 026975802110106
Author(s):  
Raoul Notté ◽  
E.R. Leukfeldt ◽  
Marijke Malsch
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Moral Judgments ◽  
Victim Blaming ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insight Into

This article explores the impact of online crime victimisation. A literature review and 41 interviews – 19 with victims and 22 with experts – were carried out to gain insight into this. The interviews show that most impacts of online offences correspond to the impacts of traditional offline offences. There are also differences with offline crime victimisation. Several forms of impact seem to be specific to victims of online crime: the substantial scale and visibility of victimhood, victimisation that does not stop in time, the interwovenness of online and offline, and victim blaming. Victims suffer from double, triple or even quadruple hits; it is the accumulation of different types of impact, enforced by the limitlessness in time and space, which makes online crime victimisation so extremely invasive. Furthermore, the characteristics of online crime victimisation greatly complicate the fight against and prevention of online crime. Finally, the high prevalence of cybercrime victimisation combined with the severe impact of these crimes seems contradictory with public opinion – and associated moral judgments – on victims. Further research into the dominant public discourse on victimisation and how this affects the functioning of the police and victim support would be valuable.

scholarly journals Emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants in the Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aysun Urhan ◽  
Thomas Abeel
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Population Diversity ◽  
Genomic Variation ◽  
Population Variation ◽  
Reference Sequence ◽  
Viral Population ◽  
Phylogenetic Study ◽  
First Case ◽  
Novel Variants ◽  
Frequent Mutations

AbstractCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged in December 2019 when the first case was reported in Wuhan, China and turned into a pandemic with 27 million (September 9th) cases. Currently, there are over 95,000 complete genome sequences of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus causing COVID-19, in public databases, accompanying a growing number of studies. Nevertheless, there is still much to learn about the viral population variation when the virus is evolving as it continues to spread. We have analyzed SARS-CoV-2 genomes to identify the most variant sites, as well as the stable, conserved ones in samples collected in the Netherlands until June 2020. We identified the most frequent mutations in different geographies. We also performed a phylogenetic study focused on the Netherlands to detect novel variants emerging in the late stages of the pandemic and forming local clusters. We investigated the S and N proteins on SARS-CoV-2 genomes in the Netherlands and found the most variant and stable sites to guide development of diagnostics assays and vaccines. We observed that while the SARS-CoV-2 genome has accumulated mutations, diverging from reference sequence, the variation landscape is dominated by four mutations globally, suggesting the current reference does not represent the virus samples circulating currently. In addition, we detected novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 almost unique to the Netherlands that form localized clusters and region-specific sub-populations indicating community spread. We explored SARS-CoV-2 variants in the Netherlands until June 2020 within a global context; our results provide insight into the viral population diversity for localized efforts in tracking the transmission of COVID-19, as well as sequenced-based approaches in diagnostics and therapeutics. We emphasize that little diversity is observed globally in recent samples despite the increased number of mutations relative to the established reference sequence. We suggest sequence-based analyses should opt for a consensus representation to adequately cover the genomic variation observed to speed up diagnostics and vaccine design.

Essence and Scope of Strengthening Community-Based Preventive Child Care and Protection Systems in India

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranjan Kanti Panda ◽  
Lopamudra Mullick ◽  
Subhadeep Adhikari ◽  
Neepa Basu ◽  
Archana Kumari
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Child Care ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
National Level ◽  
Family Care ◽  
Children At Risk ◽  
Development Organization ◽  
Sectoral Development ◽  
Family Based

This article reflects different programmes and resource components that may be promoted to keep children with either their own family or within alternative family care, satisfying the rights of their overall development. In India, the concept of promoting family-based care mechanisms through government systems has not been fully realised, owing to lack of synergy between resource allocation and existing government programmes, policies and plans of action for child protection. Additionally, the common public discourse is that Child Care Institutions (CCIs) offer suitable care and protection for children outside the parental care. CCIs continue to be identified as the ultimate and the most common response for children at risk. This practice nullifies the scope to explore opportunities for the child to live with their family or in any alternative family care mechanisms. Child in Need Institute (CINI), 1 1 CINI is a national level development organization working on establishing child-friendly communities through its work on health, nutrition, child protection and education for the last forty-five years in India. partnering with Hope and Homes for Children, have analysed the vulnerability factors that led children to arrive at the selected CCIs in Ranchi and Khunti districts of Jharkhand in India. While working with children in the communities, CINI endeavoured to understand the drivers and vulnerabilities leading to family/child separation and what mechanisms could address the vulnerabilities at source and prevent separation. CINI promoted a participatory governance process with the involvement of community-level institutions along with children’s and women’s groups, incubating safe spaces for children that aided in identifying, tracking and promoting multi-sectoral development plans for children at risk. 

scholarly journals Does natural selection favour taller stature among the tallest people on earth?

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1806) ◽  
pp. 20150211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gert Stulp ◽  
Louise Barrett ◽  
Felix C. Tropf ◽  
Melinda Mills
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Child Survival ◽  
Average Height ◽  
Tall Stature ◽  
Age At First Birth ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
The North ◽  
Rate Of Increase

The Dutch are the tallest people on earth. Over the last 200 years, they have grown 20 cm in height: a rapid rate of increase that points to environmental causes. This secular trend in height is echoed across all Western populations, but came to an end, or at least levelled off, much earlier than in The Netherlands. One possibility, then, is that natural selection acted congruently with these environmentally induced changes to further promote tall stature among the people of the lowlands. Using data from the LifeLines study, which follows a large sample of the population of the north of The Netherlands ( n = 94 516), we examined how height was related to measures of reproductive success (as a proxy for fitness). Across three decades (1935–1967), height was consistently related to reproductive output (number of children born and number of surviving children), favouring taller men and average height women. This was despite a later age at first birth for taller individuals. Furthermore, even in this low-mortality population, taller women experienced higher child survival, which contributed positively to their increased reproductive success. Thus, natural selection in addition to good environmental conditions may help explain why the Dutch are so tall.

scholarly journals Exploring salutogenic mechanisms of an outdoor experiential learning programme on youth care farms in the Netherlands: untapped potential?

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ester Schreuder ◽  
Mandy Rijnders ◽  
Lenneke Vaandrager ◽  
Jan Hassink ◽  
Marie-José Enders-Slegers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Youth Care ◽  
Outdoor Experiential Learning

scholarly journals Parentalization of Same-Sex Couples: Family Formation and Leave Rights in Five Northern European Countries

2020 ◽  
pp. 397-428
Author(s):  
Marie Evertsson ◽  
Eva Jaspers ◽  
Ylva Moberg
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Transition To Parenthood ◽  
Family Formation ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Same Sex ◽  
Same Sex Couples ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Northern European ◽  
Laws And Policies ◽  
Married Female

AbstractThis chapter introduces the concept of parentalization, defined as the ability to become parents and be recognized as such, both legally and via social policies. Applying the concept to same-sex couples, we examine how states may facilitate or hinder the transition to parenthood through laws and policies in five Northern European countries; Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Trends in the number of children zero years of age in married/cohabiting same-sex couples suggest a link between parentalization and realized parenthood. As partly indicated by these trends, parentalization is a gendered concept, and parenthood is more readily available to some couples than to others. Perhaps most importantly, very few same-sex couples have been able to jointly adopt a child. The fact that married female couples face fewer barriers to parentalization than other non-traditional couples partly reflects dominant norms on gender and motherhood.

scholarly journals FACILITATING CHILDREN’S PARTICIPATION WITHIN MULTIDISCIPLINARY MEETINGS: GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR CHILD AND YOUTH CARE CENTRES

2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Johannisen ◽  
Carlien Van Wyk ◽  
Hannelie Yates
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
National Level ◽  
Youth Care ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
African Child ◽  
Child And Youth Care ◽  
Multidisciplinary Meetings ◽  
Children’S Participation ◽  
Guiding Principles ◽  
Children's Participation

Legislation on both an international and national level advocates that all children have a right to participate in all matters affecting them. This article reflects an interest in children’s participation in the broad field of child protection, and specifically within the context of South African child and youth care centres. Against this contextual background, the article aims to introduce guiding principles that may stimulate ongoing conversation on the facilitation of children’s participation in a specific space of decision-making within child and youth care centres, namely multidisciplinary meetings. Guiding principles were derived from a comprehensive qualitative study in which individual semi-structured interviews and focus group groups were conducted to collect data from residential social workers, child and youth care workers, and children from child and youth care centres in the greater metropolitan area of Cape Town in South Africa

First case of ataxia with isolated vitamin E deficiency in the Netherlands

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 315-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.C. Ponten ◽  
M.L. Kwee ◽  
E.Ch. Wolters ◽  
J.C.M. Zijlmans
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin E ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Vitamin E Deficiency ◽  
First Case

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.

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