The challenge of engaging fathers in the child protection process

This commentary piece gives an overview of the well-known difficulties of engaging fathers in the child protection process and makes some suggestions about constructive responses from services. There is brief discussion of the historical context of the problem, current child welfare policy, the culture of front-line practice amongst child protection staff and the behaviour of fathers who come to the attention of child protection staff. Ideas for changes in policy and practice include embracing more sophisticated theory, avoiding the dualistic responses of seeing men as either risk or resource, institutionalising the engagement of men as core business and building on interventions that have been found by research to be effective. A range of effective interventions may be relevant, including cognitive-behavioural work with abusive men and strengths-based family work such as the family group conference

Constructing men in child protection work

The child protection process has been characterized by some commentators as being primarily concerned with the scrutiny of mothering. For a variety of reasons, social workers tend to spend relatively little time working with men in families where children are considered to be at risk. Even where a man is considered to be the primary abuser in a family, the usual approach is to concentrate on the mother's “failure to protect” the children. This article presents an analysis of data from an ethnographic study in a child and family social work team in the United Kingdom, which set out to explore this concentration on mothering and avoidance of men. The article outlines some discourses of masculinity in the occupational culture of child protection social work: men as a threat, men as no use, men as irrelevant, men as absent, men as no different from women, and men as better than women. The author's contention is that if injustice to women in social work provision is to be addressed, these gendered constructions of clients have to be made explicit and their implications understood

Islamic social work in the UK: the service user experience

There has been growing interest in religion and spirituality within social work literature. However, little empirical research has explored Islamic welfare organisations and especially their significance for service users. This article presents findings from an evaluation of a British Islamic social work organisation (Ihsaan Social Support Association (ISSA) Wales), drawing on qualitative interviews with Muslim service users (n = 8) and quantitative findings from the service user database (n = 495), a quality-of-life assessment (n = 42) and a satisfaction survey (n = 36). In discussing the qualitative findings, religious authority, authenticity, culture, gender and the role of mosques are considered in analysing why the organisation’s services were perceived as beneficial to their Muslim service users. Over three-quarters of those responding to a satisfaction survey reported that the help from the organisation had improved their well-being, but quantitative data from assessment and review showed no evidence of either improvement or deterioration in quality of life over time, with the exception of social life, where there was a significant improvement. Overall, in exploring the experiences of these service users, the findings highlight the diversity within the category of the ‘Muslim service user’ and the potential contribution that Islamic social welfare organisations may make in meeting the needs of British Muslims

Gender, relationship breakdown, and suicide risk: a review of research in western countries

An association between divorce and suicide risk has been noted in numerous studies, but the gender profile of this risk has not been clearly established. This article reviews the evidence on gender differentials in suicide risk following the breakdown of an intimate relationship (including divorce and separation). Nineteen published articles that included individuallevel data were identified. Twelve reported a greater risk of suicide in men following relationship breakdown, two indicated a greater risk in women, and a further five showed no clear gender differential. Although there are possible indications of increased risk for men, no definitive conclusion about gender differential can be drawn. Furthermore, research is required that directly compares men with women for suicide risk following relationship breakdown

Religious adaptation of a parenting programme: process evaluation of the Family Links Islamic Values course for Muslim fathers

Background Amid concern about the reach and inclusivity of parenting interventions, attempts have been made to culturally adapt programmes for specific ethnic or linguistic groups. This paper describes a novel approach of the religious adaptation of a parenting programme, namely the Family Links Islamic Values course. Methods A small-scale qualitative process evaluation was conducted on one Family Links Islamic Values course for Muslim fathers in the South of England in order to describe the intervention as implemented and its theory of change, as well as the acceptability of the programme to the participants. The data consisted of 13 semi-structured interviews (10 with parents and three with staff), 25 h of observation and reading of programme manuals. Results A logic model is presented to describe the theoretical basis of the intervention. The programme was highly acceptable to fathers who valued the integration of religious teachings and were generally very positive about their experience of attending the course. Post-course interviews with both fathers and mothers mentioned some positive changes in fathers as a result of their attendance. Conclusions It is important to be responsive to the needs of some British Muslims for religiously credible interventions. This small-scale process evaluation needs to be followed by a robust evaluation of programme outcomes for parents and children

Liberty and respect in child protection

The paper begins by introducing Isaiah Berlin’s concepts of positive and negative liberty and the application of these concepts to child protection. There is discussion of some recent debates on the social and political context of state social work and child protection in particular. The authors then consider, in turn, the experience of children, parents and social workers in the child protection system. There is also a consideration of partnership and rights. The conclusion is that opportunities for statutory child protection to be liberating are limited, but that there is more potential than the most pessimistic accounts might allow. Rather than libertarian child protection, social workers can aim for child protection practice that is respectful. The paper concludes with some principles for respectful practice, based on the ideas of Richard Sennett. Most importantly, Sennett’s ideas recognise the importance of relationships in social welfare and acknowledge the context of inequality within which social work takes place

New Labour and the 'Problem of Men'

The New Labour government has arguably broken new ground by making `masculinity policy'. Whereas the policy process is always inevitably gendered, with implications for men as well as women, it is only in the last few years that a government has made quite such explicit references to men in some areas of policy. The most high-profile initiatives have been in relation to fathering and the education of boys. In this article, we make out a case that New Labour proceeds with policy optimism about men in the home and pessimism about men outside the home. In contrast, there has been policy pessimism about women in the home and optimism about women outside the home. Where New Labour is optimistic, it tends to produce policies that are encouraging and facilitative, and where New Labour is pessimistic, it can produce policies that are authoritarian

Why might men be more at risk of suicide after a relationship breakdown? Sociological insights

Relationship breakdown constitutes a major risk factor for suicide ideation and completion. Although no definitive conclusion can be reached about a gender differential in susceptibility to this factor, several studies have identified that there is an elevated risk factor in men following divorce and separation. This paper presents an overview of sociological explanations that may be employed to understand this phenomenon. There is discussion of: the changing nature of intimacy; men’s loss of honour; marriage as a more positive experience for men than for women; control in relationships; the increasing importance of the care of children for men; and men’s social networks. The paper concludes with possible implications for policy and practice