A bit more understanding: Young adults' views of mental health services in care in Ireland

Children and young people in the care system typically experience very high levels of mental health difficulties, yet their views of these difficulties and of mental health services have rarely been explored. For this qualitative study we spoke with eight young adults aged 18 to 27 years with experience of the care system in Ireland about mental health challenges, service experiences, and how they felt mental health services needed to improve. Themes from the interviews illuminated young adults' views of their emotional well-being while in care, and the double stigma of being in care and mental health difficulties. In terms of services, young adults wanted these to be flexible and sensitive to level of need; to offer choice and more congenial environments; to provide more creative routes to engaging young people; and to offer honest, reciprocal, caring communication — treating children in care as one would any child. Recommendations highlight three key needs: an ethic of care in services as well as an ethic of justice; mental health training for all professionals in contact with children in care; and the need to listen, hear and act on what children and young people sa

A traumatised and traumatising system: Professionals' experiences in meeting the mental health needs of young people in the care and youth justice systems in Ireland

It is well recognised that children and young people in the care and youth justice systems typically present with significant and diverse mental health needs. Much has been written about this challenging area of professional practice but the focus has been primarily on the young people themselves rather than professionals' experiences of working in this challenging context. In this study, focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with 26 professionals working in the care and youth justice services in Ireland, representing a range of disciplines, to capture professionals' perspectives of working in this field. A thematic analysis was conducted on the transcribed data. Professionals described frustration and helplessness in the face of what they perceived as inadequate system responses and poor interagency working. Their experiences are conceptualised here as reflecting a traumatised and traumatising system. The implications for practice emphasise the need for staff support through training, collaboration between agencies, and addressing vicarious traumatisation

Current Perspectives on Violence Against Children in Europe

The chapter will outline recent and ongoing policy and strategic initiatives, including initiatives by the European Society of Children’s ombudsmans/Children’s Commissioners. Current challenges facing children’s rights in Europe will be discussed, including sexual exploitation, online risks, corporal punishment and migration

Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse, Links to Subsequent Sexual Exploitation and Prevention/Treatment Programmes: a Literature Review

Evidence that the sexual abuse of children is universally widespread, and is most frequently perpetrated by family members, neighbours and others known to the child or adolescent is indisputable. Studies have consistently found that victims are vulnerable to subsequent sexual revictimization in adolescence and adulthood. They are also more likely than non-victims to engage in potentially harmful and damaging high-risk sexual behaviours, such as early age at first intercourse, multiple partners, low contraception use and prostitution. Ecological models, which incorporate explanations at the individual, family, community and societal level help explain this link. Interventions in the area of prevention of child sexual abuse have not kept pace with international policy guidelines. Preliminary attempts at mass media campaigns and school-based prevention programmes have shown some improvements in the increase of knowledge and, to a more limited degree, the acquisition of skills. As yet, there is no evidence that such interventions have prevented sexual abuse from occurring in the first place. However, broad-based prevention programmes aimed at preventing child maltreatment in general (as opposed to child sexual abuse in particular) may have something to offer in informing child sexual abuse prevention programmes. There is considerable evidence to support the use of various therapeutic modalities in intervening with children and families following the experience of child sexual abuse. However, researchers have identified significant methodological limitations in the extant research literature that impede the making of recommendations for implementing existing therapeutic programmes unreservedly

Child abuse in Europe

This chapter gives an overview of child abuse in Europe including definitions, prevalence, intervention & legal responses. . We outline the key contemporary issues, drawing in particular on the Council of Europe’s strategy for the promotion of children’s’ rights and the protection of children from violence, Building a Europe for and with Children (2012 – 2015)

Child Sexual Abuse, Links to Later Sexual Exploitation/High-Risk Sexual Behavior, and Prevention/Treatment Programs

This paper reviews the literature on the nature and incidence of child sexual abuse, explores the link between child sexual abuse and later sexual exploitation, and reviews the literature on prevention strategies and effective interventions in child sexual abuse services. Our understanding of the international epidemiology of child sexual abuse is considerably greater than it was just 10 years ago, and studies from around the world are examined. Childhood sexual abuse can involve a wide number of psychological sequelae, including low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Numerous studies have noted that child sexual abuse victims are vulnerable to later sexual revictimization, as well as the link between child sexual abuse and later engagement in high-risk sexual behaviour. Survivors of child sexual abuse are more likely to have multiple sex partners, become pregnant as teenagers, and experience sexual assault as adults. Various models which attempt to account for this inter-relationship are presented; most invoke mediating variables such as low self-esteem, drug/alcohol use, PTSD and distorted sexual development. Prevention strategies for child sexual abuse are examined including media campaigns, schoolbased prevention programmes, and therapy with abusers. The results of a number of meta-analyses are examined. However, researchers have identified significant methodological limitations in the extant research literature that impede the making of recommendations for implementing existing therapeutic programmes unreservedly

Traffickers: Are They Business People, Psychopaths or Both?

Human trafficking has become a very contentious issue, constituting one of the most grievous human rights violations and most lucrative activities for criminal gangs and individuals. The selling and buying of human beings as a commodity has become so profitable and the industry so big that armed groups and terrorist organisations are turning to trafficking in people as a source of income to fund their organisations. Traffickers motivated by profit take advantage of vulnerable individuals, ignoring the consequences of their actions on those lives. The trafficker’s apparent lack of empathy or guilt and the ability to shut the self off from the impact of their actions is not unlike some of the noted characteristics of a psychopath. This chapter reviews published literature on trafficking and discusses whether there are psychopathic tendencies among traffickers or if they are primarily motivated by profit alone