Hostname: page-component-669899f699-vbsjw Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-24T20:14:27.880Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Barriers to Children's Participation in Child Protection Practice: The Views and Experiences of Practitioners in Ghana

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 October 2018

Alhassan Abdullah Open the ORCID record for Alhassan Abdullah [Opens in a new window] ,
Ebenezer Cudjoe Open the ORCID record for Ebenezer Cudjoe [Opens in a new window]  and
Margarita Frederico
Alhassan Abdullah*
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology and Social Work, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Ebenezer Cudjoe
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology and Social Work, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
Margarita Frederico
Affiliation:
Department of Community and Clinical Allied Health, La Trobe University, Australia
*
address for correspondence: Alhassan Abdullah, Department of Sociology and Social Work, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi-Ghana Private Mail Bag, University Post Office, Kumasi, Ghana. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) includes provisions to ensure that children and young people have a say in decisions affecting their lives. Although a signatory to the UNCRC, Ghana is a nation where little empirical evidence has been gathered regarding the barriers that prevent children from participating in child protection. Thus, in this article, we report on findings from a qualitative study into the barriers to children's participation in child protection practice in Ghana. The study was based on qualitative interviews with 15 child protection practitioners, and a constructivist grounded theory approach was used to analyse data from the interviews. Intimidation, parental influence, communication problems, and confidentiality were identified as barriers to promoting participatory practices for children in the child protection process. The study findings suggest that engaging with children in separate rooms or spaces, away from the presence of parents and other adults, could help practitioners promote children's participation. It is recommended that practitioners should upgrade their skills for working with children by taking part in in-service training, workshops, and seminars to help address issues with communication. Practical actions suggested in this study may also be useful for other practitioners addressing similar issues.

Keywords

child protectionchild protection practitionerschildren's participationdecision makingGhana
Type
Articles
Information
Children Australia , Volume 43 , Issue 4 , December 2018 , pp. 267 - 275
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Bettmann, J. E., Mortensen, J. M., & Akuoko, K. O. (2015). Orphanage caregivers’ perceptions of children's emotional needs. Children and Youth Services Review, 49 (Suppl. C), 71–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.01.003Google Scholar
Bouma, H., López López, M., Knorth, E. J., & Grietens, H. (2018). Meaningful participation for children in the Dutch child protection system: A critical analysis of relevant provisions in policy documents. Child Abuse and Neglect, 79, 279–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.02.016Google Scholar
Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis (1st edn.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.Google Scholar
Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing grounded theory (2nd edn.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.Google Scholar
Connolly, M. (2006). Fifteen years of family group conferencing: Coordinators talk about their experiences in Aotearoa New Zealand. The British Journal of Social Work, 36 (4), 523–540. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bch273Google Scholar
Cossar, J., Brandon, M., & Jordan, P. (2016). ‘You've got to trust her and she's got to trust you’: Children's views on participation in the child protection system. Child & Family Social Work, 21 (1), 103–112. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12115Google Scholar
Cudjoe, E., & Abdullah, A. (2018). Parental participation in child protection practice: The experiences of parents and workers in Ghana. Qualitative Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325017751039.Google Scholar
Dahlø, H. I. S., Tor, S., & Randi, J. (2018). Partnerships with children in child welfare: The importance of trust and pedagogical support. Child & Family Social Work, 23 (3), 443–450. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12435.Google Scholar
Healy, K., & Darlington, Y. (2009). Service user participation in diverse child protection contexts: Principles for practice. Child and Family Social Work, 14 (4), 420–430. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2009.00613.x.Google Scholar
Heimer, M., Näsman, E., & Palme, J. (2018). Vulnerable children's rights to participation, protection, and provision: The process of defining the problem in Swedish child and family welfare. Child & Family Social Work, 23 (2), 316–323. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12424.Google Scholar
Husby, I. S. D., Slettebø, T., & Juul, R. (2018). Partnerships with children in child welfare: The importance of trust and pedagogical support. Child & Family Social Work, 23 (3), 443–450. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12435.Google Scholar
Jobe, A., & Gorin, S. (2013). “If kids don't feel safe they don't do anything”: Young people's views on seeking and receiving help from children's social care services in England. Child and Family Social Work, 18 (4), 429–438. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2012.00862.x.Google Scholar
King, J., Wattam, J., & Blackstock, C. (2016). Reconciliation: The kids are here! Child participation and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal on First Nations child welfare. Canadian Journal of Children's Rights, 3 (1), 33–45.Google Scholar
Križ, K., & Skivenes, M. (2017). Child welfare workers’ perceptions of children's participation: A comparative study of England, Norway and the USA (California). Child & Family Social Work, 22 (S2), 11–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12224.Google Scholar
Manful, E., & Cudjoe, E. (2018). Is kinship failing? Views on informal support by families in contact with social services in Ghana. Child & Family Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12452.Google Scholar
Manful, E., & Manful, S. E. (2014). Child welfare in Ghana: The relevance of children's rights in practice. Journal of Social Work, 14 (3), 313–328. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017313477756.Google Scholar
Marvasti, A. (2004). Qualitative research in sociology (1st edn.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.Google Scholar
Ney, T., Stoltz, J.-A., & Maloney, M. (2013). Voice, power and discourse: Experiences of participants in family group conferences in the context of child protection. Journal of Social Work, 13 (2), 184–202. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017311410514.Google Scholar
Padgett, D. K. (2008). Qualitative methods in social work research (2nd edn.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.Google Scholar
Pölkki, P., Vornanen, R., Pursiainen, M., Riikonen, M., & Pölkki, P. (2012). Children's participation in child- protection processes as experienced by foster children and social workers. Child Care in Practice, 18 (2), 107–125. https://doi.org/10.1080/13575279.2011.646954Google Scholar
Sinclair, R., & Grimshaw, R. (1997). Partnership with parents in planning the care of their children. Children & Society, 11 (4), 231–241. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1099-0860.1997.tb00032.x.Google Scholar
Toros, K., Tiko, A., & Saia, K. (2013). Child-centered approach in the context of the assessment of children in need: Reflections of child protection workers in Estonia. Children and Youth Services Review, 35 (6), 1015–1022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.03.011.Google Scholar
Twum-Danso, A. (2009). Reciprocity, respect and responsibility: The 3Rs underlying parent-child relationships in Ghana and the implications for children's rights. International Journal of Children's Rights, 17 (3), 415–432. https://doi.org/10.1163/157181809X430337.Google Scholar
van Bijleveld, G. G., Dedding, C. W. M., & Bunders-Aelen, J. F. G. (2015). Children's and young people's participation within child welfare and child protection services: A state-of-the-art review. Child and Family Social Work, 20 (2), 129–138. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12082.Google Scholar
Vis, S. A., Holtan, A., & Thomas, N. (2012). Obstacles for child participation in care and protection cases-why Norwegian social workers find it difficult. Child Abuse Review, 21 (1), 7–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.1155.Google Scholar
Winkworth, G., & McArthur, M. (2006). Being ‘child centred’ in child protection: What does it mean? Children Australia, 31 (4), 13–21. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1035077200011305Google Scholar
Woodman, E., Roche, S., McArthur, M., & Moore, T. (2018). Child protection practitioners: Including children in decision making. Child & Family Social Work, 23 (3), 475–484 https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12439.Google Scholar