Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T01:05:38.732Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The problem of the paedophile: guidelines for recruiting staff for positions in child and youth care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 February 2016

Meredith Kiraly
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

In recent years there has been widespread concern across the English-speaking world about repeated incidents in which paedophiles have obtained positions of responsibility in relation to the care of vulnerable children, such as those living in residential care. In the United Kingdom, a series of well-publicised incidents over several years culminated in the Beck case. Frank Beck was a paedophile who was appointed to the position of head of a children's home. Following the discovery of his abusive activities with children in one workplace, he successfully moved to a similar position of responsibility. In response to this series of scandals an inquiry was set up in to the Selection, Development and Management of Staff in Children's Homes (the Warner Inquiry). This inquiry produced a substantial report on ways in which selection and management practices should be improved. There have, however, been continuing concerns that international paedophile rings continue to pose a significant risk to children and young people in the care system across the world.

Type
Research Article
Information
Children Australia , Volume 21 , Issue 2 , 1996 , pp. 35 - 37
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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.)

References

1992, Choosing With Care: The Report of the Inquiry into the Selection, Development and Management of Staff in Children's Homes, London, HMSO.Google Scholar
1994, ‘Illusion Free Zone - The first conference of the Australian Association of Young People in Care’, Children Australia 19(3).Google Scholar
Anderson, N. and Shackleton, V. 1993, Successful Selection Interviewing, Blackwell, Oxford.Google Scholar
Anderson, Neil, Senior Lecturer, University of Nottingham, personal communication, July 1994.Google Scholar
Carter, M. 1986, ‘Securing Quality Staff: Will Criminal History Checks Help?’, Child Care Information Exchange, January 1986.Google Scholar
De Maria, William, 1994, Wounded workers: Queensland whistleblower study. University of Queensland Department of Social Work and Social Policy, QLD.Google Scholar
Dobson, P. 1989, ‘Reference Reports’, in Assessment and Selection in Organisations-Methods and Practice for Recruitment and Appraisal, ed Herriot, P., John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.Google Scholar
Fletcher, Clive, Professor of Psychology, University of London, personal communication, July 1994.Google Scholar
Harris, M. 1989, ‘Reconsidering the Employment Interview: A Review of Recent Literature and Suggestions for Future Research’, Personnel Psychology, (42), pp. 691–726.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Janz, T. Hellervik, L., Gilmore, D. 1986, Behaviour Description Interviewing - New, Accurate, Cost Effective, Allyn and Bacon, Newton, USA.Google Scholar
Latham, G., Saari, L., Pursell, E. and Campion, M. 1980, ‘The Situational Interview’, Journal of Applied Psychology, 65(4), pp. 422–427.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindsay, M. and Rayner, S. 1993, ‘Balanced Judgements’, Community Care, 1 July 1993.Google Scholar
McLean, J. and McLaughlin, Y. 1987, Effective Staff Selection: Workshop Manual, David Syme Business School, Chisholm Institute of Technology.Google Scholar
Moriarty, A. 1990, ‘Deterring the Molester and Abuser Pre-employment Testing for Child and Youth Care Workers’, Child and Youth Care Quarterly, 19(1), Spring, 1990.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pursell, E., Campion, M. and Gaylord, S. 1980, ‘Structured Interviewing: Avoiding Selection Problems’, Personnel Journal, 59(11), pp. 907–912.Google ScholarPubMed
Staley, C., Rande, E., Perrault, J. and Neugebauer, R. 1986, ‘Guidelines for Effective Staff Selection’, Child Care Information Exchange, January 1986.Google Scholar
VCOSS, Community Employing Handbook, Collingwood, 1993.Google Scholar
Waldron, G., Trieschmann Centre, Boston, personal communication, July 1994.Google Scholar
Wyre, Ray 1995, Creating an aware culture: screening and avoiding selection of potential abusers within professional organisations (seminar 6 December 1995).Google Scholar