Latest peer-reviewed research
Nov 2024
How is therapeutic residential care constructed within key policy documents?
by Lynne McPherson, Antonia Canosa, Kathomi Gatwiri, Donnah Anderson, Kylie Day, Robbie Gilligan, Anne Graham, Janise Mitchell, Tim Moore and Meaghan Vosz.
Australian Journal of Social Issues, 00, 1–20.
21 October, 2024.
Abstract: Therapeutic residential care (TRC) is a mode of delivering out-of-home care (OOHC) that can help meet the needs of some of Australia’s most vulnerable young people and their families. TRC programmes aim to support young people to develop positive relationship experiences in a safe and stable environment. Given that TRC is a relatively new model of intervention, to date, the alignment between its aspirational aims and the existing and evolving policy environment in which it is located has not been analysed in any depth. This paper reports on a national policy analysis exploring how TRC is constructed in policy documents. One hundred and thirty-two relevant policy documents were analysed to identify the practices and the conditions that facilitate the development of relationships and connections. The aims of the policies underpinning TRC were consistent with the literature outlining promising trauma-informed approaches. Findings show how the policies support the development of beneficial relationships for children and young people; however, there were also several discrepancies and silences identified, including a limited conceptualisation of children’s participation.
What Helps Children and Young People to Disclose their Experience of Sexual Abuse and What Gets in the Way? A Systematic Scoping Review
by Lynne McPherson, Kathomi Gatwiri, Anne Graham, Darlene Rotumah, Kelly Hand, Corina Modderman, Jaime Chubb and Samara James.
Child Youth Care Forum.
18 September, 2024.
Abstract: Global research has found that prevalence of child sexual abuse suggest a significant ongoing public health concern. A recent Australian study revealed that more than one in three girls and almost one in five boys reported experiencing sexual abuse before age 18. Self-reported rates of abuse, however, far exceed official figures, suggesting that large numbers of children do not come to the attention of relevant authorities. Whether and how those children have tried to tell their stories remains unclear. The goal of the review was to explore scholarly literature to determine what was known about what enables or constrains children disclosing sexual abuse. Three multi-dimensional themes were identified from thirty-two publications: factors enabling disclosure are multifaceted; barriers to disclosure include a complex interplay of individual, familial, contextual and cultural issues; and Indigenous survivors, male survivors, and survivors with a minoritised cultural background may face additional barriers to disclosing experiences of abuse. Literature suggests that a deeper understanding of the complex interplay of enablers and the barriers to disclosure across diverse populations is needed. Future research should privilege the voices of survivors of child sexual abuse, mobilising their lived experiences to co-create improved practice and policy.
Approaches to Assessment and Intervention With Children and Young People Who Engage in Harmful Sexual Behavior: A Scoping Review
by Lynne McPherson, Meaghan Vosz, Kathomi Gatwiri, Clarissa Hitchcock, Joe Tucci, Janise Mitchell, Cyra Fernandes and Noel Macnamara.
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 25(2), 1585-1598.
3 August, 2024.
Abstract: This paper reports the findings of a project that conducted a rapid review of evidence regarding assessment and intervention approaches responding to children and young people who engage in harmful sexual behaviors. A literature review was conducted using a systematic search of academic databases and consultation with subject matter experts. The process resulted in 27 scholarly publications being included and analyzed to explore what was known about effective approaches with children and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behavior. The review found that the current state of knowledge was limited, with few of the included papers reporting research outcomes. In the absence of a sound evidence base, additional theoretical literature and expert commentary have been drawn upon to better understand issues in this complex practice area. A key finding of this review was that growing awareness that children and young people who engage in harmful sexual behaviors are, first and foremost, children. They should not be regarded as soon-to-be-adults who are engaging in adult offending. This shift in thinking informs contemporary assessment and intervention approaches, challenging those models that previously focused on measuring risk using forensic approaches to predict the likelihood of future offending. A critical failure to understand the needs of specific cohorts of children and young people was also evident.
Experiences of Children and Young People with a Disability in Out-of-Home Care in Australia: A Scoping Review
by Kathomi Gatwiri, Lynne McPherson and Samara James.
Health & Social Care in the Community.
23 May, 2024.
Abstract: Children with disabilities in out-of-home care (OOHC) are an overrepresented group in Australia, yet little is known about their circumstances, needs, and experiences within OOHC. Utilising a systematic scoping review methodology, we explored the state of knowledge about the experiences of children and young people with a disability in out-of-home care in Australia. Findings in this review speak to the unmet needs and challanges that children with disabilities face in child welfare systems and how systemic failures can lead to institutional pipelines of further maltreatment, adversity, and marginalisation. The review discusses the key themes in the literature, including (i) compounding trauma and placement failures, (ii) concerns of safety, stability, and neglect, (iii) limited control and choice, and (iv) disability and multisystem involvement.
It Is Time to Focus on Prevention: a Scoping Review of Practices Associated with Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Australian Policy Implications
by Meaghan Vosz, Lynne McPherson, Joe Tucci, Janise Mitchell, Cyra Fernandes and Noel Macnamara.
International Journal on Child Maltreatment: Research, Policy and Practice, 6(1), 79-107.
22 December, 2022.
Abstract: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a significant public health problem, impacting individuals, families and communities across the lifespan. This systematic scoping review aimed to identify practices associated with the prevention of CSA before it happens using the PRISMA method (Moher et al., 2009). Nine databases were searched for empirical literature, resulting in a sample of 47 articles addressing the prevention of child sexual abuse. A definition of CSA prevention and research questions were developed in consultation with subject matter experts to provide a conceptual guide for analysing available empirical and theoretical literature published between 2012 and 2022. Studies were excluded that reported on CSA education. Included articles were analysed to identify common elements of prevention approaches and the policy conditions enabling and constraining prevention. Three approaches were identified: (i) engaging and stopping those at risk of using sexually harmful behaviour; (ii) situational prevention in child- and youth-serving organisations; (iii) preventing the emergence of CSA by promoting healthy families and communities. The article also discusses policy settings that enable and constrain CSA prevention in Australia and identifies gaps in existing research.
“The most challenging aspect of this journey has been dealing with child protection”: Kinship carers’ experiences in Australia
by Lynne McPherson, Kathomi Gatwiri, Kylie Day, Natalie Parmenter, Janise Mitchell and Noel Macnamara.
Children and Youth Services Review, 139, 106550.
25 May, 2022.
Abstract: When children cannot live with their parents, placement with relatives or family friends has become a preferred option in many Western out-of-home care systems. Kinship care offers kin children the opportunity to remain connected to family and community. Studies suggest that kinship care results in promising outcomes for children’s education, health, and wellbeing. There is growing awareness of kinship carers’ experiences of services designed to support them and their kin. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of kinship carers caring for kin children and engaging with services designed to support the placement. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, including participants who had full-time care of kin children, with or without statutory child protection involvement. The nine individuals identified for in-depth interviewing were selected to ensure diversity in cultural identity and geographical location. Quantitative analysis enabled descriptive statistics and overall patterns relating to rewards and challenges encountered by carers. The qualitative component allowed for in-depth exploration of key issues highlighted in the survey. Consistent with earlier research, kinship carers reported financial stressors and significant challenges pertaining to their kin child’s difficulties. An unanticipated finding, however, was the stress experienced by kinship carers in their interactions with child protection and other government support services. These services were experienced as disrespectful, ignoring requests for help or offering a surveillance role only. For Aboriginal kinship carers, this was compounded by racism and racial micro aggressions throughout placement assessments. Further investigation into child protection and other government agency practices is urgently required to assess and support kinship care placements. In the context of the Stolen Generations, further research needs to explore culturally sensitive and safe practices that strengthen and support kinship families to raise their children within their cultural contexts.
Minority Stress for Care Experienced Young Queer People: A Case Study
by Lynne McPherson, Kathomi Gatwiri, Nadine Cameron and Janise Mitchell.
Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 15, 501-510.
16 November, 2021.
Abstract: Young people who are placed in out-of-home care are amongst the most vulnerable in our community. Removed from or rejected by their families, they must live with carers who may be strangers. They may have experienced the trauma of abuse or neglect. Post care, they may experience further social isolation and marginalisation due to limited social capital. These challenges are compounded for queer young people placed in out-of-home care. This study adopted a case study approach to explore the lived experience of two young adults growing up queer in and out of out-of-home care in Australia. Our investigation was framed by two complementary theoretical frameworks. The first, a model of minority stress, is informed by queer perspectives and enabled an exploration into the adverse impact of enduring stigma and prejudice associated with homophobia and transphobia on young people’s capacity to thrive. The model of social capital then informed an analysis of relationships between queer young people in out-of-home care and trustworthy adults. The findings suggest that queer young people growing up in out-of-home care experience minoritised stress, with lasting negative implications. The presence however, of trustworthy adults who challenge dominant heteronormative assumptions and work to support queer young people can be experienced as stabilising and restorative.
What does research tell us about young people’s participation in decision making in residential care? A systematic scoping review
by Lynne McPherson, Meaghan Vosz, Kathomi Gatwiri, Natalie Parmenter, Noel Macnamara, Janise Mitchell and Joe Tucci.
Children and Youth Services Review, 122, 105899.
29 December, 2020.
Abstract: More than three decades ago, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child signalled to an international audience that all children under the age of 18 years are to be regarded as having certain rights. These rights include the right to be actively involved in decisions that affect their lives. In spite of this international obligation, which has been translated globally into policy and legislation across the world, little is known about the extent to which it is enacted in practice for young people living in residential care. This article reports on a systematic scoping review which investigated research publications on participation in making life-impacting decisions by young people. A critical theoretical lens was applied to the collation and analysis of publications, enabling a multidimensional presentation of five emerging themes. The implications for practice and policy include the need for organisations to challenge professional attitudes and disrupt practices which exclude young people from participating in decisions that impact on their lives, and for residential care staff and social workers to provide information and safe and inclusive spaces to support young people to form and express their views. Having heard their views, responsible adults must then demonstrate that they have been taken seriously.
What is known about child sexual exploitation in residential care in Australia? A systematic scoping review
by Kathomi Gatwiri, Nadine Cameron, Lynne McPherson and Natalie Parmenter.
Children and Youth Services Review, 116, 105188.
24 June, 2020.
Abstract: The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Australia noted that child sexual exploitation (CSE) was a significant issue of concern for children and young people in residential care, as increasing rates of sexual abuse and exploitation are continually reported. Employing a systematic scoping methodology, this review examined the scope and breadth of literature focusing on children and young people living in residential care in Australia who have experienced sexual exploitation. Findings indicate that peer to peer sexual re-victimisation is a serious concern in residential care. Entrapment in this kind of abuse is associated with a downward spiral of ‘pain-based’, complex behaviours, which in turn may render young people in residential care to be at even greater risk. Although prevention program responses are emerging, they remain constrained by the secretive nature of CSE and wider systemic issues. As such, a central recommendation emerging from this review is the need for a proactive and consistent approach to data collection and analysis of CSE in residential care settings. This will enable a comprehensive analysis of the aetiology of the problem, enabling the development of prevention responses to match the identified problem.
