Jenny J. Pearce

Violence and alternative care: a rapid review of the evidence

Abstract This paper focuses on the mechanisms through which international policy and practice relating to the safeguarding of children and young people living in alternative care is being implemented in national policy and practice. It is based on a rapid review of the evidence regarding the violence experienced by children and young people living in different forms of alternative care internationally. The evidence base indicates that children living in alternative care are especially vulnerable to violence and abuse, prior to and during their care experience and also in the longer term. The introduction of the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children has encouraged greater attention to this issue. The paper concludes that progress is variable according to a range of political, economic and social factors, and that greater attention to practice at national and community levels is required if more effective safeguarding practice is required. A more sophisticated evidence base is required to support this.

Introduction: Critical Perspectives on Child Sexual Exploitation and Related Trafficking

In 2004 one of the editors of this volume noted that, in the UK, awareness of the issue of child sexual exploitation (CSE) amongst policy makers and practitioners had advanced remarkably since the introduction of Government guidance in 2000 (DoH/HO, 2000) as had practice expertise. At that time this was evidenced by the fact that there were, for the first time, a variety of ‘models’ in different projects for developing services to provide appropriate responses to meet the needs of young people affected by CSE (Melrose with Barrett, 2004). The critical perspectives presented in this volume on a range of topics further demonstrate the extent to which our knowledge and understanding have developed since that time. We are now able not only to acknowledge the assortment of concerns relating to young people affected by CSE and related trafficking, but also to reflect the critical thinking about these subjects that has developed over time.