Safeguarding Young People Beyond the Family Home: Responding to Extra-Familial Risks and Harms

Adolescence is a critical time for young people, as they are exposed to various risks outside their family homes, such as sexual and criminal exploitation, peer-on-peer abuse, and gang-related violence. This book analyzes the responses of social care organizations to these risks and harms in 10 countries and highlights key areas for service development, understanding, and policy and practice implications.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 146 pages
Publication date: 13 October 2022
Publisher: Bristol University Press

Adolescence is a critical period in a person's life, marked by significant growth and development. However, it is also a time when young people are exposed to various risks and vulnerabilities beyond their family homes. These risks include sexual and criminal exploitation, peer-on-peer abuse, and gang-related violence. While these harms have always existed, it has only been in recent years that their critical safeguarding implications have begun to be recognized.

Social care organizations play a vital role in addressing these risks and harms, but they face numerous challenges in providing effective support to affected young people and their families. This book aims to contribute to the understanding of social care organizations' responses to risks and harms outside the home across 10 countries. The authors conducted a rapid evidence assessment to examine the effectiveness of social care interventions in mitigating these risks and harms.

The results of the assessment highlight key areas for service development and provide insights into how these risks and harms can be understood. The authors also consider wider implications for policy and practice, emphasizing the need for a coordinated and comprehensive approach to addressing these issues.

Sexual and criminal exploitation is a significant risk faced by young people during adolescence. It involves the use of force, coercion, or deception to engage in sexual activities or obtain goods or services. This exploitation can have severe physical, emotional, and psychological consequences for the victims, including STIs, pregnancy, and trauma. Social care organizations play a crucial role in preventing and responding to sexual exploitation, providing support and interventions to affected young people and their families.

Peer-on-peer abuse is another form of harm that affects young people during adolescence. It involves the abuse or exploitation of one person by another, often within a peer group or social network. Peer-on-peer abuse can take many forms, including bullying, harassment, and sexual assault. It can have a profound impact on a person's mental health, self-esteem, and social relationships. Social care organizations can provide interventions to address peer-on-peer abuse, including counseling, support groups, and education programs.

Gang-related violence is a significant risk faced by young people in some communities. It involves the involvement of gangs in criminal activities, including drug trafficking, robbery, and assault. Gang-related violence can have devastating consequences for individuals and communities, including injury, death, and social disintegration. Social care organizations can play a role in preventing and responding to gang-related violence, including providing interventions to address the root causes of gang involvement, such as poverty, social exclusion, and lack of education.

In conclusion, adolescence is a critical period in a person's life, marked by significant growth and development. However, it is also a time when young people are exposed to various risks and vulnerabilities beyond their family homes. Social care organizations play a vital role in addressing these risks and harms, but they face numerous challenges in providing effective support to affected young people and their families. This book provides valuable insights into the results of the first rapid evidence assessment of social care organizations' responses to risks and harms outside the home across 10 countries. The authors highlight key areas for service development and provide insights into how these risks and harms can be understood. They also consider wider implications for policy and practice, emphasizing the need for a coordinated and comprehensive approach to addressing these issues. By working together, social care organizations, policymakers, and communities can create a safer and more supportive environment for young people during adolescence and beyond.

Dimension: 203 x 127 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781447367253