Yesterday in the House of Commons, Members of Parliament met to discuss child welfare topics, including the contributions social workers make to society, and the rights of victims of crime.
The first debate looked at the ways in which the rights of victims of crime could be better protected. Whilst this was a general debate about different types of crime and those affected, child witnesses in court were mentioned. The recommendations made included offering children in court trained intermediaries and ensuring that children were not obliged in the first instance to enter a court building to give evidence. Other suggestions included be pre-trial therapy for all victims of sexual crimes, and a national strategy for victims with mental health difficulties.
Lucy Allan MP, who represents Telford, the town recently rocked by serious child sexual abuse allegations, went on to discuss victims of child exploitation. This is what Lucy had to say:
“I particularly want to talk about the victims of child exploitation, following revelations in newspapers over the weekend in my constituency. These victims have more difficulties than most in getting heard, and in identifying that they are indeed victims, as my hon. Friend Kevin Foster identified. Child sexual exploitation is not just any crime. It affects whole communities up and down the country; it is not just Telford. It is a crime about fear, manipulation, coercion, shame, control, and sometimes blame. All too often, the victims are ignored. They are victims who do not have a voice, and for whom very few people will stand up and speak. I pay tribute to Sarah Champion for the amazing work that she has done in this field over so many years. She has given a voice to victims, and has set a precedent for us to follow in this House.
These young girls are too often white and working-class, and have multiple vulnerabilities. That is why the perpetrators are targeting them, and why they are so often miscast as bringing it on themselves, as indulging in risky behaviour, as being promiscuous and as somehow being to blame for what is happening to them. In their own minds, they often internalise the sense that they are somehow at fault.
When a 13 or 14-year-old girl is befriended by a 35-year-old man who gives her affection and cigarettes, tops up her phone, and tells her that she is beautiful and that he loves her, sometimes she feels affection for him. She does not realise that when he asks her to share a sexual image of herself, that will lead to something worse—something that she will not want to do. The coercion begins when he says, “If you don’t have sex with me”—or, “If you don’t have sex with my friend”—“I’m going to out you as promiscuous,” or as a “sket”, as they say in Telford. That is when it becomes a crime, but at that point, a 13 or 14-year-old does not know that what is happening is rape and child sexual exploitation. If she goes to the police, what does she say? She does not say, “I am a victim of statutory rape.” She says, “I’m being harassed by this person. He’s threatened to take a picture and put it on Facebook. He’s threatened to tell my mum that I’m a prostitute.”
Too often, victims of such terrible crimes do not articulate what is happening to them, so we have to be incredibly sensitive with them. Too often, they are not heard because of their vulnerabilities. I worry that a difficult family background or drugs and alcohol or mental health issues at home mean that victims are thought of as troublemakers and just a bit too difficult. Perhaps that is why these crimes were not identified for so long. Had the girls been from a different background and able to articulate more clearly what was happening to them, or able to identify that it was a crime, perhaps we would not have the cases that we see in Telford, Rotherham and Oxford.”
There follows an extended discussion with MPs from Rotherham and other constituencies which have experienced serious sexual abuse within its borders, which is worth reading.
The second debate invites the House of Commons to reflect on the contribution social workers make to society. MPs discuss their views on social work and social workers. Tim Loughton MP mentions that he is a patron of the Social Worker Of The Year Awards, and that this year there will be a reception for all the winners on the Terrace, in the Commons.
The group go on to discuss national social worker day, or World Social Work Day as it is called, which falls on the 20th March.
There is also some debate about the difficulties of working with other agencies when processing child protection cases, the problems with having time scales when dealing with such complex cases and how best to support vulnerable children and families.
Alex Burghart MP, who chaired the debate offered these thoughts:
“We have to remember that children themselves are part of the system, and it is through hearing their voices, and their views of the services and support they and their parents are receiving, that we can make the improvements that are so necessary.”
Some of the thoughts in this debate are a little naive, even overly optimistic, and also indicative of not having a depth of experience needed to really understand the issues and how they affect children and families, but the discussion is still worth a read.
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The second debate concerns the “contribution that social workers make to society”.
Heartless cruelty,Splitting up loving families,snatching newborn babies from their mothers,removing children from sane lawabiding parents for so called risk of future harm.,gagging mothers who try to protest publicly when theit childfren are snatched from them,taking foreign children and forbidding them to speak their own language,or to report abuse during fostercare,Children in care having their phones and laptops taken so as to isolate them from family and friends and terrify them into submission !
Some contribution! Social Workers should be scrapped and child cruelty left to the police who could be funded by money saved on useless social worker’s wages!
Am I being too harsh?
Well have you ever heard of any children in care who did not hate social workers? precious few………..
Did you ever hear parents praising social workers for the help they received from them? Even fewer !
Social workers are the most hated profession in the country and deservedly so !
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Well said and to add insult to injury their World Social Work Day is on my Birthday oh what a horrible lot they are not worthy of praise unless they ‘blow their whistle’ bah humbug!
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Experience can be likened to a college, where the best and the worst of life’s knowledge is gained. Some of us experience both at some time during our journey through life, while others may be destroyed long before their journey ends.
Not all social workers are bad, but too many have proved to be of dubious character or inept; weak links in the chain that too often fetters infants, children, young people and adults when they enter the confines of the social services.
We desperately need courageous and determined people who can empathise with victims, and are also good listeners. These same good listeners need the law to uphold the evidence revealed. Victims need justice that is seen to be delivered in a way that is visible to all society – and should not have to wait decades in the shadows.
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Anyone who joins the terrorist organisation ISIS must be bad and similarly anyone who is a social worker engaged in “child protection” (the taking of children from parents for adoption or fostering) and who stays in that business after their first contract has expired must also be bad ;Social workers were formed to help families not act as super policemen using gestapo like tactics.Snatching children for what they say law abiding parents might do in the future is as absurd as it is wicked!
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‘She does not say, “I am a victim of statutory rape.” She says, “I’m being harassed by this person. He’s threatened to take a picture and put it on Facebook.”’
The 13 year old woman is correct! She is not a victim of “statutory rape,” because she is old enough to be a mother, she is old enough to consent to sex. The age of reason is 7, not 16. And she is also not a child, because child is who has not reached puberty, in general, who is less than 9 years old.
All feelings of a 13 year old woman are adult feelings (desire for independence, wanting to have a sexual partner, wanting to have children, etc.).
British, understand: The majority of nature is puberty! Our species goes into puberty to procreate. That is why a 12-year-old woman behaves like an adult.
Ovulation is not a symbolic act. It is totally wrong to call people 12 years or older “children.”
Children are those who do not reach puberty, in general, those under 9 years of age.
0 < Children < 9 years.
9 years < adolescents < 12 years.
12 years < young adults because they are old enough to procreate and their brain was modified by puberty
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