Children's Experience with Protection Procedures in Slovenia

Abstract

Child protection procedures in cases of violence, abuse and neglect are complex and could be very stressful for both the children and adults involved. Professionals are obliged to intervene into family life and provide protection when the child's wellbeing is jeopardized, but they often face the challenge of how to maintain the balance between child protection procedures, that need to be timely and efficient, and providing the child a time and space to express their opinions, feelings and to influence matters that affect their lives. A review of previous studies on the participation of children in child protection processes showed that in most cases, children are more or less passive observers with little or no influence on protection procedures and consequently on their life courses. This article provides answers to the questions of how children assess protection procedures, what their experiences are, and how they perceived interventions by various institutions. We also included views of professionals on the role of children in protection procedures. The analysis showed the importance of the quality of the relationship between the child and the professional, of collaborative conversation, and understanding the trauma and support that can alleviate anxiety experienced when the violence is reported later through the protection process. Another issue that deserves special attention is the need to provide space for children to exert greater influences on decisions affecting their lives (e.g., reporting of violence, court proceedings, police procedures etc.) and the meaning of cross-sectoral cooperation between all institutions involved in child protection.