Experiences of Professionals Ensuring the Protection of Children from Violence

Abstract

Violence leaves long-lasting scars on children's lives and protecting children from violence remains an important and pressing issue for researchers, public policy makers and public service professionals. This article aims to reveal the experiences of professionals who ensure the protection of children from violence. The following tasks have been set: first, to define a theoretical approach to the practical protection of children from domestic violence; second, to determine the peculiarities of ensuring the protection of children from violence by means of analysis of the experience of specialists. The study used semi-structured interviews. The research in municipality N revealed that various specialists from state and non-governmental institutions are involved in the process: psychologists, child protection specialists, social workers, social educators, employees of medical institutions, mobile teams, police representatives and children's day care centers. The study results showed that one of the most significant positive aspects of ensuring the protection of children from post-reform violence is an established case management position and having a mobile team. The following advantages of providing mobile team support tools have emerged: identifying the initial difficulties of family members and a thorough, in-depth analysis of the problem across a wide range of areas of life; intensive involvement of professionals in assisting the family and the child. The study highlighted the main work challenges that professionals have to overcome: quality assurance at work, emotional experiences at work, the need for psychological support, the ability to manage stressful situations, working with problem adolescents, parental aggression and the reluctance of children and parents to accept help. There are various obstacles in implementing the assistance plan for professionals (unopened investigation, lack of services and availability of services) and therefore it is necessary to find ways to overcome these obstacles.