“It’s my life they are talking about” – On children’s participation in decision-making for secure placement

Abstract

In Denmark, secure institutions are the most intrusive form of out-of-home placement. This article explores how children and young people experience participating in decisions involving secure placement. The analysis draws on a qualitative study, which includes interviews with young people, their case manager and case file data. The young people have all been placed in a secure institution for either observation or on grounds of being a danger to themselves or others, typically defined as a range of behavioral problems like absconding, abuse of drugs, transactional sex and/or crime involvement. Young people’s experiences of participating in these decisions provide important insights for understanding the barriers and factors, which facilitate participation for some of the most vulnerable children and young people in the child welfare system. Drawing on a three-dimensional definition of participation inspired by Kloppenborg and Lausten, the analysis shows that young people in the ‘deep-end’ of child welfare services navigate an adult-centered system of assessment and decision-making, which curtails their possibilities to have a voice and influence decisions. The analysis contributes to a limited research field studying case work practices in relation to care orders, restrictive measures and the confinement of children and young people, where young people’s perspectives are largely missing. Their voices provide important insights for the development of a child-centered approach to service provision, that balances their right to participation, protection and care.

Experiences of Adolescent Participation in Educational Institutions in Croatia

“…In addition, the continuity of the relationship between adolescents and educators is an important element, as many adolescents have no experience of stability and continuity due to numerous interventions in which they were involved, as well as the fluctuations of caretakers. Previous studies also confirm the conclusion that adults (professionals) are one of the key elements for the inclusion of children in decision-making, but also for the development of young people's participation capacities [5,14,18,[21][22][23]53].…”

“…Professionals also need specific competences in order to develop the participation skills of young people in the social welfare system [14,18,19], first and foremost being relational competences [20], i.e., developing a respectful and cooperative relationship with children. Opportunities for participation are also limited at the systemic level, as the social welfare system is predominantly based on adultism in assessing the child's needs and making decisions about their future life and care [16,21].…”

“…The results showed that 67% of children are given the opportunity to express their views and be heard, 74% have said they are informed regarding the decisions concerning them, while only 17% feel they are not given an opportunity to be heard and to express their opinion (10%). Furthermore, Henriksen [21] analysed the perspective of young people and professionals (case managers) on three key topics: trust and continuity in relationships, access to information and understanding care, and the impact on decision-making. The study showed that an important step in promoting young people's participation in decisionmaking is creating a space for mutual trust and a continuous quality relationship between professionals and children.…”

“…Young people have also experienced that many adults (both parents and professionals) discuss and exchange information about their lives, with adults taking all the responsibility for decisionmaking. The influence of young people in decision-making is an example of "tokenism", where children participate in discussions about their lives, but their opinion is neither heard nor can it affect the course of care [21]. Furthermore, Sierward and Wolf [25] conducted two studies on participation involving 1067 young people in residential care in Germany.…”