Listening and Believing: An Examination of Young People’s Perceptions of why they are not Believed by Professionals when they Report Abuse and Neglect

Abstract

This article explores commonly held perceptions by young people as to why they are sometimes not believed by practitioners when reporting potential or actual instances of abuse or neglect. Using original data gained from telephone, individual and group interviews with over a hundred young people a 'typology of disbelief' was constructed and is here presented for consideration. By drawing attention to a range of perceptions frequently articulated by young people, it is hoped to increase understanding of the problems they may face when attempting to disclose abuse and neglect. Ó

How to Create Safety for Battered Women? Conclusions from Several Decades of Research and Practice in Europe

“…However, the most important result of the research of the past 30 years has been the persistent finding that women who have experienced violence require comprehensive safety and active support from the help system. The importance of believing help-seeking women unconditionally (Tucker 2010), of ensuring that they have access to safety promptly and receive skilled specialised psychosocial support provided by qualified professionals cannot be strongly enough stressed. This requires programmes that are more 12 complex than initially assumed.…”

Considerations on the involvement of young people as co-inquirers in abuse and neglect research

“…Heron and Reason (2008, p. 374) argue that such an approach can assist in breaking down the 'monopoly of knowledge' (often heavily invested in professionals and academics) by offering a 'sense of self-direction to those disempowered'. In this instance, the co-inquiry group was offered the opportunity to be involved in the construction of a 'typology of disbelief' (Tucker 2011). The construction of the typology was influenced by the principles of the UNCRC; especially in relation to Article 12.…”

“…It is acknowledged that child protection work can be highly problematic in terms of understanding signs and signals of abuse, establishing a context where young people are willing to disclose, and creating a climate of mutual trust and respect. Yet, as the author has argued elsewhere (Tucker 2011), securing opportunities for the young to recount their experiences of abuse and neglect and, where appropriate, be involved directly as a co-inquirer in abuse-related research can help to generate a deeper level of professional and academic understanding.…”

“…All of the young people involved in the research had been victims of sexual abuse or neglect and attempted to report it to a professional who they knew, or who was working closely with them. The outcomes of that work have been reported in detail elsewhere (Tucker 2011). …”

Vulnerability: The role of schools in supporting young people exposed to challenging environments and situations

“…To achieve this, we examine data from previously published work on young people who have experienced discrimination, exclusion, violence and human trafficking (Tucker, 2011;Tucker, 2013). A typology is constructed from a series of interlinked case studies.…”