Re-Visioning Public Health Approaches for Protecting Children , 1st ed. 2019
Child Maltreatment Series, Vol. 9

This volume provides readers around the globe with a focused and comprehensive examination of how to prevent and respond to child maltreatment using evidence-informed public health approaches and programs that meet the needs of vulnerable children, and struggling families and communities. It outlines the system failures of contemporary forensically-driven child protection practice. Detailed guidance is provided about how to re-think earlier intervention strategies, and establish stronger and more effective programs and services that prevent maltreatment at the population level. Service user and stakeholder perspectives, particularly from marginalized groups including Indigenous peoples, highlight how public health approaches can better support families and keep children safe. Case studies from different countries grapple with the fraught nature of large system change and the various strategies needed to effect multi-level reforms. Presenting the reader with an array of innovative services used in different institutional and community context, this volume confronts the complex challenges found in implementing successful prevention programs that are aligned with diverse cultural and political environments and community expectations.

Prof. Bob Lonne – Professor Lonne has a distinguished professional, management, research and academic career, with a primary focus on protecting children from maltreatment and developing earlier intervention and prevention strategies. He co-authored the Routledge publications ‘Reforming Child Protection’ (2009) and the follow up ‘Working Ethically in Child Protection’ (2016) which have influenced debate and critical analysis world wide of the processes and outcomes of the social and institutional arrangements used to prevent maltreatment and support struggling families. He has a longstanding commitment to the area of child protection and its service-delivery and workforce issues, and has authored and presented extensively on related issues in social work and the human services. Professor Lonne has participated and contributed to policy forums at the state and federal levels, and internationally and is recognized by Inquiries as an expert witness in relation to child protection systems. He has been a passionate advocate for earlier intervention and prevention strategies, highlighting how current approaches fail many children and contribute to poor life outcomes for children in state care. Professor Lonne was the National President of the Australian Association of Social Workers from 2005-2011.

Dr. Debbie Scott is a multidisciplinary researcher with nursing and public health background. Her early work as a nurse and public health injury prevention professional has led to a unique perspective to approaches in child protection and child well-being. Debbie has contributed to more than 100 peer review papers, manuscripts and government reports and is an experienced speaker, presenting at local, national and international conferences – including a number of keynote and invited papers. Debbie was the manager of the Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit, using surveillance data to inform policy on product safety, driver licensing for adolescents and toddler drownings

Features emerging systemic, policy and practice theory, and critical analysis concerning the development of public health approaches for the prevention of child maltreatment in various jurisdictions

Captures the complexity in addressing the variety of ideological, institutional and historical issues in protection children

Examines the increased attention focused upon public health approaches to prevent maltreatment and provide earlier interventions to assist vulnerable and struggling families and communities

Offers new insights conceptualizing public health approaches to raise more awareness of delivering services for child protection