Children and the State

by Tunstill, Jane

• ISBN13: 9780304705214
• ISBN10: 0304705217
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-03-01
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

In the consciousness of politicians, professionals and the public, children and young people loom increasingly large as a challenge to be faced. This problematic image includes not only the inevitable and traditional difficulties faced by the young in negotiating a role in society, but also an increasing tendency for children to be problematized, even vilified, and for state intervention in their lives to reflect this trend. Indeed, the increasing scale and scope of central and local government policy responses to the age group can sometimes result, both intentionally and unintentionally, in additional challenges for children to overcome. The text starts with the assumption that we cannot assume that state intervention in the lives of young people will always lead to positive outcomes. The contributors explore the key policy areas such as health, education and the youth justice system, within the broader social and economic context, including race and culture, the economy and European integration.

Author Biography

Stewart Asquith is currently St Kentigern Professor for the Study of the Child at the Centre for the Child and Society at the University of Glasgow. Crescy Cannan is Senior Lecturer in Social Policy and Social Work at the University of Sussex. Elizabeth Cutting was a Research Associate in the Centre for the Child and Society at the University of Glasgow. Sally Holtermann is an independent economist who specializes in the application of economies to social issues. Zarrina Kurtz is a consultant in Public Health and Health Policy. Margaret Maden is Professor of Education and Director of the Centre for Successful Schools at Keele University. Peter Newell is co-ordinator of EPOCH (the campaign to end the physical punishment of children). He chairs the Council of the Children's Rights Development Unit (an independent project set up in 1992 to encourage full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in the UK), and is a member of the Council for Disabled Children. Kwame Owusu-Bempah is Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Leicester School of Social Work and Visiting Professor at the University of Babes-Bolyai, Romania. Mary Ryan is a solicitor. She now works as a freelance consultant and trainer on issues of child care law and social work policy and practice. Jane Tunstill is Professor of Social Work at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Table of Contents

Contributors	vii
Introduction	1	(6)
Part 1 The Legal, Social, Economic and European Contexts of Childhood
Children and the law	7	(10)
Mary Ryan
Race, culture and the child	17	(18)
Kwame Owusu-Bempah
Children and the economy	35	(19)
Sally Holtermann
Children and Europe	54	(19)
Crescy Cannan
Part 2 The Impact of Current Policy
The challenge of children in the education system	73	(19)
Margaret Maden
The health care system and children	92	(26)
Zarrina Kurtz
Social services provision for children and young people: answer or problem?	118	(22)
Jane Tunstill
Murder by children: principles for a preventive strategy	140	(21)
Stewart Asquith
Elizabeth Cutting
Government for children	161	(15)
Peter Newell
Index	176