Child Protection Victims and the “Evil Institutions”

Carolus Van Nijnatten, Marit Hopman and Trudie Knijn
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Carolus Van Nijnatten: Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, University of Utrecht, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands
Marit Hopman: Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, University of Utrecht, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands
Trudie Knijn: Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, University of Utrecht, P.O. Box 80140, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands

Social Sciences, 2014, vol. 3, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: The Dutch child protection system has been the target of harsh criticism in recent decades. The legitimacy of child protection services seems to have eroded. In this article, we analyze this changing legitimacy of child protection against the background of declining parental authority and in relation to the disappearance of positive pedagogical ideologies and the mainly bureaucratic response of child protection agencies. Two recent inquiries in the Netherlands on child sexual abuse within child protection-related services have emphasized the position of children as vulnerable victims of negative pedagogical practices, mirroring a general trend of “victimization”. It is concluded that reinforcement of the professional role of child protection workers may be a start towards building new trust in child protection and establishing a newfound legitimacy.

Keywords: child protection; victimhood; social policy; sexual abuse; child abuse (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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