Experiences of Professionals Ensuring the Protection of Children from Violence
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Abstract
Violence leaves long-lasting scars on children's lives and protecting children from
violence remains an important and pressing issue for researchers, public policy makers and public
service professionals. This article aims to reveal the experiences of professionals who ensure the
protection of children from violence. The following tasks have been set: first, to define a theoretical
approach to the practical protection of children from domestic violence; second, to determine the
peculiarities of ensuring the protection of children from violence by means of analysis of the
experience of specialists. The study used semi-structured interviews. The research in municipality N
revealed that various specialists from state and non-governmental institutions are involved in the
process: psychologists, child protection specialists, social workers, social educators, employees of
medical institutions, mobile teams, police representatives and children's day care centers. The study
results showed that one of the most significant positive aspects of ensuring the protection of children
from post-reform violence is an established case management position and having a mobile team.
The following advantages of providing mobile team support tools have emerged: identifying the initial
difficulties of family members and a thorough, in-depth analysis of the problem across a wide range
of areas of life; intensive involvement of professionals in assisting the family and the child. The study
highlighted the main work challenges that professionals have to overcome: quality assurance at work,
emotional experiences at work, the need for psychological support, the ability to manage stressful
situations, working with problem adolescents, parental aggression and the reluctance of children and
parents to accept help. There are various obstacles in implementing the assistance plan for
professionals (unopened investigation, lack of services and availability of services) and therefore it
is necessary to find ways to overcome these obstacles.
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