Keeping Children Safe Strategic Data and Research Developments Sinéad Hanafin PhD Head of Research...
-
Upload
brielle-harley -
Category
Documents
-
view
212 -
download
0
Transcript of Keeping Children Safe Strategic Data and Research Developments Sinéad Hanafin PhD Head of Research...
Keeping Children SafeStrategic Data and Research Developments
Sinéad Hanafin PhDHead of Research
Department of Children and Youth Affairs
University College Cork12th September 2011
Department of Children and Youth Affairs
Established in June 2011
Responsibility for harmonising policy issues that affect children in: Early childhood care and education Youth justice Child welfare and protection Children and young people's participation Research on children and young people Youth work and Cross-cutting initiatives for children and young people
Priority areas
The establishment of a Child and Family Agency
Referendum on children’s rights
Development of improved data, particularly real time data on children in need of care and protection
Coordinated approach to services and supports on children’s lives including health and educational services
Development of a national children and youth strategy
National Children’s Research Programme
Principles
Take account of the complexity and multi-dimensionality of children’s lives and the inter-linkages between them
Incorporate an understanding of the multiple systems that surround them
Include both positive and negative aspects of their lives
Include both subjective and objective approaches
Adopt different methodologies as appropriate
Privilege the voice of children
Capacity Building
Support & advice
Dissemination
Infrastructure
Commissioned Research
National Children’s Strategy
Goal 2
Children’s Research Programme 2000-2011
Highlights
Growing up in Ireland: the National Longitudinal Study of Children (€29 million)
Commissioned research programme (29 studies inc GUI) Masters / PhD capacity building programme (38 funded) Research internship programme (16 placements) Data development and infrastructure including publication
of State of the Nation’s Children Reports 2006, 2008, 2010 Development of childrensdatabase.ie including 4 additional
databases in 2010 Support for the initiation of the Children’s Research Network
for Ireland and Northern Ireland
DATA AND RESEARCH STRATEGY 2011-2016
Evidence base to support development of Strategy
Literature review (Gavin et al. 2008)
Cross-national case study on data systems (Clerkin et al. 2008)
Review of national and international strategies on data and research (Hanafin et al. 2009)
Data processes analysis• Data process needs arising in
policy – e.g. standardisation, dissemination
• Needs expressed in consultation – extension of existing data collection to new groups, streamline reporting processes, more targeted dissemination
• Inventory examined for use of unique identifiers, standardisation of key variables
• Identify potential improvements in data collection & production processes
Review of policy (2000-2008)
• 50 policy documents• 1,887 recommendations• Categorised by whether relating
to data & research or other activity, WCP domain – content and focus, Life course, Child group.
• More than half related to Health and Education
Inventory of data sources• 117 data sources (20% survey,
80% admin)• ~11,000 variables (45% survey,
55% admin). • Classified by same categories as
policy recs. • Key socio-demographic variables
& equality markers identified
Public consultation• Conducted through workshop
with OMCYA CYPF (2008) and on-line questionnaire (2009).
• Questionnaire had ~200 responses from a range of organisations – Government, NGO, Hospitals, Cultural, Education, Local bodies.
• Issues around both content & data processes raised
Gap analysis (content)• Data & research needs arising
from data / research specific policy recs
• Additional data & research needs arising from other policy recs
• Additional data & research needs arising from consultation
• Current data provision (inventory)
• Identify existing/perceived gaps
Recommendations (content)
• Recommendations relating to CHILD / FAMILY / SOCIETY
• 4 content headings• HEALTH• EDUCATION• PARTICIPATION & SOCIAL CONTEXT
• FAMILY SITUATION & CONTEXT
Recommendations (process)
• Data culture• Data sharing• Data collection / research design
• Dissemination strategies & data use
• Resources
Overview of Strategy
One aim and five objectives
Two broad categories:– Outcome areas of children’s lives (five)– Cross- cutting issues across the data and research cycle
> 20 Departments / Agencies involved in implementation
Approximately 120 actions
Aim of Strategy
The aim of the Strategy is to set out a plan to guide and support the development of research and data around children’s lives over the next five years for the purpose of ensuring children and young people benefit from improved understandings of their lives.
Objective Action Area
A 1 Build and improve both survey and administrative information around children’s lives
To generate a comprehensive and coherent understanding of children’s development, needs and appropriate supports and services
2 Support and promote maximal use of existing information
3 Support and inform the generation of new information
B To develop research capacity in the area of children’s data and research
4 Build capacity in the area of children’s research and information
C To develop, support and promote good infrastructure in the area of children’s research and data
5 Contribute to and inform national developments around data and information on children’s lives. Provide a mechanism for the continued development of appropriate methodologies and concepts in relation to data on children’s lives.
6 Develop an overarching governance structure for research around children including ethical review
D To improve evaluation and monitoring of children’s services in Ireland at local, national and international level
7 Develop coherent approaches to evaluation of services, supports and interventions around children’s lives
E To support a continuum of research and data use within policy and practice settings.
8 Improve awareness, knowledge and understanding of the potential of research and data in these settings, contribute to change in attitudes perceptions and ideas in relation to utilisation of information around children’s lives. Provide resources and support for utilisation of information and research in policy and practice.
Actions and objectives
Five Outcome Areas of Children’s Lives
Outcome Area 1: Children will be healthy both physically and emotionally
Outcome Area 2: Children will be supported in active learning Outcome Area 3: Children will be safe from accidental and
intentional harm and secure in the immediate and wider physical environment
Outcome Area 4: Children will be economically secure Outcome Area 5: Children will be part of positive networks of
family, friends, neighbours, and the community and included and participating in society
Children will be safe from accidental and intentional harm and secure in the immediate and wider physical environment
Non-accidental (including for example, child abuse, self-harm and environmental hazards such as pollution) and accidental harm.
Children’s safety in different settings (e.g. home, community, broader environment)
Risk behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol and drug use by children, parents and others in their broader environment
Crimes committed by, and against, young people Preventive, protective and remedial services with a
particular focus on describing, documenting, identifying and evaluating services and interventions.
Safe from accidental and intentional harm and secure in the immediate
and wider physical environment
DATA
Child protection reports
Number and percentage of child welfare and protection reports that went to initial assessment, by type of concern (2006-2008)
2006 2007* 2008
No. No. No. %
Total 12,520 15,074 15,364 100.0
Type of concern
Welfare 6,221 7,690 7,518 48.9
Physical abuse 1,291 1,529 1,704 11.1
Sexual abuse 1,495 1,715 1,657 10.8
Emotional abuse
1,100 1,233 1,270 8.3
Neglect 2,413 2,907 3,215 20.9*excludes Waterford LHO returns.
Source: Child Care Interim Data Set, HSE
Youth homelessness
‘Well, I’m on the streets about 6, 7 months. I used to get beatings at home and all by my step-father. My real father is dead and my mother, she’s an alcoholic and she’s always drinking an’ all, and anytime she gets drunk and all and, when he (stepfather) gets drunk, he always beats me up. And that’s how I ended up on the streets. Came into town and stayed on the streets’. (Young man aged 15)
Source: Mayock, P. and Vekic, K. (2006) Understanding Youth Homelessness. Dublin: Government Publications.
Smoking, alcohol and drug use (1)
9.78.5
20.4
12.1
15.7
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1998 2006 2006 2002 2006
Smoke cigarettes every day Have been drunk at least
once in the past 30 days
Have taken cannabis at least once in their lifetime
Source: Health Behaviour of School-Aged Children
Smoking, alcohol and drug use (2)
Older Boys Lower Social
classes
Traveller Immigrant Disability
Smoke cigarettes every day ↑ n/s ↑ ↑ n/s n/s
Have been drunk at least once in the last 30 days
↑ ↑ n/s ↑ ↓ n/s
Have taken cannabis at least once in their lifetime
↑ ↑ n/s ↑ n/s n/s
Source: Health Behaviour of School-Aged Children (2006)
Children in detention (1)
Individuals who were in detention at any time during 2010*
Total Female Male
Individuals Remanded
104 24 80
Individuals Committed
56 11 45
Total Individuals Admitted
125 26 99
* includes those in detention on 1st Jan 2010)Source: An Garda Siochana
‘Oh, I was 15 and I asked to get into a young people’s centre, yeah, or I think I was 14, yeah 14, and I went to Youthreach and he said I was too young…. (so) I hung around the streets getting charged…. Two months later, (I was sent to) Trinity House, good luck!’
Source: Seymour, M. and Butler, M. (2008) Young People on Remand. Dublin: Government Publications
Children in detention (2)
Referrals to the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme
% of referrals to the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme, by type of offence
Source: An Garda Siochana (2009)
17.816.6
13.2 12.9
10.69.5
6.5
4.4 4.3 4.2
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Alcohol-related
Theft Otheroffences
Traffi c Criminaldamage
Publicorder
Trespass Minorassault
Possessionof drugs
Burglary
Type of offence
% o
f ref
erra
ls
Deliberate Self Harm (DSH)
In 2010:
The peak rate of DSH for females aged 15-19 years is 639 per 100,000
The peak rate of DSH for males aged 20-24 years is 626 per 100,000
One in every 157 females aged 15-19 years and one in every 160 males aged 20-24 years presented to hospital in 2010 as a consequence of DSH.
Source: National Registry of Deliberate Self Harm
Accidents and injuries
Source: Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (2009)
No. of discharges from hospital for external causes of accidents and poisoning, by age and gender
529 443
2,546
1,821 2,0061,374
1,990
1,011
1,732
707
8,803
5356
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls
<1 year 1-4 years 5-9 years 10-14 years 15-17 years Total
No.
of h
ospi
tal d
isch
arge
s
Unsupervised internet use
Source: Growing Up in Ireland (2009)
% of children who are allowed to use the internet without parental or other adult supervision, by gender, social class and highest level of mother's educational attainment
35
30
37
3028
31 30
3437
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Boys Girls Professional/Managerial
OtherNonmanual/
Skil ledManual
Semi-Skil led/Unskil led
Manual
LowerSecondary or
less
LeavingCertificate
Subdegree Graduate
Gender Social Class Highest level of mother's educational attainment
% o
f 9-y
ear-
olds
Mothers and children’s perceived community safety
Source: Growing Up in Ireland (2009)
68
91
58
95
77
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
It i s safe to walka lone after dark
It i s safe for chi ldrento play outs ideduring the day
There are safe parks ,playgrounds and play
spaces
Do you feel safel iving around here?
Are there places forchi ldren to playsafely near your
house?
% of mothers agreeing with the fol lowing s tatements : % of chi ldren responding 'yes ' to thefol lowing questions:
%
Challenges in data quality
The extent to which the data source provided national coverage
The timeliness of the data
Comparability of the information between different geographical areas
Level of certainty regarding the accuracy of the information.
Source:Hanafin S. and Brooks AM (2008) From rhetoric to reality: Challenges in using data to report on a national set of child well-being indicators. Child Indicators Research
HSE - Adequacy of services report 2009
Key data sources on safety
The Child Care Interim Data Set of the HSE – to be replaced by the National Child Care Information System currently in development.
Hospital In-:Patient Enquiry System Hopsital discharges
The European Schools Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) gives highly detailed information on children’s exposure, attitudes and behaviours in relation to alcohol and drugs.
Growing Up in Ireland and the HBSC survey contains items on alcohol and drug use, road safety and children’s perceptions of the area in which they live and the people in it.
The Department of Justice and Law Reform hold data on asylum seeking children including those who are separated from their families and the Garda Siochana Juvenile Diversion Programme hold data on children who have committed offences and the PULSE system contains data on child victims of crime.
Data and research priorities
Rates of occurrence of accidental injury and factors influencing these events
Children’s pathways through child protection and alternative care services. The nature of children and family interactions with the child protection system and resultant outcomes. The immediate and longer term impact of child protection services on families and children taking account of their wellbeing and well becoming.
The suitability of the built environment in which children live, attend school and receive other services, including the availability of safe open spaces;
The type and quality of children’s interactions with the criminal justice system and pathways through the system for children who have committed offences.
Access to GUI data
Data from the first waves of data collection from both cohorts are now available.
How can the QUANTITATIVE DATA be accessed?
The Anonymised Microdata File (AMF) is a publicly available anonymised dataset. Researchers wishing to access the AMF should apply to the Irish Social Science Data Archive (ISSDA) at www.ucd.ie/issda.
The Researcher Microdata File (RMF) is a more detailed dataset. Access to the RMF is subject to appointment of the researcher as an Officer of Statistics by the Central Statistics Office, meaning that the researcher is subject to the full rigour and penalties of the Statistics Act, 1993. Researchers wishing to access the RMF should apply to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs
How can the QUALITATIVE DATA be accessed?
Researchers wishing to access the qualitative data file should apply to the Irish Qualitative Data Archive (IQDA) at http://www.iqda.ie/
Key actions
Joint DCYA / IRCHSS Programme – buying out teaching time, PhD and Masters fellowships
Summer Schools / Winter workshops
Prioritised research programme
Growing up in Ireland Knowledge Transfer Strategy with prioritised areas annually
Development of www.childrensdatabase.ie to become more comprehensive, interactive, timely and useful
Development and extension of administrative databases – focusing on children’s health and children in the care of the State
Research Division Research Division Department of Children and Youth AffairsDepartment of Children and Youth Affairs
Email: [email protected]: [email protected]