“…probably the single most consistent failure in safeguarding work with children… [is]…the failure of all professionals to see the situation from the child’s perspective and experience; to see and speak to the children; to listen to what they said, to observe how they were and to take serious account of their views in supporting their needs”
OFSTED - Evaluation of Serious Case Reviews
Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out that every child has a right to express their views and have them taken seriously, however as the quote above demonstrates it is often the very thing that is missing when safeguarding children. At Safeguarding Network one question cuts through a lot of the training and consultancy work that we do - "what is life like for this child?" We find that if we can keep this in our minds then it means that we are constantly reminded to hear the child's voice in our work.
Behaviours
Children can’t always put feelings into words, so listening includes seeing their behaviour as communication (often identified as verbal and non-verbal communication). Non-verbal communication is significant in all communication and for many is the most important aspect. Children who are unable or unwilling to verbalise (e.g. due to young age, physical impairment or active decision) communicate through body language and actions about how they feel and think. For example, a young baby can’t say who she sees as her parent figure, but her reactions to her parents and other adults can show us how she feels towards particular individuals. A primary school pupil may not feel able to talk about what is going on for them, but they may be acting out in class or showing other behaviours that are out of character for them. Arguably for some cases of abuse (e.g. emotional abuse and neglect) you are more likely to see this through changes in presentation and behaviour, as opposed to a child coming to you and saying "I am being neglected".
Children talking about their experiences
There are occasions when children may tell you what is happening to them, however for an area which is very significant within safeguarding processes, it is one where there is seemingly little research and what there is often relates to disclosure of child sexual abuse. This research then appears to be conflicting in outcomes (for example one widely accepted model of disclosure developed by Roland Summit in 1983 - the Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome - has been shown to be based on clinical opinion as opposed to cold hard data, but is still discussed today as a model).
Research does consistently identify there as being significant barriers to a child sharing their feelings and saying what is happening for them. NSPCC research (2013) with children who disclosed abuse showed that fear of not being listened to, understood, taken seriously or being believed were some of the barriers to sharing worries with adults. Children also reported that they worry adults may trivialise what they are told or over react and make matters worse. The same research also notes that, despite the often cited belief that sexual abuse is unlikely to be disclosed, two thirds (66%) of those interviewed who had been sexually abused had attempted to disclose what was happening at the time, and in a significant number of cases disclosures were made more than once.
On the surface this suggests that the issue does not necessarily just lie with the victim not feeling able to disclose or not knowing that anything is wrong, but that it may also be the case that the adults involved do not hear or want to hear what they are being told.
In truth, both can be right, there are barriers present for the child in terms of disclosing and for the adults involved in terms of hearing.
Barriers to talking for children:
In addition to those already identified above, other potential barriers include:
- Fear (in relation to what might happen as a result of telling someone)
- Stigma
- Self-reliance
- Embarrassment
- Shame
- Loss of control
To help reduce and eventually overcome these barriers there is a need to build the child's trust:
- Be there – the child feels you are there for them
- Prove yourself– take the time to listen, respond appropriately and keep promises
- Have the right attitude – don’t be too shocked, lose your temper or take over
- Know what you are talking about – know what to do, share relevant experience. Sometimes it is ok to say you don’t know, but that you will find out.
Barriers to hearing for adults:
- Fear you may be wrong
- Doubts about the child’s truthfulness - if the child is labelled a troublemaker, does this change your view of what you are being told?
- Anger and distress
- Child’s attempts to bind you to secrecy
- Uncertainty of procedures and consequences
- Unresolved feelings relating to personal experiences
- Believing there may be other reasons for the child’s behaviour and not necessarily wanting to consider abuse
- Not wanting to interfere in family life
- Not wanting to damage relationships with the child's carers.
To help reduce and overcome these barriers there is a need to ensure that we:
- Actively listen to what we are being told and observe the child's non-verbal communication
- Make sure that the child is in control of what they want to tell you, but aware that you cannot keep secrets
- Be aware of the effect of labels - for example don't ignore what the child is saying just because they have a label of telling tales, what is to say this time is actually the truth?
- Ensure that we prioritise the needs of the child over our relationships with adults - as adults we can manage relationships, but a child may only tell us what is happening once.
If a child talks to you about what is happening, listen and as soon as possible afterwards record in as much detail as possible. Follow your procedures and talk to your designated lead.
