Protecting Children in Europe: Towards a New Millennium

This study provides a survey of five countries - Denmark, England and Wales, Finland, Ireland and Italy. Each in turn discusses the historical background of the legal concern for children within the national culture, the present situation, and future directions in policy and practice. Following recent scandals of child abuse, Europeans have had a rigorous debate over laws for the protection of children. The awareness of maltreatment and neglect, and the ability of the society to react to abuse, vary greatly from one nation to another within the European Union. The differences between different countries’ approach to the problem centre on the welfare experience employed with each country: the Scandinavian model based on the public sector support for all; the British system allocating resources to the neediest with a stigma attached to the need for its use; and the emphasis on voluntary and private social work in Ireland and Italy. In the latter two countries, the role of the Catholic Church is examined: the assets of its community outreach and the price of its insistence that activities within a family should remain private. The book provides useful reading for academics and practitioners in child care, social work, social policy and comparative studies. Contributors include: Margit Harder, Keith Pringle, Riita Tuomisto, Elina Vuori-Karvia, Helen Buckley, Laura Bini and Monica Toselli.