Children under the protection system: subjective well-being and the centrality of their rights

Authors

  • Andrea Jover Pujol Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Abstract

Law 14/2010 of May 27 on Rights and Opportunities in Childhood and Adolescence exposes in its preamble «the recognition of the right of all minors to receive the comprehensive care necessary for the development of their personality and well-being in the family and social context». Likewise, according to its article 1, the purpose of this law is to promote the well-being of children and adolescents and the actions of prevention, care, protection and participation to guarantee the exercise of their rights, the assumption of their responsibilities and the scope of its comprehensive development. Therefore, public administration is responsible for guaranteeing the rights of children who are under the protection system. But what do these children and adolescents think about the fulfillment of these rights? And how does this affect in their subjective well-being?

This is a case study of the Vallès Occidental’s EAIA with a sequential mixed method design. This article exposes, on the one hand, the centrality of the perception of the guarantee of the rights of children and adolescents that is under the system of protection when evaluating their subjective well-being. On the other hand, it shows that there is a connecting thread in all interviews carried out: the perception of lack of guarantee of these rights. Finally, the consequent need to establish mechanisms to make children’s rights within the framework of the protection system is discussed.

Keywords

childhood under the protection system, rights, subjective well-being, public tools

References

Aanesen, F.; Meland, E. i Torp, S. (2017). «Gender differences in subjective health complaints in adolescence: The roles of self-esteem, stress from schoolwork and body dissatisfaction». SAGE: Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1177/1403494817690940

Agustín, S. (2014). El sistema de protección a la infancia: una complicada red de intereses económicos y sociales que no siempre beneficia a los niños. Barcelona: Virus Editorial.

Balsells, M. À.; Vaquero, E. i Ciurana, A. (2019). «El apoyo social durante el acogimiento: su relevancia para el bienestar de los niños y las niñas en situación de protección. Sociedad e Infancias, 3, 115-132. https://doi.org/10.5209/soci.63403

Berga, A. (2005). «Adolescencia femenina y riesgo social: una relación invisible». Educación Social (29), 63-78.

Casas, F. (1998). Infancia. Perspectivas psicosociales. Barcelona: Paidós.

Casas, F. (2006). «Infancia y representaciones sociales». Política y Sociedad, 43 (1), 27-42.

Casas, F. i Montserrat, C. (2012). «Percepciones de distintos agentes sociales acerca de la educación formal de los chicos y chicas tutelados». Educatio Siglo XXI, 30 (2), 185-206.

Casas, F. i Bello, A. et al. (2012). Calidad de vida y bienestar infantil subjetivo en España. Universitat de Girona – Unicef.

Cashmore, J. i O’Brien, A. (2001). «Facilitating participation of children and young people in care». Children Australia. Cambridge University Press, 26 (4), 10-15. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1035077200010427

Castro, G. de (2017). «El impacto relacional de la pobreza en la infancia y la adolescencia. Aportes desde el análisis del bienestar y los derechos de la infancia en España 2007-2015». Revista Brasileira de Planejamento e Desenvolvimiento, Curitiba, 6 (1). https://doi.org/10.3895/rbpd.v6n1.4604

Cheney, K. (2018). «Decolonizing Childhood Studies: Overcoming Patriarchy and Prejudice in Child-Related Research and Practice», capítol 6, 91-105. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781350019256.ch-006

Cossar, J.; Brandon, M.; Peter, J. (2016). «“You’ve got to trust her and she’s got to trust you”: children’s views on participation in the child protection system». Child & Family Social Work, 21 (1), 03-112. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12115

Costa, S. i Avellaneda, A. (2015). «Més enllà dels divuit. Seguir les petjades». Quaderns d’Educació Social (17), 56-73. https://raco.cat/index.php/QuadernsEducacioSocial/article/view/330629

Cummins, R. A. i Lau, A. (2010). Manual 2005: Personal Wellbeing Index – School Children. 3a edició. Melbourne: Australian Centre on Quality of Life, Deakin University [en línia]. Disponible a http://www.acqol.com.au/uploads/pwi-sc/pwi-sc-english.pdf

Dinisman, T. i Rees, G. (2014). «The International Survey of Children’s Well-Being (ISCWeB): Findings from the First Wave of Data Collection». http://www.isciweb.org/_Uploads/dbsAttachedFiles/FirstWaveReport_FINAL(2).pdf

Dixon, J.; Ward, J. i Blower, S. (2019). «“They sat and actually listened to what we think about the care system”: the use of participation, consultation, peer research and co-production to raise the voices of young people in and leaving care in England». Child Care in Practice, 25 (1), 6-21. https://doi.org/10.1080/13575279.2018.1521380

Gaitán, L. (2014). «Socialization and childhood in sociological theorizing». A: Ben-Arieh, A.; Casas, F.; Frones, I. i Korbin, J. E. (eds.). Handbook of Child Well-Being. Theories, Methods and Policies in Global Perspective. Dorcrecht: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9063-8_180

González-Carrasco, M. et al. (2015). «The Assessment of Subjective Well-Being in Young Children: Strengths and Challenges». Journal of Social Research & Policy, 6 (2).

Goodyer, A. (2014). «Children’s accounts of moving to a foster home». Child & Family Social Work, 21 (2), 188-197. https://doi:10.1111/cfs.12128

Jover-Pujol, A. (2022). «El benestar de la infància sota el sistema de protecció i el rol de les intervencions professionals Un estudi de cas de l’EAIA del Vallès Occidental». Tesi doctoral. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/675010

Lemon, K. i Hines, A. M. (2006). «Mentoring adolescent foster youth: promoting resilience during developmental transitions». Child and Family Social Work, 11, 242-253. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2006.00427.x

Llosada-Gistau, J. (2017). «El benestar subjectiu dels adolescents tutelats en acolliment residencial i familiar». Tesi doctoral.

Llosada-Gistau, J.; Montserrat, C. i Casas, F. (2015). «The subjective well-being of adolescents in residential care compared to that of the general population». El Sevier: Children and Youth Services Review, 52, 150-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.11.007

Llosada-Gistau, J.; Montserrat, C. i Casas, F. (2016a). «El benestar subjectiu dels adolescents tutelats a Catalunya». Papers, 29. Barcelona: Direcció General d’Atenció a la Infància i l’Adolescència, Generalitat de Catalunya.

Llosada-Gistau, J.; Montserrat, C. i Casas, F. (2016b). «What Matters in for the Subejctive Well-Being of Children in Care?». Child Indicators Research, 735-760. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-016-9405-z

Mateos, A. et al. (2017). «“They didn’t tell me anything; they just sent me home”: children’s participation in the return home». Child & Family Social Work, 22 (2), 871-880. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12307

Mitchell, M. B. et al. (2010). «We care about care: advice by children in care for children in care, foster parents and child welfare workers about the transition into foster care». Child & Family Social Work, 15 (2), 176-185. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2009.00657.x

Montserrat, C. (2006). «Benestar i acolliment d’infants en família extensa: percepcions, avaluacions i aspiracions dels principals agents implicats». Tesi doctoral. Girona: Universitat de Girona.

Montserrat, C. (2014). «The Child Protection System from the Perspective of Young People: Messages from 3 Studies». Social Sciences, 3 (4), 687-704. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci3040687

Montserrat, C. i Casas, F. (2007). «Kinship foster care from the perspective of quality of life: Research on the satisfaction of the stakeholders. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 1, 227-237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-007-9018-2

Montserrat, C. i Casas, F. (2010). «Educación y jóvenes ex-tutealdos. Revisión de la literatura científica espanyola». Educación XXI, 13, 117-138. UNED: Facultat d’Educació. https://doi.org/10.5944/educxx1.13.2.240

Montserrat, C.; Casas, F. i Baena, M. (2015). L’educació dels infants i adolescents en el sistema de protecció. Un problema o una oportunitat? Institut de Recerca sobre la Qualitat de Vida. Girona: Documenta Universitaria.

Montserrat, C.; Casas, F. i Bertrán, I. (2010). La situació escolar dels adolescents acollits en centre residencial, família extensa o aliena a Catalunya. Institut de Recerca sobre la Qualitat de Vida. Girona: Universitat de Girona.

Montserrat, C.; Casas, F.; Malo, S. i Bertrán, I. (2012). «Els itineraris educatius dels joves extutelats». Col·lecció Infància i Adolescència (6). Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament de Benestar Social i Família, Direcció General d’Atenció a la Infància i Adolescència..

Montserrat, C.; Planas, T. i Medina, R. (2019). «El compromís socioeducatiu (COSE) en el marc d’intervenció dels equips d’atenció a la infància i adolescència a Catalunya». Pedagogia i Treball Social: Revista de Ciències Socials Aplicades [en línia], 8 (1), 3-28. https://doi.org/10.33115/udg_bib/pts.v8i1.22321

Pinkerton, J. (2012). «Understanding Young People’s Transitions from State Care: The Need of Connections». Diskurs Kindheits und Jugendforschung Helf, 3, 309-319. https://doi.org/10.3224/DISKURS.V7I3.9174

Schofield, G. (2001). «Resilience and Family Placement: A Lifespan Perspective». Adoption and Fostering, 25 (3). https://doi.org/10.1177/030857590102500303

Síndic de Greuges de Catalunya (2009). La protecció de la infància en situació d’alt risc a Catalunya. Informe extraordinari. Barcelona: Tallers Gràfics Hostrench.

Staines, J. i Selwyn, J. (2020). «“I wish someone would explain why I am in care”: The impact of children and young people’s lack of understanding of why they are in out-of-home care on their well-being and felt security». Child and Family Social Work, 1-10. https://doi: 10.1111/cfs.12721

Stein, M. (2005). «Young people aging out of care: The povetry of theory». Children and Youth Services Review, 28, 422-434. York: Social Work Research and Development Unit, Universitat de York. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2005.05.005

Stein, M. (2006). «Research review: Young people leaving care». Child and Family Social Work, 273-279. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2006.00439.x

Stein, M. i Wade, J. (2000). «Helping Care Leavers: Problems and Strategic Responses». Social Work Research and Development. Londres: Department of Health.

Truñó, M. (2017). Informe. Primeres dades de l’enquesta de benestar subjectiu de la infancia a Barcelona. Satisfaccions, percepcions i expectatives. Barcelona: Institut Infància i Adolescència.

Valle, J. del et al. (2009). «Twenty years of foster care in Spain: Profiles, patterns and outcomes». Children and Youth Services Review, 31, 847-853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.03.007

Verhellen, E. (1992). «Los derechos de los niños y las niñas en Europa». Infancia y Sociedad, 15, 37-60.

Vernon, J. (2000). Audit and assessment of leaving care services in London. Nacional Children’s Bureau. Londres: Rough Sleepers Unit.

Author Biography

Andrea Jover Pujol, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Graduated in Political Sciences and Administration at the University of Barcelona, she has a Master's degree in Social Policy, Labor and Welfare (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) and is currently developing her PhD at the Department of Sociology of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, investigating the well-being of children and adolescents in public care.

Published

2023-01-13

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.