NCJ Number
89683
Editor(s)
V L Stewart
Date Published
1980
Length
176 pages
Annotation
This volume presents a profile of the efforts of Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, India, Israel, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the Soviet Union to aid distressed, abused, and delinquent children through health, educational, welfare, and legal services.
Abstract
The paper on Brazil traces the history of child welfare in that country, discusses transitional problems and trends, describes new laws applied to children, and analyzes Brazil's efforts to coordinate governmental and private social services. The section on Denmark focuses on this country's use of child welfare boards rather than juvenile courts. This system is viewed as stigmatizing less than juvenile courts and achieving more positive results while ensuring children's rights and providing for appropriate appeal. The discussion of Egypt notes that the major challenge confronting this country, whether dealing with children in general or troubled children in particular, is determining the difference between what is positive and sound in cultural heritage, in theory, and what is negative in practice. Government planners are advised to be addressing means of reversing the alarming decline in the past years of services for children. In addition to providing a sketch of the practices in the whole field of child welfare throughout India, the discussion of that country profiles juvenile justice in law and action in Bombay. The chapter on Israel describes the social services for children in that country, and the juvenile court is viewed as a therapeutic force rooted in judges' training in the social sciences as well as law. Recognition of the basic needs and rights of all children is advised to be in the Netherlands' total national plan as a complete description is given of governmental and private services. The Dutch policy is noted to be early recognition of problems and appropriate prompt intervention. The Soviet approach to dealing with children's problems is described as holistic, as child development is viewed as depending upon the coordination of home, school, and community influences. How the Soviet Union deals with juvenile delinquents since the abolition of the juvenile court in 1935 is described. Social and juridical services for children throughout Switzerland are described in the concluding chapter.