NCJ Number
221553
Journal
Child Abuse Review Volume: 16 Issue: 6 Dated: November/December 2007 Pages: 353-366
Date Published
November 2007
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article reports on an evaluation of a training program for preventing child abuse and neglect in Brazil, as part of a nine-country international training project sponsored by the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.
Abstract
The training approach used by a Brazilian organization recognizes and addresses the importance of existing systems and local environmental constraints in developing ways to improve the implementation of child protection systems. Participants are taught to view training as an intervention in the existing system by going beyond the imparting of knowledge and development skills in encouraging critical thinking about processes, system strengths and weaknesses, and approaches for achieving change. During training, participants' observation of the constraints on the child protection system were organized by a simple framework that contained the elements of a functioning integrated child protection system. These consist of legal provisions, beliefs and knowledge, identification, services activation, service response, coordination, and review. The framework reflects the principles underlying a public health and rights-based approach to child protection. Considering framework elements in informing training design permits participants to focus on the features of the current environment and the existing child protection system. Evaluation data were obtained from a small number of professionals from one State in Brazil, who were selected to participate in the training. Sixty-three completed questionnaires. 2 figures and 38 references