‘We Don't do Measure and Quotes’: How Agency Responses Criminalise and Endanger the Safety of Children Missing in Care in New South Wales, Australia

This article presents qualitative data from interviews with 46 welfare and justice professionals to examine the criminalisation of children who go missing within the Out‐Of‐Home‐Care (OOHC) residential environment. Participants had specific experience with children living in residential facilities,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Howard journal of crime and justice 2018-06, Vol.57 (2), p.231-249
Main Authors: COLVIN, EMMA, McFARLANE, KATH, GERARD, ALISON, McGRATH, ANDREW
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
child endangerment
child sex exploitation
Child welfare
Children
Children & youth
criminalisation
Criminality
Criminalization
Foster care
Justice
Law enforcement
missing children
Missing persons
Out‐Of‐Home‐Care (OOHC)
Personal safety
residential care
Welfare
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Summary:This article presents qualitative data from interviews with 46 welfare and justice professionals to examine the criminalisation of children who go missing within the Out‐Of‐Home‐Care (OOHC) residential environment. Participants had specific experience with children living in residential facilities, either through the direct provision of care services, the development of OOHC policy initiatives or through their role as law enforcement, legal or justice personnel. The research found that agency practices, which were designed to protect children, actually serve to conflate going missing with criminality, accelerating children's involvement in the justice system and ultimately endangering children's safety.
ISSN:2059-1098
2059-1101
DOI:10.1111/hojo.12253