School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Australia.
Child Abuse Negl. 2021 May;115:104987. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.104987. Epub 2021 Mar 13.
Having a voice in family matters is considered a protective factor from harm, and key to promoting children's wellbeing. However, since the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and specifically Article 12 pertaining to children's participation, research reveals that children's voices often remain invisible in child protection and family welfare services.
While there is renewed interest in hearing children's voices about their experiences in out-of-home care, there remains little awareness and knowledge of children's voices in family support services. This article addresses this gap by presenting children's own meanings and experiences of having a voice, derived from a research collaboration between UnitingCare and Queensland University of Technology .
17 children aged 6-16 years (8 sibling groups) whose families received family support services (voluntary or ordered) from UnitingCare in Queensland, Australia.
An interpretative phenomenological approach with activity-based interviews involving art, play and Reflexions cards were used to support children to share their lived experiences.
Children's sense-making related to having a voice revealed four connected meanings that poignantly illustrated that not only should children have a say about the supports they receive because they are part of a family, but because they are knowledgeable agents with insights that can improve their and their family's experiences.
Family support services need a sustained paradigm shift towards protection with participation to incorporate the voices of children as an everyday practice to ensure their wellbeing and safety.
在家庭事务中有发言权被认为是免受伤害的保护因素，也是促进儿童福祉的关键。然而，自联合国《儿童权利公约》（1989 年）通过以来，特别是第 12 条涉及儿童参与，研究表明，儿童的声音在儿童保护和家庭福利服务中往往仍然不为人知。
虽然人们对倾听儿童对他们在家庭外照顾中的经历的声音重新产生了兴趣，但对家庭支持服务中儿童声音的认识和了解仍然很少。本文通过展示儿童自己对有发言权的理解和经验，弥合了这一差距，这是 UnitingCare 与昆士兰科技大学之间的研究合作的成果。
17 名 6-16 岁的儿童（8 个兄弟姐妹群体），他们的家庭在澳大利亚昆士兰州接受了 UnitingCare 的家庭支持服务（自愿或命令）。
采用基于活动的访谈的解释现象学方法，涉及艺术、游戏和 Reflexions 卡片，以支持儿童分享他们的生活经历。
儿童对有发言权的意义建构揭示了四个相关的意义，这些意义鲜明地说明了，不仅应该让儿童对他们所接受的支持发表意见，因为他们是家庭的一部分，而且因为他们是有见识的代理人，有洞察力，可以改善他们和他们家庭的体验。
家庭支持服务需要向保护与参与相结合的范式转变，将儿童的声音纳入日常实践，以确保他们的福祉和安全。
