PUBLIC LECTURE: Protecting and Caring for our Children: perceptions of childhood and abuse

This public lecture is the first in a series of forums with the theme: Kids Doin’ It Tough: Myths & Realities

This series of forums is sponsored by The Centre for Vulnerable Children at The University of Western Australia, the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect WA ( NAPCAN) and the Ministerial Advisory Council on Child Protection (MACCP WA).

[These forums are supported by: Anglicare, CentreCare, Department for Community Development, Mercy, Mofflyn’ Ngala, Parkerville, Wanslea Family Services]



Abstract: Child Welfare agencies across the developed world have experienced an unforeseen and unprecedented expansion in their workloads over the past twenty years or so. Almost all these changes have occurred under the heading of "Child Protection", a quite distinctive and identifiable way of doing child welfare work which comes complete with an ideology of childhood, a set of professional procedures and practices based on beliefs about a phenomenon entitled "child abuse" and a new vocabulary embedded in a discourse which is only very rarely questioned.

In this lecture, Professor Thorpe will present a thought-provoking picture of the contemporary child welfare scene and challenge us to think how we might all contribute to a quite different way of caring for children, young people and families.

Biographical note: Professor David Thorpe, Professor of Applied Social Science at the University of Lancaster, is a well known for his research and writing in relation to the sociology of childhood and child care and international practices and policies in relation to child welfare and the care and protection of children. He is author of the book, ‘Evaluating Child Protection’ which is based on the research that he conducted in Western Australia in the early 1990s.

He is currently Visiting Professor at the University of Western Australia and will be a keynote speaker at a number of public, professional and academic forums and talks about children and young people in adversity and what we as a community and services are doing to make matters better or worse.