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Media Release

March 21 2006

Child protection looks for the benefits in finding fathers


Professor Brigid DanielAt the top of the tree for child protection workers are the best interests of children, but traditionally when dealing with children at risk, the primary focus is on stabilising the mother as key carer of the children.

Visiting child care and protection expert from the University of Dundee, Professor Brigid Daniel, says this focus on mothers may obscure the risks and indeed benefits fathers and father figures can provide in children’s lives.

A guest of UniSA’s Australian Centre for Child Protection, Prof Daniel will explore the role of fathers in the child protection mix at a special research seminar on Wednesday March 22 at 4 pm at UniSA’s City East campus, Playford building, level 7 room 27.

“Child protection research and practice has traditionally focussed on mothers – even when a mother, for whatever reason, is considered a risk to her children, the focus has been on supporting her rehabilitation to care for her children,” Prof Daniel said.

“In overlooking the role of fathers and fathers figures there are some real risks. In the first instance we may not be as alert as we should be to the threats posed by fathers and father figures when they are a part of a mother’s life – so when we assess a scenario where children are being harmed or neglected we may not take account of their role. On the other hand when children at risk are identified, we may not fully consider the positive contribution fathers and father figures can make.”

Prof Daniel says in general children in at-risk situations live in fairly fragmented family circumstances, but she believes it is important that the father’s potential for both harm and benefit to the children is given more consideration when assessments and care and protection strategies are devised.

“A father’s absence from the day to day running of the family should not be assumed to be disinterest,” Prof Daniel said.

“There is potential to access all sorts of supports for children through a father relationship. Fathers may be able to provide support to the children at school or other activities, even if contact with the mother is not advisable. They may also provide access to extended family members who are willing and able to support the children.”

Prof Daniel said to secure the best outcomes for children researchers and workers in the field needed to consider the full range of influences in children’s lives.

“Child protection interventions are often complex and fraught, but the best outcomes for children are a priority and must include consideration of the influence of fathers – both positive and negative.”

Professor Brigid Daniel, Professor of Child Care and Protection, University of Dundee
Brigid studied Psychology at St Andrews University and went on to carry out a PhD in Psychology at Edinburgh University. She spent a year as a post-doctoral research fellow before training as a social worker, also at Edinburgh University. She worked for some years in local authority social work in Edinburgh. She then moved to the University of Dundee to teach on the post-qualifying Child Protection Courses run by the Social Work Department. In 2001 she took up the post of Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Stirling University and spent a year on secondment to the Scottish Executive to work on the Ministerial Audit and Review of Child Care and Protection which reported in 2002 in It's Everyone's Job to Make Sure I'm Alright.. In 2004 she returned to Dundee to take up her current post as Professor of Child Care and Protection and Director of Studies of a range of post-qualifying child care and protection courses. Her research interests and published books and journal articles are on child development, child neglect, work with fathers, assessment and resilience.

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