Keeping Children SafeStrategic Data and Research Developments

Sinéad Hanafin PhDHead of Research

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

University College Cork12th September 2011

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Established in June 2011

Responsibility for harmonising policy issues that affect children in: Early childhood care and education Youth justice Child welfare and protection Children and young people's participation Research on children and young people Youth work and Cross-cutting initiatives for children and young people

Priority areas

The establishment of a Child and Family Agency

Referendum on children’s rights

Development of improved data, particularly real time data on children in need of care and protection

Coordinated approach to services and supports on children’s lives including health and educational services

Development of a national children and youth strategy

National Children’s Research Programme

Principles

Take account of the complexity and multi-dimensionality of children’s lives and the inter-linkages between them

Incorporate an understanding of the multiple systems that surround them

Include both positive and negative aspects of their lives

Include both subjective and objective approaches

Adopt different methodologies as appropriate

Privilege the voice of children

Capacity Building

Support & advice

Dissemination

Infrastructure

Commissioned Research

National Children’s Strategy

Goal 2

Children’s Research Programme 2000-2011

Highlights

Growing up in Ireland: the National Longitudinal Study of Children (€29 million)

Commissioned research programme (29 studies inc GUI) Masters / PhD capacity building programme (38 funded) Research internship programme (16 placements) Data development and infrastructure including publication

of State of the Nation’s Children Reports 2006, 2008, 2010 Development of childrensdatabase.ie including 4 additional

databases in 2010 Support for the initiation of the Children’s Research Network

for Ireland and Northern Ireland

DATA AND RESEARCH STRATEGY 2011-2016

Evidence base to support development of Strategy

Literature review (Gavin et al. 2008)

Cross-national case study on data systems (Clerkin et al. 2008)

Review of national and international strategies on data and research (Hanafin et al. 2009)

Data processes analysis• Data process needs arising in

policy – e.g. standardisation, dissemination

• Needs expressed in consultation – extension of existing data collection to new groups, streamline reporting processes, more targeted dissemination

• Inventory examined for use of unique identifiers, standardisation of key variables

• Identify potential improvements in data collection & production processes

Review of policy (2000-2008)

• 50 policy documents• 1,887 recommendations• Categorised by whether relating

to data & research or other activity, WCP domain – content and focus, Life course, Child group.

• More than half related to Health and Education

Inventory of data sources• 117 data sources (20% survey,

80% admin)• ~11,000 variables (45% survey,

55% admin). • Classified by same categories as

policy recs. • Key socio-demographic variables

& equality markers identified

Public consultation• Conducted through workshop

with OMCYA CYPF (2008) and on-line questionnaire (2009).

• Questionnaire had ~200 responses from a range of organisations – Government, NGO, Hospitals, Cultural, Education, Local bodies.

• Issues around both content & data processes raised

Gap analysis (content)• Data & research needs arising

from data / research specific policy recs

• Additional data & research needs arising from other policy recs

• Additional data & research needs arising from consultation

• Current data provision (inventory)

• Identify existing/perceived gaps

Recommendations (content)

• Recommendations relating to CHILD / FAMILY / SOCIETY

• 4 content headings• HEALTH• EDUCATION• PARTICIPATION & SOCIAL CONTEXT

• FAMILY SITUATION & CONTEXT

Recommendations (process)

• Data culture• Data sharing• Data collection / research design

• Dissemination strategies & data use

• Resources

Overview of Strategy

One aim and five objectives

Two broad categories:– Outcome areas of children’s lives (five)– Cross- cutting issues across the data and research cycle

> 20 Departments / Agencies involved in implementation

Approximately 120 actions

Aim of Strategy

The aim of the Strategy is to set out a plan to guide and support the development of research and data around children’s lives over the next five years for the purpose of ensuring children and young people benefit from improved understandings of their lives.

Objective Action Area

A 1 Build and improve both survey and administrative information around children’s lives

To generate a comprehensive and coherent understanding of children’s development, needs and appropriate supports and services

2 Support and promote maximal use of existing information

3 Support and inform the generation of new information

B To develop research capacity in the area of children’s data and research

4 Build capacity in the area of children’s research and information

C To develop, support and promote good infrastructure in the area of children’s research and data

5 Contribute to and inform national developments around data and information on children’s lives. Provide a mechanism for the continued development of appropriate methodologies and concepts in relation to data on children’s lives.

6 Develop an overarching governance structure for research around children including ethical review

D To improve evaluation and monitoring of children’s services in Ireland at local, national and international level

7 Develop coherent approaches to evaluation of services, supports and interventions around children’s lives

E To support a continuum of research and data use within policy and practice settings.

8 Improve awareness, knowledge and understanding of the potential of research and data in these settings, contribute to change in attitudes perceptions and ideas in relation to utilisation of information around children’s lives. Provide resources and support for utilisation of information and research in policy and practice.

Actions and objectives

Five Outcome Areas of Children’s Lives

Outcome Area 1: Children will be healthy both physically and emotionally

Outcome Area 2: Children will be supported in active learning Outcome Area 3: Children will be safe from accidental and

intentional harm and secure in the immediate and wider physical environment

Outcome Area 4: Children will be economically secure Outcome Area 5: Children will be part of positive networks of

family, friends, neighbours, and the community and included and participating in society

Children will be safe from accidental and intentional harm and secure in the immediate and wider physical environment

Non-accidental (including for example, child abuse, self-harm and environmental hazards such as pollution) and accidental harm.

Children’s safety in different settings (e.g. home, community, broader environment)

Risk behaviours, such as smoking, alcohol and drug use by children, parents and others in their broader environment

Crimes committed by, and against, young people Preventive, protective and remedial services with a

particular focus on describing, documenting, identifying and evaluating services and interventions.

Safe from accidental and intentional harm and secure in the immediate

and wider physical environment

DATA

Child protection reports

Number and percentage of child welfare and protection reports that went to initial assessment, by type of concern (2006-2008)

2006 2007* 2008

No. No. No. %

Total 12,520 15,074 15,364 100.0

Type of concern

Welfare 6,221 7,690 7,518 48.9

Physical abuse 1,291 1,529 1,704 11.1

Sexual abuse 1,495 1,715 1,657 10.8

Emotional abuse

1,100 1,233 1,270 8.3

Neglect 2,413 2,907 3,215 20.9*excludes Waterford LHO returns.

Source: Child Care Interim Data Set, HSE

Youth homelessness

‘Well, I’m on the streets about 6, 7 months. I used to get beatings at home and all by my step-father. My real father is dead and my mother, she’s an alcoholic and she’s always drinking an’ all, and anytime she gets drunk and all and, when he (stepfather) gets drunk, he always beats me up. And that’s how I ended up on the streets. Came into town and stayed on the streets’. (Young man aged 15)

Source: Mayock, P. and Vekic, K. (2006) Understanding Youth Homelessness. Dublin: Government Publications.

Smoking, alcohol and drug use (1)

9.78.5

20.4

12.1

15.7

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1998 2006 2006 2002 2006

Smoke cigarettes every day Have been drunk at least

once in the past 30 days

Have taken cannabis at least once in their lifetime

Source: Health Behaviour of School-Aged Children

Smoking, alcohol and drug use (2)

Older Boys Lower Social

classes

Traveller Immigrant Disability

Smoke cigarettes every day ↑ n/s ↑ ↑ n/s n/s

Have been drunk at least once in the last 30 days

↑ ↑ n/s ↑ ↓ n/s

Have taken cannabis at least once in their lifetime

↑ ↑ n/s ↑ n/s n/s

Source: Health Behaviour of School-Aged Children (2006)

Children in detention (1)

Individuals who were in detention at any time during 2010*

Total Female Male

Individuals Remanded

104 24 80

Individuals Committed

56 11 45

Total Individuals Admitted

125 26 99

* includes those in detention on 1st Jan 2010)Source: An Garda Siochana

‘Oh, I was 15 and I asked to get into a young people’s centre, yeah, or I think I was 14, yeah 14, and I went to Youthreach and he said I was too young…. (so) I hung around the streets getting charged…. Two months later, (I was sent to) Trinity House, good luck!’

Source: Seymour, M. and Butler, M. (2008) Young People on Remand. Dublin: Government Publications

Children in detention (2)

Referrals to the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme

% of referrals to the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme, by type of offence

Source: An Garda Siochana (2009)

17.816.6

13.2 12.9

10.69.5

6.5

4.4 4.3 4.2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

Alcohol-related

Theft Otheroffences

Traffi c Criminaldamage

Publicorder

Trespass Minorassault

Possessionof drugs

Burglary

Type of offence

% o

f ref

erra

ls

Deliberate Self Harm (DSH)

In 2010:

The peak rate of DSH for females aged 15-19 years is 639 per 100,000

The peak rate of DSH for males aged 20-24 years is 626 per 100,000

One in every 157 females aged 15-19 years and one in every 160 males aged 20-24 years presented to hospital in 2010 as a consequence of DSH.

Source: National Registry of Deliberate Self Harm

Accidents and injuries

Source: Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (2009)

No. of discharges from hospital for external causes of accidents and poisoning, by age and gender

529 443

2,546

1,821 2,0061,374

1,990

1,011

1,732

707

8,803

5356

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls Boys Girls

<1 year 1-4 years 5-9 years 10-14 years 15-17 years Total

No.

of h

ospi

tal d

isch

arge

s

Unsupervised internet use

Source: Growing Up in Ireland (2009)

% of children who are allowed to use the internet without parental or other adult supervision, by gender, social class and highest level of mother's educational attainment

35

30

37

3028

31 30

3437

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Boys Girls Professional/Managerial

OtherNonmanual/

Skil ledManual

Semi-Skil led/Unskil led

Manual

LowerSecondary or

less

LeavingCertificate

Subdegree Graduate

Gender Social Class Highest level of mother's educational attainment

% o

f 9-y

ear-

olds

Mothers and children’s perceived community safety

Source: Growing Up in Ireland (2009)

68

91

58

95

77

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

It i s safe to walka lone after dark

It i s safe for chi ldrento play outs ideduring the day

There are safe parks ,playgrounds and play

spaces

Do you feel safel iving around here?

Are there places forchi ldren to playsafely near your

house?

% of mothers agreeing with the fol lowing s tatements : % of chi ldren responding 'yes ' to thefol lowing questions:

%

Challenges in data quality

The extent to which the data source provided national coverage

The timeliness of the data

Comparability of the information between different geographical areas

Level of certainty regarding the accuracy of the information.

Source:Hanafin S. and Brooks AM (2008) From rhetoric to reality: Challenges in using data to report on a national set of child well-being indicators. Child Indicators Research

HSE - Adequacy of services report 2009

Key data sources on safety

The Child Care Interim Data Set of the HSE – to be replaced by the National Child Care Information System currently in development.

Hospital In-:Patient Enquiry System Hopsital discharges

The European Schools Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD) gives highly detailed information on children’s exposure, attitudes and behaviours in relation to alcohol and drugs.

Growing Up in Ireland and the HBSC survey contains items on alcohol and drug use, road safety and children’s perceptions of the area in which they live and the people in it.

The Department of Justice and Law Reform hold data on asylum seeking children including those who are separated from their families and the Garda Siochana Juvenile Diversion Programme hold data on children who have committed offences and the PULSE system contains data on child victims of crime.

Data and research priorities

Rates of occurrence of accidental injury and factors influencing these events

Children’s pathways through child protection and alternative care services. The nature of children and family interactions with the child protection system and resultant outcomes. The immediate and longer term impact of child protection services on families and children taking account of their wellbeing and well becoming.

The suitability of the built environment in which children live, attend school and receive other services, including the availability of safe open spaces;

The type and quality of children’s interactions with the criminal justice system and pathways through the system for children who have committed offences.

Access to GUI data

Data from the first waves of data collection from both cohorts are now available.

How can the QUANTITATIVE DATA be accessed?

The Anonymised Microdata File (AMF) is a publicly available anonymised dataset. Researchers wishing to access the AMF should apply to the Irish Social Science Data Archive (ISSDA) at www.ucd.ie/issda.

The Researcher Microdata File (RMF) is a more detailed dataset. Access to the RMF is subject to appointment of the researcher as an Officer of Statistics by the Central Statistics Office, meaning that the researcher is subject to the full rigour and penalties of the Statistics Act, 1993. Researchers wishing to access the RMF should apply to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs

How can the QUALITATIVE DATA be accessed?

Researchers wishing to access the qualitative data file should apply to the Irish Qualitative Data Archive (IQDA) at http://www.iqda.ie/

Key actions

Joint DCYA / IRCHSS Programme – buying out teaching time, PhD and Masters fellowships

Summer Schools / Winter workshops

Prioritised research programme

Growing up in Ireland Knowledge Transfer Strategy with prioritised areas annually

Development of www.childrensdatabase.ie to become more comprehensive, interactive, timely and useful

Development and extension of administrative databases – focusing on children’s health and children in the care of the State

Research Division Research Division Department of Children and Youth AffairsDepartment of Children and Youth Affairs

Email: research@dcya.gov.ieEmail: research@dcya.gov.ie