Safe and sound

Issue 17 of the Institute of Child Protection Studies Research to Practice Series

Authors: Tim Moore, Morag McArthur, Steven Roche

The ICPS Research to Practice Series links the findings of research undertaken by the ACU Institute of Child Protection Studies, to the development of policy and practice in the area of child, youth and family welfare. Issue 17: Safe and Sound – The safety concerns of young people in residential care, explores the factors leading to children and young people’s vulnerability in residential care, what children and young people think about safety in the context of residential care, and their key interpersonal safety concerns.

This issue draws from a study conducted by the ACU Institute of Child Protection Studies, with partners from Griffith University and the Queensland University of Technology. The study included interviews with 27 children and young people aged 10-21 with lived experience of residential care in Australia, and explored the following research questions:

1. What does safety mean to children and young people in the context of residential care?
2. How do children and young people perceive safety within residential care and what do they need to feel and be safe?
3. What are the safety concerns of children and young people in residential care?
4. What do children and young people consider is being done to prevent harm (by staff, other adults and peers) in residential care?
5. What do children and young people consider should be done to respond to safety issues in residential care?

Issue 17 should be read in conjunction with Issue 18, which discusses strategies for preventing harm and responding to the safety concerns of young people in residential care.

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