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National and international research findings were utilised to raise professional, political and faith-based awareness of the impact of abuse and exploitation on the educational, social and emotional development of children and young people considered to be `at risk'. The impact of the case study lies in its ability to portray, through the use of participatory research methodologies, the experiences of young people who have been the victims of abuse, neglect and human trafficking. Evidence collated indicates that the work has significantly increased national and local awareness and understanding, and led to specific organisational changes in policy and practice.
The research addressed the lack of insight from research, policy and practice in relation to adolescents who are neglected within families. Findings have informed policy development at a national level, and were the basis of a guide to good practice, published and circulated widely by the (then) Department for Children Schools and Families ((DCSF), now the Department for Education (DfE)), and a guide for young people to increase their awareness of neglect, published and circulated by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). At a local level, researchers worked intensively over 18 months with the whole senior management tier from Children's Services in one local authority to enable understanding and refocusing so that adolescent neglect becomes a legitimate part of practice. Managers went on to enable the shift in practice with their teams, and adolescent neglect has been included in revised safeguarding screening tools approved by the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB).
Research on the impact of exposure to pornographic and sexualised material online and offline and the links to sexual exploitation, addresses major issues in contemporary society and raises awareness and improves policy and practice responses. The research has led to several impacts including: 1) improving policing and child protection practices through training with the Metropolitan Police and Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) on online grooming of children; 2) informing public debate on pornography, healthy relationships and sex education through extensive public engagement; and 3) impact on governmental policies regarding child protection and internet service provision. The key beneficiaries are vulnerable children and agencies working to protect them from sexual exploitation and exposure to pornography.
Research providing novel insights into children's perspectives on families and relationships has had wide impact on policy and practice in Scotland. Through a partnership with ChildLine Scotland, research conducted into children's calls has:
Between 25% and 33% of all perpetrators of sexual abuse in the UK are children or young people. Policy and practice in relation to this group has been under-developed. The research detailed in this case study constitutes a body of work that has identified gaps in service delivery and has significantly advanced policy, training, treatment services, and assessment and intervention practices for this group of children and their families. The research findings have led to a shift across key service providers, including Barnardo's and NSPCC, away from adult sex offender approaches towards more child-centred and holistic interventions.
Coppock's original research has impacted upon children's workforce development strategy and child/adolescent mental health services in England - specifically in workforce up-skilling to provide inclusive, child-centred mental health services. Coppock's research provided intellectual and empirical underpinning for a highly successful training programme 'Mad, Bad or Misunderstood? Interactive Multimedia Training for Professionals Working with Children and Young People' (MBM Training). MBM Training has been delivered to over 4,000 participants including: teachers/social workers/health workers/police officers/residential care staff/parents/carers/foster carers and volunteers and is recognised by the Child and Maternal Health Observatory (ChiMat) as an important tool in mental health promotion and tackling stigma.
Research conducted in the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol from 2006 inspired the Government to commission a series of carefully targeted awareness campaigns on sexual coercion and violence in teenage relationships. These campaigns ran between 2010 and 2013 and reached millions of young people. The research has also underpinned developments in government policy as well as a range of practical interventions by agencies in England and Scotland. In addition, the extensive media coverage of the research has substantially increased public awareness of teenage partner violence and related issues.
University of Reading research has raised awareness of a group that is often overlooked in policy and practice: young carers and families affected by HIV. It has revealed the factors that influence involvement and outcomes in young care-giving and identified the support needs for young people and those that they look after.
The research has led to newly funded support services in East Africa and the UK, international and national practice guidelines, and capacity-building among professionals. The impact has predominantly been the enhancement of wellbeing, health and social care, education, children's and families' rights and welfare provision.
Impact: Research defining the victim demographics and mode of online grooming led to the joint coordination of a G8 meeting and subsequent Declaration, formation of a Global Alliance and input into international sentencing procedures.
Significance: As a result of formal policy, legislative changes, and advice given to people who work with children, more child victims of online pornography are protected and supported; more perpetrators are identified, prosecuted and sentenced appropriately.
Beneficiaries: Vulnerable and abused children; governments and non-governmental organisations; teachers, youth and social workers; the police and judiciary.
Attribution: Quayle, UoE, led the underpinning research and was the main co-ordinator for expert content at the G8 and Global Alliance meetings.
Reach: Worldwide; 48 countries on five continents have committed to the goals of the Global Alliance. The work has informed legislative proposals and sentencing in USA, Japan and Russia. 80 million child pornography images were identified between 2002 and 2012.
Alan Grattan's research has had a number of impacts informing policy and practice around the inter-connected theme of `young people, radicalisation, and alienation'. His conference contributions and publications have led directly to his working with government agencies and NGOs particularly in Northern Ireland. His work has informed and continues to inform the approach of these agencies in working with young people in the community who may be at risk of entering into radicalised and violent activities.