Centre for Research on Families and Relationships

Bringing girls’ gender identities into children’s rights

Whilst attending the UN Day of General Discussion in Geneva, I was part of a panel discussion of adults and young people sharing the platform equally, which in itself signified much more than dialogue at the UN level; it was a milestone reflecting a substantial change on the way that children and young people can be positioned in public decision-making.

Transferring ECEC to education: does it make a difference?

Two decades ago England, Scotland and Sweden moved responsibility for all early childhood education and care services (ECEC) and school-aged childcare(SACC) into education. These reforms and their consequences were examined in a cross-national study published in 2004: A New Deal for Children? Re-Forming Education and Care in England, Scotland and Sweden

How does providing support for young families affect children’s well-being?

Many parents with young children need extra help from time to time, in the form of financial aid, childcare or emotional support. Although it is well known that support can relieve parenting stress, it is less clear whether support for parents has a measurable impact on children’s well-being. Our study of 2600 families living in Scotland found a link

What does ‘home’ mean for children whose parents have separated?

Home is a familiar yet complex idea. Its meaning extends beyond a physical dwelling to include a feeling of comfort, a sense of control over space, connections with family and other important people, and a site in which rituals and routines create feelings of belonging. A sense of home can be important in helping people build their identity, psychological wellbeing and trust in

Time to abandon prevalence studies of childhood sexual abuse?

Time to abandon prevalence studies of childhood sexual abuse? by Dr Sarah Nelson  ABOUT THE AUTHORS CRFR Associate Researcher, Dr Sarah Nelson summarises her presentation to the Connect 2018 conference in Cardiff, (available on request). Prevalence and disclosure issues, and official statistics, are analysed in detail in Nelson (2016), below:Tackling Child Sexual Abuse: Radical approaches […]

In a search for competence? Children’s participation in family law proceedings

I have been on a journey for the few past months, in terms of exploring the underlying reasons why we find it so challenging to involve children and young people in decisions that affect them. Involving children and young people is required by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and is frequently promoted by policy, institutional leaders and key practitioners

Children’s Participation in Decision-Making: Questioning Competence and Competencies

Children’s participation rights remain highly dependent on adults, who in one way or another, hold powerful positions such as legal guardians, administrative or political decision-makers, or front-line professionals. The attitudes of such adults towards children and childhood strongly influence whether or not the adults recognise, facilitate and support children’s participation

The red flags are everywhere, but nobody can see them

Coercive control is a harmful criminal offence, yet it hides in plain sight. Sitting front and centre within our culture, it is performed routinely before our eyes. Coercive and controlling behaviours are glamorised in plotlines where abusers are sexy and romantic bad boys, and women enjoy being dominated and suppressed.

Resilience in early years—continuing the conversation

Resilience in early years—continuing the conversation by Dr Caralyn Blaisdell  ABOUT THE AUTHOR Caralyn Blaisdell is a Lecturer in Early Years Education at the University of Strathclyde. She completed her PhD at CRFR on ‘Young children’s participation as a living right: an ethnographic study of an early learning and childcare setting’.  ABOUT THE CRFR BLOG […]