The Landscape of UK Child Protection Research 2010 to 2014: A Mapping Review of Substantive Topics, Maltreatment Types and Research Designs

Jones, Christine; Taylor, Julie; MacKay, Kirsteen; Soliman, Francesca; Clayton, Estelle; Gadda, Andressa Maria; Anderson, Anna; Jones, Derek

Abstract

Child protection continues to be a pressing social problem. Robust and relevant research is essential in order to ensure that the scale and nature of child maltreatment are understood and that preventative and protective measures are effective. This paper reports selected results from a mapping review of research conducted in the UK and published between January 2010 and December 2014. The purpose of the review was twofold: to develop a typology of child protection research; and to use this typology to describe the features and patterns of empirical research undertaken recently in the UK in order to inform a future research agenda. The paper reports the maltreatment types, substantive topics and research designs used within empirical research published in academic journals. It identifies a number of challenges for the field including the need for conceptual clarity regarding types of abuse, greater methodological diversity and a shift of focus from response to prevention of child maltreatment. The importance of a national strategic agenda is also emphasised.

Citation

Jones, C., Taylor, J., MacKay, K., Soliman, F., Clayton, E., Gadda, A. M., Anderson, A., & Jones, D. (2017). The Landscape of UK Child Protection Research 2010 to 2014: A Mapping Review of Substantive Topics, Maltreatment Types and Research Designs. Child Abuse Review, 26(1), 8-18. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2429

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 3, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Feb 3, 2016
• Publication Date: 2017-02
• Deposit Date: Apr 20, 2023
• Journal: Child Abuse Review
• Print ISSN: 0952-9136
• Electronic ISSN: 1099-0852
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 26
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 8-18
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2429
• Keywords: research, child abuse, neglect, child maltreatment, child protection