Beyond safety: ethical practice with children

Investigators

Associate Professor Tim Moore, Dr Mary Ann Powell (Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University) 

Professor Anne Graham (Chief Investigator), Dr Antonia Canosa, Dr Tess Boyle, Meaghan Vosz (Centre for Children and Young People, Southern Cross University) 

Professor Sally Robinson (Flinders University) 

Dr Donnah Anderson, Dr. Paola Castillo (Charles Sturt University) 

Professor Nicola Taylor (University of Otago, NZ) 

Emeritus Professor Nigel Thomas (University of Central Lancashire, UK) 

Dr. Jenna Meiksans (University of South Australia) 

Funding 

Australian Research Council 

Aims 

• Strengthen knowledge, policy and practice regarding ethical practices that support child safety and wellbeing in institutions
• Examine ethical understandings within schools, residential care, and disability services
• Explore the cultural conditions that promote safe, respectful environments for children

Background 

While child safety is a national priority, there is limited knowledge on what constitutes ethical practice in child-serving organisations and its role in creating safe environments for children.

Project details

The project Beyond safety: ethical practice with children (EPIC) aimed to inform policy and practice by exploring the ethics of child safety and wellbeing across institutional contexts, prioritising children’s perspectives and promoting inclusive organisational cultures. 

Method  

• Phase 1: Policy analysis - Reviewed 118 policy documents from Australia, New Zealand, UK, and Ireland to assess ethical practice frameworks.
• Phase 2: Interviews - Conducted with children, young people, and staff in nine organisations to explore ethical practices in various settings.
• Phase 3: Survey - Tested findings with a larger sample to validate perspectives on ethical practices.
• Phase 4: Knowledge exchange - Developed resources and supported professional learning to foster ethical practices across sectors.

Key findings

• Positive relationships: Across all settings, children valued trust and respect in relationships with staff. Positive interactions fostered a sense of security, with children feeling cared for and valued.
• Voice and agency: Children across sectors expressed the importance of having a voice in matters that affect them, with autonomy emerging as a critical factor in fostering their sense of safety.
• Inclusivity and fairness: Ethical practices prioritised equality, ensuring all children felt included and respected, irrespective of background or personal characteristics.
• Child-centred culture: A strong organisational culture focused on children’s wellbeing was seen as crucial. This culture helped to balance legal and compliance requirements with a relational approach to safety and ethics.

Barriers

Despite these positive practices, several barriers hindered ethical implementation.

Systemic issues

• Challenges: staff turnover, funding limitations and bureaucratic pressures in some institutions created environments where ethical practices were harder to sustain.
• Lack of trust and autonomy: some children highlighted the absence of trusting relationships and limitations on their autonomy as barriers to feeling safe and respected.
• Organisational constraints: compliance-driven approaches, often focusing on organisational protection, sometimes overshadowed child-centred, ethical practices.

Sector-specific observations

• Schools: Organisational culture and leadership emerged as strong enablers, while lack of trusting relationships and behaviour management issues were commonly cited barriers.
• Disability services: Relationships and empowerment were highlighted as enablers, but compliance demands and systemic issues acted as barriers.
• Residential care: Emphasis was placed on organisational culture and compliance, with the lack of children’s voice and autonomy as notable barriers.

This research underscores the complexity of implementing ethical practices in diverse child-serving settings and highlights the need for nuanced, context-sensitive approaches that place children’s perspectives at the forefront.

Projected community impact

It is anticipated that organisations will adopt more ethically grounded, child-centred practices that prioritise children’s safety and autonomy, fostering supportive and inclusive environments. 

There is potential for long-term change whereby institutional cultures will shift towards practices that genuinely prioritise children’s wellbeing, resulting in safer, more empowering settings for children. 

Publications

Graham, A., Canosa, A., Wall, J., & Thomas, P. (2023). Child-safe organizations and the ethics of empowered inclusion. 

Graham, A., Canosa, A., Boyle, T., Moore, T., Taylor, N., Anderson, D., & Robinson, S. (2022). Promoting students' safety and wellbeing: ethical practice in schools. Children & society. The Australian Educational Researcher, 1-20.

Powell, M. A., Graham, A., Canosa, A., Anderson, D., Taylor, N., Robinson, S., Moore, T. & Thomas, N. P. (2020). Children and Safety in Australian Policy: Implications for Organisations and Practitioners. Australian Journal of Social Issues.

Powell, M. A., Graham, A., Canosa, A., Anderson, D., Moore, T., Robinson, S., Thomas, N. P. & Taylor, N. (2020). Child safety in policy: Who is being kept safe and from what? Social Policy & Administration.

Robinson, S., Graham, A., Canosa, A., Moore, T., Taylor, N., & Boyle, T. (2022). Ethical Practice in Disability Services: Views of Young People and Staff, Ethics and Social Welfare. 

Timeline 

Completed 2023 

Contact 

For more information contact: icps@acu.edu.au