Leiden University Student Repository

van Lunteren, Laura (2023)

DE ROL VAN DE JEUGDPROFESSIONAL AAN DE JEUGDBESCHERMINGSTAFEL: Een studie naar de samenhang tussen kenmerken van de jeugdprofessional en het besluit tot een raadsonderzoek

Master thesis | Education and Child Studies (MSc)

Current research aimed on finding an answer to the question 'How do the personal and work-related characteristics of professionals at the Youth Protection Table coincide with the decision about whether or not to proceed with an investigation by child protection services?'. Previous studies have shown that there is often a lack of consensus among youth professionals when making a placement decision (Lindsey, 2004; De Haan et al., 2019). Research showed that personal and work-related characteristics, such as years of work experience and educational background play an important role (Van der Asdonk et al., 2019; De Haan et al., 2019). Knowing that large numbers of families in the Netherlands have dealings with youth care, and wanting to give them proper protection, it is important to gain full knowledge about the way characteristics of youth professionals influence decision-making processes and possible interrelated aspects (Graham et al., 2015). In this study, this has been...Show moreCurrent research aimed on finding an answer to the question 'How do the personal and work-related characteristics of professionals at the Youth Protection Table coincide with the decision about whether or not to proceed with an investigation by child protection services?'. Previous studies have shown that there is often a lack of consensus among youth professionals when making a placement decision (Lindsey, 2004; De Haan et al., 2019). Research showed that personal and work-related characteristics, such as years of work experience and educational background play an important role (Van der Asdonk et al., 2019; De Haan et al., 2019). Knowing that large numbers of families in the Netherlands have dealings with youth care, and wanting to give them proper protection, it is important to gain full knowledge about the way characteristics of youth professionals influence decision-making processes and possible interrelated aspects (Graham et al., 2015). In this study, this has been investigated regarding the decision to lead, or not lead, families to a mandatory youth protection framework. Measured are specifically the variables work experience, level of education, attitude towards forced help, perceived work stress and perceived support in the workplace. Current research did not show any significant relationships between these variables and the decision to lead families to involuntary youth care. This lack of significant correlations may be ascribed to, among other things, a low variance in the sample and a less than expected scale of the sample. Based on the current research, it cannot be concluded that individual characteristics of youth professionals play a role in decision-making processes, but it cannot be said that these connections do not exist either. Follow-up research must further clarify the exact nature of these possible relations. Discussed implications may improve future research-design.Show less

Jeugdprofessionals, Besluitvormingsprocessen, achtergrondkenmerken, de Jeugdbeschermingstafel,

Author

van Lunteren, Laura

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Forensische Gezinspedagogiek

Supervisors

Whitney de Haan

ECTS Credits

20

Language

nl