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Discourses in Dutch Child Welfare Inquiries (Autumn 1988), P 494-512

NCJ Number
114727
Author(s)
C H C J van Nijnatten
Date Published
1988
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This article examines the development of child protection policies in the Netherlands in terms of the applications used by Donzelot's (1979) analysis of French policy development and a content analysis of 144 dossiers of the Child Welfare Councils, from 1930 and 1975.
Abstract
Compared to the 1930 reports, 1975 reports provide an integrated account, rather than straightforward facts, and represent a homogeneous network in which elements of many kinds acquire their significance only from their relation to other elements. The 1975 reports also decreased attention to illegal behaviors, sexuality, male versus female employment, and the role of the juvenile's behavior as a rationale for intervention. The 1930 reports are more punitive, moralistic, and norm-oriented and emphasize assessment of the juvenile's individual disposition. The 1975 reports, conversely, emphasize family treatment and correction of the minor, balancing interests of individual family members with those of society. Social workers in 1975 used more neutral terms, often borrowed from the social sciences, and focused on interpersonal interpretations, relating the child's character to life experiences, particularly within the family network. Overall, results show large changes in the position of the Dutch family vis a vis its relationship to various institutions and a psychologization of the argumentation used by the reporters. 1 figure, 2 tables, and 17 references.