A Context-Informed Approach to the Study of Child Risk and Protection: Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Abstract

In this chapter we intend to adopt a meta position vis-a-vis the different cases and findings presented in previous chapters and share some of our insights acquired from our research project, Context-Informed Perspectives of Child Risk and Protection in Israel. Our exploration and the findings presented in previous chapters led us to rethink the ontological nature of the categories of child “risk” and “protection” and to reflect on some common myths that we encounter both in the professional literature and in the field of social work dealing with “children at risk” and child protection practice. In the first part of this chapter, we will outline and deconstruct three prevalent myths we identified in the “risk” discourse, as a first step in conceptualizing a context-informed approach to the study of risk and protection of children and the professional practices that are derived from it. This chapter will discuss the stance of the observer and the issue of power, the discrepancies and value mismatch between parents and professionals, and the concept of complexity in the “risk” discourse. We will conclude with methodological insights and with implications for policy and practice in the field of child risk and protection.