Child Protection and the Authoritative State

Abstract

Unlike the minimalist, laissez-faire view of the state, the ‘institutional model’ (Hardiker et al., 1991) sees it as having a legitimate role in intervening in the social order. The state is seen as having a positive role in ‘correcting’ the organisational and individual malfunctions which are an inevitable feature of any social system. The purpose of intervention is not to transform living conditions or institutional structures, but to maintain order and to sustain the conditions for effective economic and social functioning. As George and Wilding (1994) put it, this view of the ‘Middle Way’ state sees it as reflecting the interests of all sections of the community, based on a substantial level of consensus about how society should be organised, and how services should be delivered: The social and political order are accepted as serving the interests of all sections of society. The state exercises its power and authority in a legitimate, even handed way on behalf of individual and sectional interests … (Hardiker et al., 1991, p. 23) KeywordsChild AbuseChild ProtectionChild Protection ServiceSignificant HarmLegitimate RoleThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.