INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL ISSUE: UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONDING TO PAIN-BASED BEHAVIOUR IN CHILD AND YOUTH CARE WORK

Abstract

We are grateful to Dr. Sibylle Artz, Editor of the International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, for the invitation to produce a special issue on pain-based behaviour in child and youth care work. Since the term was created and published in 2002 (Anglin, 2002), the notion has entered the literature, the research, and, perhaps most importantly, the practice of child and youth care internationally. The eight articles in this issue come from Ireland, Australia, the United States, and Canada, and offer a broad range of perspectives.After receiving the invitation to compile this issue, we scanned the recent child and youth care literature and readily identified 13 publications — articles and books — using the term pain-based behaviour. There are undoubtedly many more, however we believed the authors of these publications would present a significant cross-section of perspectives on understanding and responding to pain and pain-based behaviour. We are excited and honoured that the authors represented here were able to contribute articles to this issue.