Joel Gautschi
University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland
Joel Gautschi, MA in Social Work, is a PhD student and researcher at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland. His current research focus is on judgment and decision making in child protection, client-professional working relationships, tacit knowledge, trust, and factorial survey approach. He studies professional practice of social workers in quantitative and qualitative research projects.
Objectives: Based on the Decision Making Ecology Model (cf. Fluke et al., 2014) the study aims 1) to detangle case factors influencing child protection workers' judgement of the child's endangerment, and removal decision; 2)... [ view full abstract ]
Objectives: Based on the Decision Making Ecology Model (cf. Fluke et al., 2014) the study aims 1) to detangle case factors influencing child protection workers' judgement of the child's endangerment, and removal decision; 2) to describe professional, and organizational factors associated with judgement and decision making. The study's focus is on cases of potential child neglect of toddlers; since compared to other types of child maltreatment, there's fewer research on child protection workers judgement of child neglect.
Methods: Based on a systematic literature review and child protection experts opinions, a theoretical judgment and decision making model was developed, which postulates influences of case, professional, and organizational factors on professionals' judgement and decision making in child protection assessments of cases of potential child neglect. The model will be tested with a factorial survey approach (cf. Rossi & Anderson, 1982), a multi factorial, experimental vignette design. Participants judge several vignettes, describing situations of potential child neglect. The vignettes dimension levels are experimentally varied. Currently, data is collected in a full population online survey of professionals, responsible for child protection assessments, in German-speaking Switzerland. Until now, more than 350 professionals have participated, and more are expected. From March to June data will be analysed using multiple regression models.
Results: The results will describe how child protection workers' weight seven case factors in their decision making: supervisory neglect, living environment, parent's mental health, sensitivity towards the child, child's behaviour towards the parent, social support, and parent's cooperation. Furthermore, the results will show how the professionals' decision making is associated with the professionals' experience, child welfare attitudes, risk propensity, trust, and organizational characteristics.
Conclusion: The results provide an empirical basis to reflect the weighting of case factors and the influence of professional and organizational characteristics on child protection decisions.
Child Protection Systems and Strategies at local, national and international levels
