In Victoria, and to some extent Australia, the last two decades have seen some clarification in the classification of the various forms of child maltreatment and abuse. Currently, the major recognised forms of child abuse are acknowledged as being:

• physical abuse or non-accidental physical injury;

• sexual abuse and exploitation;

• emotional/psychological abuse; and

• neglect.

Children of parents who abuse substances have become a concern of child protection agencies, family support services, family preservation services and increasingly of drug and alcohol treatment agencies. In the context of a formative evaluation of a specialised intensive family support service designed to address the needs of families at this interface, a literature review has been undertaken. From that review, themes relating to women as substance abusers, the children of substance abusers, and services to enhance parenting in these situations are reported. Implications for intensive home-based practice are identified.

This paper, based on material previously presented at the ACWA Biennial Conference in Sydney, describes the design, development and implementation of the ‘Looking After Children’ practice and management materials in the UK. The paper traces the research and practice background to the trialing of these out-of-home care assessment and planning materials in the UK, where they are expected to be adopted and implemented by all statutory agencies by the end of 1998. The international interest in the Assessment and Action Record is supported by an exploration of the arguments for child-focussed assessment and planning for ‘placement as a process – not an event’. Finally there is coverage of the three recently completed pilot projects in Western Australia. An argument is made for the adoption and adaptation of these materials as potential practice standards for the ‘State as parent’.

This article reviews some recent US research into the impact of family poverty on child development. These studies report on the link between family poverty and children's early cognitive development. They also report on the impact of family and neighbourhood poverty on family structure, family process and problem behaviour in adolescence. This is important research as it goes some way toward unraveling the connection between individual behaviour and social conditions. Knowledge of this research is important for those advocating for measures to combat family poverty in Australia as it quantifies the issue and offers new ways to caste the argument for intervention.

It is argued that much needed policies and practices to counter bullying in Australian schools should be based upon a realistic appraisal of what is known through research into the nature of the problem. This article provides a review of relevant Australian research between 1991 and 1996 conducted primarily by the author and co-workers, drawing particularly on school children’s reports and experiences and their perceptions of what can be done; finally it discusses steps that can be taken to reduce bullying in schools.

The work environment that students leaving school will enter in the latter part of the nineties and the next decade is radically different to that in previous times. The skills that employers require of their staff imply certain teaching and facilitation approaches that are currently not seen as core in some Australian States. This article examines the needs of the ‘virtual workplace’, and the current pressures and job requirements that are imposed on young people, and highlights the values acquisition areas for youth and how the clarification of values sets is an important role for educational institutions.

This paper presents the findings of a study into current induction practices in foster care agencies throughout Victoria. Eighty per cent of registered agencies responded to a mailed questionnaire exploring: the means of initial contact for prospective foster families, information and pre-service education sessions, assessment of families and the ongoing relationship between new foster families and the foster care agency.

Educational strategies are explored and the issue of worker continuity is discussed in relation to foster family retention and maintaining commitment through early placement difficulties.

According to at least one author, our lives are increasingly dominated by a ‘culture of fear’, in which possible adverse outcomes dominate our world views. Throughout the Western world, awareness of child sexual abuse has led to action by members of the public to draw attention to horrific crimes against children. This article reviews some of the media reports and seeks to explain why so many are concerned by those that prey on children.

There are events and there are events that are reported in the media. How the media decide to report an event is reflected upon in this paper. Using case examples, the paper stresses that media coverage may describe but one part of an event, leaving other stories untold.

Domestic violence is a serious problem in our community. The effects on women victims can be severe, producing both physical and emotional health problems. Children too can be similarly affected, as witnesses to parental violence and as the focus of parental abuse. For both there can be the further difficulty of a breakdown in their interactions which can lead to damaged attachment. While recovery from violence depends ultimately upon guaranteed safety for the victims, the process can be enhanced by repairing the bonds of attachment between mother and child. A program has been developed to rebuild damaged attachment which addresses issues in a child-focussed manner using movement, games and play.

Every day, health and welfare workers translate the needs of the disadvantaged into words that communicate those troubles to others. Such translations (or interpretations) run the risk of reducing or changing the experiences to allow them to fit with the expectations and demands of organisations and bureaucracies. This column draws upon the author’s reflections on a complex and important, but rarely studied, aspect of social welfare practice.