How Do Social Workers Support Mothers Whose Babies Are Being Removed at Birth?

By Phyllis Grant,

London Metropolitan University.

This literature review examines the support social workers provide to mothers whose babies are removed at birth. With a focus on those mothers who have experienced the care system themselves, this research aims to identify existing support structures and evaluate their effectiveness. The review highlights the significant increase in newborn removals and explores the sociological concept of zemiology to understand the broader social harms involved. It examines the prenatal, antenatal, postnatal, and post-court proceedings stages to identify gaps in support and suggest improvements. The findings indicate a need for more consistent and ethical support systems, addressing the trauma and adverse childhood experiences that many of these mothers have faced. The review concludes with recommendations for a trauma-informed approach and the necessity of mandatory support for these vulnerable mothers to break the cycle of repeated removals.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13866619

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Assessing the Death Penalty: A Critical Look at its Deterrence, Human Rights Implications, and Economic Consequences in the United States.

By Melisa Nujin Demirtas,

London Metropolitan University.

Capital punishment has long been a subject of intense debate within public and legal spheres. Both proponents and opponents of capital punishment are in agreement that it represents one of society's most extreme forms of punishment. In this paper, I explore this viewpoint by examining the effectiveness, ethical implications, human rights concerns, and financial costs associated with capital punishment, with a focus on the United States. This paper employs desk-based research, involving a comprehensive review of secondary sources, including academic journals, textbooks, legal case studies, and international reports to explore the historical evolution and contemporary usage of the death penalty. While capital punishment was initially prevalent and accepted, its justification and application have significantly waned due to moral, legal, and practical considerations. The study finds no conclusive evidence supporting the deterrent effect of capital punishment on crime rates. Instead, the death penalty may paradoxically exacerbate criminal activity. From analysis, it is apparent that the death penalty often infringes on fundamental human rights, such as the right to life and the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. This is exacerbated by systemic flaws in the justice system, including racial and socioeconomic biases that impact the administration of capital punishment. The death penalty should be abolished in favour of more humane and effective criminal justice practices, such as restorative justice. The focus on rehabilitation over retribution can promote the creation of a justice system that is equitable, just, and beneficial to societal well-being. A shift from punitive measures to preventative strategies that address the root causes of crime is recommended as these align more closely with contemporary human rights standards and ethical considerations.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13866587

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A Critical Exploration of The Link Between Child Abuse, Faith & Belief.

By Martina Rossi,

London Metropolitan University.

This research project investigates the phenomenon of child abuse and its links to faith or belief in the UK context. This report focuses on this form of abuse because the main victims are often uniquely vulnerable: they are children with learning disabilities. Also, based on the most recent Children in Need Census 2017-2018, there is an increase of 11% in child abuse linked to faith or belief compared to 2016- 2017 (vcf-uk.org, 2024). Therefore, research on this topic is essential given the limited quantity of data available about child abuse linked to faith or belief. Moreover, the researcher is uniquely motivated to investigate this issue, being a support worker for children with learning disabilities. This research is a desk-based review of previous data collected by other researchers; this includes the work of Eleonor Stobart (2006) and Jean La Fontaine (2009), in combination with London Metropolitan Police data. The key result of this study is that while the UK government and London Metropolitan Police recognise abuse linked to faith or belief as a serious offence, this phenomenon (the link between child abuse and faith/belief) is under-researched. More research is needed in this area to understand the scale and impact of the relationship between child abuse and faith/belief.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13866546

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