Relocation, Relocation, Relocation: Home and School-Moves for Children Affected by Extra-Familial Risks During Adolescence

Despite policy advances, various aspects of Contextual Safeguarding and the implications of the approach for child protection systems requires further consideration; one such example being the use of relocations. Specifcally, should social workers be intervening with young people – moving them away from harmful contexts – or increasing safety in harmful contexts and allowing young people to remain within them?

Study and data overview

How is relocation used when young people experience extra-familial risks – and does it adequately safeguard their welfare? To explore this question data has been drawn from two studies: the first involved reviews of 19 cases of peer-on-peer abuse over four phases – cases involved a range of abusive experiences including peer-or-community-based murder, group and sole-perpetrated rape, online sexual abuse, non-fatal physical assaults and weapon enabled conflict. In total, 216 young people featured across the 19 cases – 30 who were identified as the primary complainants/victims in the cases, and 29 who were subject to some form of relocation, some of whom were witnesses and suspects as well as complainants.