Original Research - Special Collection: Doing Theology with Children: Exploring Emancipatory Methodologies
Multidisciplinary meetings: Listening to the experiences of children in a child and youth care centre
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 75, No 1 | a5493 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v75i1.5493
| © 2019 Jessica C. Johanissen, Hannelie Yates, Carlien Van Wyk
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 07 April 2019 | Published: 12 December 2019
Submitted: 07 April 2019 | Published: 12 December 2019
About the author(s)
Jessica C. Johanissen, Centre for Child, Youth and Family Studies, Compres, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South AfricaHannelie Yates, Unit for Reformational Theology and the Development of The South African Society Sub-Programme – Practical Theology, Faculty of Theology, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
Carlien Van Wyk, Centre for Child, Youth and Family Studies, Compres, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
Abstract
Adults for good reason agree that children should be protected at all times. However, in their attempts to help children who are vulnerable, adults should be cautious of cultivating a one-sided and reduced view of children and of their needs and rights. In the context of child protection, such a one-sided perspective limits the capabilities of the children’s agency. They are positioned as the passive receivers of expressions of pity and compassion, governmental and non-governmental services, and church and community outreach projects, which in many cases limit engagement with children in their true and full humanity. In attempts to engage with children in contexts of research and practices about them, efforts are made to study the experiences of children as seriously as possible. This article explores and presents the voices of children regarding how they experience their participation in multidisciplinary meetings at a child and youth care centre. The findings reveal four themes with regard to children: (1) their experiences of interactions and relationships at multidisciplinary meetings, (2) their internal and external characteristics and resources, (3) the enabling environment of the multidisciplinary meeting and (4) the process of multidisciplinary meetings. This exercise of listening to children and their voices highlights the complexity of the challenges children in child protection environments face. These challenges will not be sufficiently understood or addressed by the perspectives and methodologies of one particular discipline.
Keywords
Children’s participation; Children’s agency; Listening to children’s experiences; Child and youth care centre; Multidisciplinary meetings
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