The results from my sampling frame of older people (teachers):
Hypotheses:
1) Young people in Britain consider themselves to be more mature than the law does because they are eager to enter adulthood.
2) To a large extent children today are protected from child abuse.
Primary evidence I have collected:
The age young people should be allowed to:
- Leave school
Young people’s responses older people’s responses
- Join the army
Young people’s responses older people’s responses
- Drive a car
Young people’s responses older people’s responses
- Work full time
Young people’s responses older people’s responses
- Get married without parents consent
Young people’s responses older people’s responses
- Vote
Young people’s responses older people’s responses
- Enter hire purchase agreement
Young people’s responses older people’s responses
- Have sexual intercourse
Young people’s responses older people’s responses
My overall results to do not help justify my hypothesis because the average ages decided by my sample of young people shows there response was actually a higher age than the ages in the law in every single topic that was mentioned. This may because they are not aware of the current ages in law that you can use the rights. However I did discover that the older people of my sample had higher average ages than the younger people, which shows older people believe that the younger generations journey to adulthood should not happen as fast as it is set in the law. This suggests older people believe young people are not yet mature enough to obtain certain rights.
The secondary evidence I have found:
From books and Internet sites I have found the age young people have to be to obtain these rights:
This supports my first hypothesis, as I will help me relate my primary evidence to it.
This is an extract from the website: (a reputable organisation) to show children’s right in the way they are treated.
Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse
What is sexual abuse?
Sexual abuse of children may include sexual touching, masturbation, intercourse, indecent exposure, use of children in or showing children pornographic films or pictures, encouraging or forcing children into prostitution or encouraging or forcing children to witness sexual acts. Children and young people of all ages can be victims of abuse.
Most sexual abuse of children is carried out by someone they know
Children are more likely to be sexually abused by someone they know, including relatives and family friends, than by a stranger. Children may have confused feelings if they’re being abused by someone they trust. They may not realise that what is being done to them is abuse.
What kind of people sexually abuse children?
Child sex abusers can come from any social, racial or religious background and may be well-respected members of society. Those who sexually abuse children in families include fathers, stepfathers, live-in partners, brothers, uncles, male cousins, grandfathers, father figures and family friends. Occasionally they may be the mother or female relative. Those who abuse children in one family may also abuse children in other families.
Targeting children
An abuser may target girls or boys or prefer children of a particular age. Child sex abusers often appear kind, concerned and caring towards children in order to build close relationships with them. They may observe a child and spend a long time building up the ‘friendship’. They may form a relationship with a single parent in order to get access to children.
Grooming children
They may spend a lot of time building the relationship before the abuse begins. This often results in the child trusting and becoming dependent on them. This is called grooming. The abuser may seem to be a safe and reassuring figure. He may also convince himself that he is doing no harm to children.
Keeping secrets
The child becomes more dependent on the abuser and in order to keep the abuse secret the abuser will use the child’s natural fear, embarrassment or guilt about what is happening. A child who talks and shares feelings with parents and others is less likely to become dependent on a single abusing adult
How can I keep my child safe?
- Build open and trusting relationships with your children
- Keep an eye on any changes in your child’s behaviour
- Make sure your child understands about sex
- Talk to your children about sexual matters when they start to show an interest
- Explain the difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ secrets
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Sexual behaviour between children can become abusive. Seek advice if you are worried You can phone the on: 0808 800 5000 or speak to your GP or Health Visitor.
How will I know if my child is being abused?
When abuse is discovered, parents often say there were no obvious signs to make them suspect their child was being abused, even when the abuser was their partner. However, although the following behaviour does not necessarily indicate abuse, sometimes a child who is being abused will:
- Start to show fear or avoid being alone with a particular person
- Appear unusually clingy or show other changes in their behaviour
- Talk about secrets or ask anxious questions
- Describe possible grooming behaviour by an adult
- Display sexually precocious behaviour
- Appear depressed or withdrawn.
What should I do if I’m worried?
- Talk to your child
- Be reassuring - tell them that you love them and nothing will change that
- Allow your child to tell you their story in their own way without interrupting with lots of questions
- Believe your child
- Tell them that they have done the right thing in telling you
- Tell them that what happened was not their fault
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You need to share your concerns: 'phone the on: 0808 800 5000
Could my family be broken up and my children taken away from me?
In most cases it is the abuser, rather than the child, who is removed from the family home. This will depend on whether a criminal charge is brought against the abuser and there is a conviction, or if the court decides that your child needs to be in the care of the local authority. Priority must be given to your child’s long-term safety and well being.
How should I react if my child tells me that he or she has been abused?
- Your child needs to know that he or she is not to blame
- Make it clear that you believe what he or she says
- Allow your child to talk about what has happened, but don’t force him or her to do so
- Tell your child that he or she has done the right thing in telling you. Don’t blame him or her if the abuse occurred because he or she disobeyed your instructions. (For example, going out without permission)
- You may feel very confused, particularly if the abuser is a relative. You may want help in coping with powerful and conflicting emotions about the abuse. These could include shock, anger, disbelief, self-blame and fear.
What should I do?
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Be careful about confronting the person yourself. They may try to silence, threaten or confuse your child. You should get advice before you take any action.
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Call the on: 0808 800 5000. We can make a referral to the relevant agencies
- Ring the Children and Families Team in your local Social Services Dept.
- In an emergency, call the police on 999. They have Child Protection Teams
They also give a range of other information such as:
Internet safety
Protecting children at home
Positive parenting tips
Advice for young people
Legal advice
This site provides information on the different ways children are protected by child abuse. Therefore this is quite sufficient to my project as it relates to my second hypothesis. It is valid and up to date. Child protection arises from activities of Nspcc.
Another secondary source I have found is an extract from
What rights do children and young people have?
1. The right to LIFE and the best chance to develop fully.
(Article 6 of the UN Convention)
2. Standard of living
Every child has the right to a fair standard of living. Parents should provide this. In cases where parents cannot provide an adequate standard the Government must provide help.
(Article 27 of the UN Convention)
3. Education
- Children have the right to a free education. Different kinds of education should be available for those with special needs.
- Higher education should be available or those with ability.
- Children have the right to be educated without fear.
- Schools should have a bullying policy and each pupil should be informed of what to do if they find themselves being bullied.
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(Article 28 of the UN Convention)
Sophie talked with a ChildLine counsellor of her years at school constantly being bullied. The counsellor explained to Sophie that it was her RIGHT to be educated without fear. Sophie, accompanied by a friend, went to talk to the head of her year about her rights.
4. Health
Children have the right to be as healthy as possible. If they are ill they must be given good health care to enable them to become well again.
(Article 24 of the UN Convention)
Ahmed, 14, phoned ChildLine saying he had visited his GP about a health problem. Although he questioned his doctor he did not feel he was being given enough information. Ahmed lived with his mother who did not understand English.
ChildLine was able to put Ahmed in touch with an advocate to represent his rights.
Children have the right to consent or refuse consent to dental, medical or surgical treatment if they can prove they understand what will happen as a result of their decision.
5. Environment
It is a child's RIGHT to live in a safe, healthy, unpolluted environment. Children have the right to safe, nutritious food and water.
(Article 24 of the UN Convention)
6. Protection
the Government MUST protect children from:
- Doing work which could be dangerous or which could harm their health.
- Doing work which interferes with their education. (Article 32 of the UN Convention)
- Children must be protected from dangerous drugs. (Article 33 of the UN Convention)
- Children must be protected from being abducted or sold. (Article 35 of the UN Convention)
- Children must be protected from sexual abuse. (Article 34 of the UN Convention)
Saira, 16, called ChildLine to say she was sexually abused by her stepdad. Saira wanted the abuse to stop, but was scared of telling her mum.
After the ChildLine counsellor had discussed Saira's options with her, she decided she could talk to her mum. The counsellor also offered Saira on-going support from ChildLine.
7. Separation
Children may be separated from parents/carers ONLY if it is in the child's best interests. If children are separated from their families, or the place they usually live, the child, their parents or anyone else who is important to the child has the RIGHT to go to court and ask to have their case heard.
If separated, for example in care (looked after), the child has the RIGHT to keep in regular touch with their parents and siblings unless it would be harmful to do so.
(Article 9 of the UN Convention)
Adam, 12, told ChildLine that he was living in a children's home a long way from his brother and sister and had not seen them for a long period of time. He had heard that his brother was now in a young offenders institution near where Adam now lived. His social workers kept changing and Adam did not know the name of his key worker.
With Adam's permission ChildLine spoke to the manager of the children's home, who said he would make sure Adam knew the name of his key worker and was given information about his brother and sister. Adam remained in contact with ChildLine through The Line service for young people living away from home.
This website provides sufficient information because it tells me the way children are protected in the law as well as provide information such as being protected from child abuse. Child protection arises from activities of Childline. Therefore this is my most adequate secondary source for this project because it relates to my second hypothesis. It is also valid and up to date.
Conclusion:
My primary evidence abnormally did not agree with my first hypothesis as the younger people of my sample chose ages above what the law sets in being able to have certain rights, showing my hypothesis was wrong. This is eccentric because I was quite certain younger people would want be eager to enter adulthood as quickly as they could in order to obtain rights.
However I did find out that older people think that younger people are not mature enough to obtain certain rights, which agrees with a hypothesis I was considering investigating.
My secondary evidence did agree with my second hypothesis as I discovered in the evidence that there are many ways that children are protected and can be protected. This shows my hypothesis was right.
Evaluation
Discussion of research methods:
My research methods were fairly reliable. The success of my research method was I found useful secondary evidence to support my second evidence. This showed my second hypothesis was a complete success. I was pleased with my sampling frame for my primary evidence as they all accepted to fill in my questionnaire and took it seriously. I was good at being ethical because my sample were not nervous to fill in my questionnaires, as I did not ask for their personal details.
However the results of my primary evidence did not agree with my first hypothesis. This could be due to many factors. The questionnaire could be a factor as I did not write down the current age in law young people are able to obtain the rights, which would confuse the sample as they might not have known what the current age in law is for each of the rights. Also it could be that my sample was too small which means I did not get relevant results. My sample is therefore unrepresentative for my thirst hypothesis. If I were to start this investigation again I would widen the sampling frame and improve my questionnaire.
My research has been useful for my second hypothesis but not for my first. I managed to collect enough secondary evidence to prove my second hypothesis. However I failed to collect useful primary evidence making my first hypothesis unsuccessful. I think my secondary data was valid. My primary data however was not valid, as it didn’t support my hypothesis. This could be because the majority of my sample of younger people may have been mature about the age young people should be to be able to use rights.
I would have liked more qualitative and quantitative evidence from my primary data.
Overall I did enjoy doing the research although I was partly unsuccessful. On the other hand I have learnt from my mistakes, which has improved my skills as a researcher. I am now very well aware about the problems of doing research and it is not as simple as I thought it would be.