This chapter appears in Child Maltreatment in Residential Care: History, Research, and Current Practice, a volume of research examining the institutionalization of children, child abuse and neglect in residential care, and interventions preventing and responding to violence against children living in out-of-home care settings around the world.
Abstract
Readers of this summary chapter of the book will find that while there are many reasons that children are placed in institutions, with each institution having its own unique qualities and experiences, there are nevertheless many similarities among children’s experiences across institutions. This chapter identifies many of these similarities, as well as some differences, among institutional experiences across the globe, as gleaned from the information presented in the chapters of this book. In particular, we focus on maltreatment in institutions, including its consequences, prevention, intervention strategies, and alternative care settings. Among the many improvements to institutional care recommended by the authors in this book, most have generally agreed that institutional settings should abide by quality care standards tied to accreditation and accountability structures and that institutional settings should resemble family-type environments that provide children with stable, nurturing relationships with staff. In particular, themes discussed in this chapter are living conditions in institutions; outcomes from institutional rearing; standards, accreditation, and licensing; recommendations for interventions in institutions; the role of organizations and communities; institutional settings and environment; and suggestions for future research.