In this article for the Conversation, Wendy Sims-Schouten describes her research looking at how the Victorian idea of who does and doesn’t deserve help from the state persists in the modern era, including how some children are considered "problematic" and beyond help. The research "compared information from two sources," says Sims-Schouten. "The first was 46 interviews with young care leavers and adults involved in safeguarding them conducted between 2015 and 2018. The second was 108 case files of children taken into care by the Children’s Society (formerly known as the Waifs and Strays Society) between 1881 and 1918. In both data sets, children with behavioural and mental health issues were considered “problematic”. They and their families were viewed as responsible and undeserving of help."
"My research," continues Sims-Schouten, "found that the 'beyond help' narrative seems to be reserved for the children and young people with the most complex needs, and related behavioural and mental health issues. It is these particularly vulnerable children who end up being judged and held accountable for their behaviour."