How Media challenged policy makers to identify and respond to abuse and violence in Industrial Schools

“The problem of violence has not been solved of course, but it has been exposed and it is being addressed” (Waldegrave 2009). Outline Arnold’s (2009) description of the ways in which the media challenged policy makers and practitioners to identify and respond to abuse and violence. Critique some of the ways in which Irish society responded to institutional abuse and give some practice or policy examples that can help prevent child abuse.

Violence can be described in various forms, but certainly one the most serious forms of violence are that towards children. Different kinds of abuse exist including sexual, physical and emotional abuse, which create a difficult topic to discuss. In this essay, the role of the media in challenging political figures to challenge the policies in place and the reforms to legislation will be discussed. The changes that resulted because of the media’s role from books, documentaries and the news will be explained. Society’s response will be critically analysed in terms of discussing what role society had in the abuse, the treatment of survivors after their ordeal and the whole question of who is to blame? Finally, some child protection practises and policies that are currently in place, or that could be implemented to aid child abuse prevention, will be examined in relation to this essay. Numerous laws, organisations and recommendations that tie in with the theme of institutional abuse and child abuse will provide a good source for argument in this essay. Firstly, the role of the media and the way it challenged policy makers and practitioners in responding to abuse and violence is quite evident. The media’s main role was carried out in the form of books, programmes and newspapers. Some of the main literature that provoked a challenge to the policy makers was Children of the Poor Clares 1985; Paddy Doyle’s The God Squad 1989 and the Fear of the Collar by Patrick Touher. The stories that were described all shone a light on

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