| Abstract [eng] |
Problematic issue: even before the removal of a child from the family, interactions with child protection specialists can leave a negative impression if the specialists act aggressively, using their power in unequal relationships with clients. This can lead to parents resisting cooperation with child protection workers in efforts to ensure the child's welfare. Objective: to determine the alignment of child protection specialists' professional behavior with ethical standards based on parents' opinions. The first part of the work describes the theoretical assumptions of the research. Initially, the analysis of the Lithuanian child protection system is discussed from the perspective of systems theory. Next, the participation of child protection specialists in the child protection system is described: their functions and goals, focusing on aspects of their work organization and assistance as the main goal within the broader context of the social protection system. Special attention is given to the circumstances of family involvement in the child protection system, the limits of the system's meaning, and the role of parents' opinions in the research context. The second part of the work describes the research methodology, sample, participants, process, and organization. The third part of the work analyzes the results of the conducted research, based on the assumption that, in parents' opinion, there is often behavior from child protection specialists that does not conform to ethical standards. At the end of the work, recommendations are provided for child protection specialists regarding work ethics. Methodology: a quantitative study was conducted using an anonymous standardized questionnaire survey. The research instrument was original, created by the author of the master's thesis. The general population consisted of parents in the Vilnius municipality who had encounters with child protection specialists between March 2022 and March 2024. The study involved 53 respondents. The research data were analyzed using descriptive statistics methods. The survey was conducted from February 25 to April 20, 2024. Main results: the research partially confirmed the author's assumption that, in parents' opinion, there is often behavior from child protection specialists that does not conform to ethical standards. According to the results, the behavior of specialists more closely aligns with the ethical standard of "respect for the individual's right to self-determination and promotion of this right," although 69.8% of respondents believe that child protection specialists worked formally without delving into real situations. Specialists' behavior less aligns with the ethical standard of "provision and promotion of personal well-being," as 56.6% of respondents believe that the child's physical, emotional, and psychological needs were not met. Specialists' behavior less aligns with the ethical standard of "equality." The most frequent deviations from ethical norms were: ignoring efforts to understand decisions (66%); disrespectful, rude behavior and communication (52.8%); rushing actions (51%); and belittling, degrading speech (49%). It was challenging to determine the alignment of specialists' behavior with the principle of "distributive justice," as the alignment was mostly neutral (neither conforming nor non-conforming). Although the majority of respondents (68.3%) were satisfied with the fairness of the assistance provided compared to other families, the majority (73.7%) also felt that only standard procedures were performed, without considering the individual needs of the child. Of all the independent variables, the behavior of child protection specialists significantly deviated more from all four ethical standards in cases where the family had experienced the removal of a child from the family. |
