Accountability Through Engagement:

Authors

  • Kiaras Gharabaghi Family and Children's Seroices ofWaterloo Region and School 0f Child and Youth Care Practice, Ryerson Uniaersity

Keywords:

youth in care, accountability, engagement, police involvement, collective memory

Abstract

Accountability for youth living in residential care facilities should be based on core child and youth care principles. A review of legislative measures dealing with young offenders in Canada indicates that for youth incare, court imposed sanctions for myriad offenses have little accountability content. Instead, such sanctions are experienced by youth as routine placement interruptions that even have benefits. One child welfare agency in Ontario has moved from a"law enforce­ment" approach to accountability for youth living in its residential care facilities to an approach based on core child and youth care principles, especially on the concept of engagement. Substantive accountability for youth incare should sideline the concepts of"punishment" and "consequences" and focus on restorative elements of managing the impact of quasi-criminal behaviours and developing and nurturing the collective memory of all those sharing the life spaces of the youth.

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Published

2009-11-01

How to Cite

Gharabaghi, K. . (2009). Accountability Through Engagement: . Journal of Child and Youth Care Work, 22, 57–77. Retrieved from http://acycpjournal.pitt.edu/ojs/jcycw/article/view/429

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